If you can make it easy for the reruiter to do the hard part of his job (getting a client company to sign a fee agreement and accept candidates for interviews) then the recruiter will surely include you amongst the candidates that he submits – ESPECIALLY if you are a superstar.

First, try to work with recruiters who work your seciality.

Second, come to them when you hear about an opportunity that might be something that they could work on.

Third, offer up folks in your network when they present something that might not be right for you.

One of the things I have noticed about having recruiters in your network (and I talk more about this in the upcoming book) is that it works better to approach the recruiters in your network with your definition of the ideal opportunity (or even an opportunity itself) rather than just asking them for something.

For example, if I know that my calling and career path suggests that the next thing I should do is to run a software development team for a small-to-medium size company doing progressive and interesting work, I can approach the recruiters in my network looking for that.

And/or, having found an opportunity like that, approaching the recruiters I know to discover if they know anyone who they might be able to introduce me to at the opportunity.