Wired’s article on Silicon Valley recruiters is enlightening if you haven’t run across the concept of the power broker recruiter before. The valley’s best and brightest are akin to Hollywood stars with their agents tracking down hot leads for new companies and enticing positions. I feel lucky to have cultivated solid relationships with three decent, straight-shooting recruiters over the years, using them for hiring and finding new jobs for myself. They know to check in every once in a while and they know my personality quite well. And I know they won’t screw me over. They try to be persuasive, of course, but they know when to stop. The biggest gold mine of jobs for me, though? People I’ve worked with before. It is so comforting to have a network of contacts who periodically check in to see if I’m “interested”.