Murky Middlemen

Through experience I've come to view recruiters w/ a very jaundiced eye. One blogger discusses how many put too much emphasis on relationship in lieu of transaction: http://www.booleanblackbelt.com/2009/08/candidate-recruiter-relationships-overrated/ However, I think the problem is much deeper than that. For one, the employer pays, so the recruiter acts on his behalf & doesn't really care that much about the needs of the candidate (unfortunately candidate-pays types are all scams). But another problem is the very fact that the recruiter doesn't work in the same industry as the employer & candidate. I interviewed once w/ a recruiter seeking a civil engineering job; the recruiter didn't even understand the difference between an engineer and a drafter (the opening was for a drafter, but I wasn't able to get that clear over the phone & even had difficulty clarifying that in person -- even though it became clear to me the interviewer hadn't a clue). I also have run across myriad job postings w/ engineering/engineer in the title which have nothing to do w/ engineering. I worked regularly w/ 2 different recruiters for nearly a year and neither found me a job. So ultimately I think recruiters create a murky mess between employers & candidates, making it even harder to find the perfect fit.