In my experience headhunters mostly work for companies (not individuals), but that said they provide the only route into many industry jobs. Often when you file open (nonspecific) job inquires with a company they will just ignore it and many jobs that are really open are never listed on a company website or externally. This is particularly true at the start of an upswing... companies do not want to sort through a lot of applicants. Instead they farm the search out to head hunters. How do you find a good head hunter in your area of specialty, that’s not hard. Find an ad for a job for which you are qualified that is put out with language like “our client is looking for....”. Apply for that job, and also in a separate communication send you resume to that company asking if they know of any other opportunities. That will get you into their system. The key with headhunters is have no loyalty ... contact as many as you can and repeat process without telling the next one of the first. They are paid by the employer (not you), but when the right job comes up you are the commodity... then it is win win to. make sure your name is on their plate. One note, however, is that they get paid when the employer hires, even if the job is a poor fit for you... you are the only one in this game looking after your interests.