Solid advice here. I'm going to address numbers 2, 6 and 7 with an alternative:
A really good recruiter can help with all of these things, except 'really good recruiter' seems like an oxymoron 99% of the time.
I'm a former recruiter turned tech entrepreneur, and my company, Mighty Spring (https://www.mightyspring.com) launched in private beta a few months ago to solve this problem.
We're a web app that let's you control the recruiting process. You spend <5 minutes setting up a profile, and then see a job board that is matched specifically to your background afterwards. With one click, you can indicate if you're interested in being contacted about a specific job. If you do, someone from Mighty Spring will reach out via email to schedule a call at your convenience.
We help coach you through the rest of the process with the company - including assistance with negotiation - without you ever having to formally 'apply'.
The other side of this is that we'll also create for you an anonymized pitch of your background that companies browse. Companies request to interview candidates based on these pitches. If they’re interested, they can request to interview you through the site. This means that if you're only passively looking - aka, ‘would consider the perfect opportunity if it happened to come along’ - you can field incoming requests without employers ever knowing your identity unless you choose to accept the interview request and speak with them.
All in all, it’s similar to what recruiters do today, except you manage the relationship, not the other way around.
As I mentioned, we’re in closed beta, but would be happy to expedite invites to the HN crowd. Feel free to email me with question as well (email in HN profile).
Also, even if you're not interested in our service, another tip:
Applying (in the traditional way) should be your last resort. A much better option is to try to establish an internal advocate at the company in question, and have them recommend you to the hiring manager.
This isn't has hard as it may sound. Find the profile of someone on LinkedIn (or the company website itself) who looks like they might be your peer if you got the job. Figure out their email, or simply ask them to connect on LinkedIn, and put a message in the 'include a personal note' field to the effect of:
"Hey, I saw a position at your company that I'm interested in, but I don't want to waste anyones time with an application unless I'm pretty sure it's a good fit. Do you have a minute to talk with me on the phone about your experience there?"
This works wonders, especially for those whose skill sets are in demand. Plus it works to the incentives the many employees are subject to: referral bonuses. If they recommend you (instead of you applying), they may get a nice little check.
A really good recruiter can help with all of these things, except 'really good recruiter' seems like an oxymoron 99% of the time.
I'm a former recruiter turned tech entrepreneur, and my company, Mighty Spring (https://www.mightyspring.com) launched in private beta a few months ago to solve this problem.
We're a web app that let's you control the recruiting process. You spend <5 minutes setting up a profile, and then see a job board that is matched specifically to your background afterwards. With one click, you can indicate if you're interested in being contacted about a specific job. If you do, someone from Mighty Spring will reach out via email to schedule a call at your convenience.
We help coach you through the rest of the process with the company - including assistance with negotiation - without you ever having to formally 'apply'.
The other side of this is that we'll also create for you an anonymized pitch of your background that companies browse. Companies request to interview candidates based on these pitches. If they’re interested, they can request to interview you through the site. This means that if you're only passively looking - aka, ‘would consider the perfect opportunity if it happened to come along’ - you can field incoming requests without employers ever knowing your identity unless you choose to accept the interview request and speak with them.
All in all, it’s similar to what recruiters do today, except you manage the relationship, not the other way around.
As I mentioned, we’re in closed beta, but would be happy to expedite invites to the HN crowd. Feel free to email me with question as well (email in HN profile).