This time I'm looking for the other ones. The only time I had a great experience with a recruiter was in Japan a year ago, with an indie guy working in his own small niche agency. First he took his time to understand my situation and needs, and then matched me with positions that made perfect sense with my experience and professional goals at the time.
I think a competent recruiter can actually very useful when looking for a new job, but most of them are useless.
Do you know any competent, indie/small firm recruiter? Why do you think she/he is competent?