The following stories about headhunters are true. Names have not been provided in order to protect the guilty and to prevent legal action against me.

I know of a headhunter who called a VP of marketing of a bank - at home, at 10:30 at night - to find out whether she'd be interested in an account executive's job. There was another who lied about the compensation being offered in order to get an extremely busy candidate to interview for a job paying well below what the candidate was making. Yet another headhunter used a candidate's references as a source for more bodies - and asked whether they'd be interested in trying out for the same job the candidate was after.

Now for the ultimate heinous headhunter story: When one of her candidates decided to decline an offer, her very well known headhunter responded to the news by calling her the c-word. And I don't mean "cutie."

Now here's a different kind of headhunter story.

I'd been working client side for about five years and really longed to get back into an agency. I wanted to work in direct marketing. Problem was that I didn't have any direct experience, just a mad desire to get into it.

I was lucky enough to find a recruiter who took the time to become completely familiar with my skills. Together we assessed those skills for their relevance to an account management position at a direct agency.

A client of his, a direct shop, was looking for a suit and so he introduced me as a candidate. It was he as much as I who sold my skills and personality to that agency. He helped them see all I had to offer.

I got the job. Plus I gained a ton of knowledge and a tremendously valuable friend and mentor in my boss at the time.

The lesson is simple - not all headhunters are created equal. There are some pros out there, dedicated to understanding their clients, their candidates and the jobs they are filling. Then there are others dedicated to making a big fat commission, and whose principal method seems to be to throw bodies against the wall to see who sticks.

With the job market being as ripe as it is, many of us are being inundated with phone calls from recruiters. Here, then, are some tips to help you avoid being hosed by a headhunter.

Better the devil you know. If you're thinking of working with a recruiter you don't know, ask around. The recruiters who specialize in this field are likely to be known to your colleagues, either by reputation or first-hand experience.

Only deal with recruiters who work on a retainer basis. Recruiters don't work for you. Their clients pay them to find the right person. Some recruiters are on a retainer with their clients. They get paid regardless. Other headhunters work on a contingency. They get paid only if they place someone. Contingency headhunters tend to be far more aggressive in selling you a job, whether it's right for you or not.

Make sure you know what you want. Do you really want to make a change? If you do, are you clear on exactly what you're looking for in a new workplace? If you're not sure, a good headhunter won't be able to do their best for you. And the bad ones will shop you around anywhere. If you're not really committed to a change, don't waste the time of recruiters. It leaves them with a bad impression and they are less likely to help you out when you really do want to move.