Where in the Yellow Pages do I look? I know “headhunter” isn’t the term I’m looking for. “Staffing Agencies” tend to focus on clerical temp work, and that’s not what I’m looking for, either. I’m looking for someone (in another city) who’s familiar with the local job market and can help me match my skills to a job opening in that locality.
Many staffing agencies go beyond clerical or temp work. Try one of the large ones, you may be surprised.
Another possibility might be the Employment Security Commission/ Department of Labor (the state agency that pays unemployment and tries to help unemployed people find jobs, name varies by state). The JobLink program supposedly has a somewhat broader mission than just helping the unemployed.
Another good option would be a professional/trade association for your field, either local or national.
I have a friend who does industry-specific recruiting, and he’s definitely not in the phonebook- he gains all his clients by referrals and word-of-mouth. Therefore, you should definitely try to network a little bit, maybe through the alumni network of your university or some professional organizations and inquire as to how people in your area found their jobs.
Here is the page where you can find the DOL-funded entities in the city of your choice. (This is what Harriet the Spry mentioned.) I recommend checking them out.
“Employment Agencies.”
Our area has a Job Link - Try seeing if there is one in the area you are interested in.
If you post a resume to monster, career builder, dice, or one of the other job sites, head hunters will get in touch with you. That was my experience earlier this year, anyway, and I landed a new job as a result.