This isn't directed at the recruiters above (I know a few of you quite well now) but honestly, I get several calls a day from so called "Specialist SharePoint Recruiters". It seems to me that focusing on SharePoint as a means to grab a share in a recruitment market is fair game and good on anyone who makes a few quid out of it, that's free enterprise and I for one applaud it. Though it does appear that everyone is a "specialist" now.
However, focusing on SharePoint doesn't make you a SharePoint specialist, it makes you a niche market recruiter. If you had actual SharePoint knowledge and by that I mean understanding the product to a deep level rather than repeating buzz words or acronyms that you don't understand, that would be a different matter.
Having the opportunity to work both sides, being recruited and doing the recruiting for SharePoint roles, I can fully understand many companies positions to not go outside the Preferred Supplier Lists. (for those who don't know me, I'm a SharePoint Architect, not a recruiter). There are many reasons, and most of you know them but one of the most common reasons is due to the very nature of the recruitment practices employed. If you've ever worked in or near HR when the 100's of recruiters call each and every day to pester them to take a client, you could understand why they need a blanket response - they simply don't have the time to deal with every man and his dog who says they have the best candidate for them. Aside from that, they get good rates with the companies on the PSL and the agreements are often exclusive or restrictive, so they can't deal with new agencies anyway. I'm not knocking the recruitment industry, far from it, it works very well for me but the reason it works so well is also the reason it doesn't work so well if you get my meaning?
I'm finding the SharePoint market is on fire for anyone with actual solid knowledge of the product and who has been through several implementations but for newcommers it is hard to break into (Sorry Mike G). Many companies are coming to realise (to their cost) that they can't just throw in a .Net developer in anymore, they need actual SharePoint practical knowledge coupled with good business skills. If you're a developer who wants to get into SharePoint, you may need to drop your rates to get the experience first and build from there.
The SharePoint "dot com" has come and gone, its a much more mature market nowadays with some very strong candidates out here earning good money but they have to work hard to keep up to date. It's also starting to fragment where I see the marketplace starting to ask for specific SharePoint skills such as Taxonomy, LOB Integration, Design Skills, etc. This tells us that the market has realised that SharePoint is in fact a suite of skills that one person alone can not hope to be a master of all.
So, to the original question - who is best? Well, no one really. As the recruiters above point out, they all get handed different opportunities and each of them have different routes to the market. Personally I deal with several that I have come to trust, the ones who don't try to kid me about their level of knowledge, the ones who are frank and honest about whats available and what they have to offer. I have a list of companies I would never deal with and a list that I will. This has come about through my personal experience with the agencies and staff involved, over time. As a general rule, most HR depts throw Microsoft roles to their designated Microsoft recruiters, so that should help narrow down your search a bit.
I think your approach of networking is a very good start and should stand you in good stead for the future as will your infrastructure skills. There are a lot of perm roles out there too. Good luck with your search and all the best.
Paul Leigh
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Software Architect and a
QuikR Microlight pilot in my spare time.