So, here’s a random message I just got from a recruiter with CyberCoders:

Hi Martin,

Have you filled the .NET Developer position? I have great candidates that I would like to send to you ASAP. It is FREE for you to review and even interview my candidates!
And, if I fill a position (any position) with your company in the next 90 days, I will GIVE YOU A FREE IPAD 3.0!

Give me a shot – you’ll be glad you did!

Cheers,
xxx, CSP
name.name@cybercoders.com
(xxx) xxx-xxxx

Oh, boy!  A _free_ ipad. 3.0! Oh, wow! I’m just… so completely nonplussed.

Couple things our friend could have done here. First, check to see if I’m a corporate or agency recruiter. Granted, I’m a weird hybrid of the two, but still. There’s probably a better way than saying ‘your company’. Also, what “.NET Developer” position is she referring to? I don’t have one advertised. I’d love to talk with a few, of course, as I can generally help them find groovy new jobs, but I don’t have an open role posted. (Note to self: post some ads). What I’m hearing is the sound of a desperate agency recruiter, spamming people on LinkedIn. Which, I hope, isn’t effective.

Also, I’m still trying to figure out why CyberCoders thinks it’s a selling point that “It is FREE for you to review and even interview my candidates!” For those of you who aren’t in the business, it’s always free to interview an agency’s candidates, unless it’s a (somewhat rare, and almost always at the exec level) retained search. And, I’ve never heard of a retained search for a .NET Developer.

Final note to our pal: pry the exclamation mark off of your keyboard. Put it in the trash.