Headhunters and employment agencies are valid options for job seekers.

If you are looking for a new career in this economy, headhunters and employment agencies help job seekers get into companies they admire and sometimes can get resumes past application tracking systems.

As with everything else, proceed with caution and do your research and due diligence since some recruiters and headhunters do charge up-front fees. You do not want this to be a surprise to you.

To help with your research, TheLadders.com has a list of 10 Questions To Ask Headhunters to see if they are a good fit to help you find what you are looking for.

Three ways to connect with headhunters and employment agencies:

1. Use social networking sites like LinkedIn. Keep in mind that recruiters and headhunters are looking for professionals so keep your online persona positive. When you first reach out to the recruiter, don't just ask for a job. Ask about their services. What they do? How they can help? Ask for insight on the industries they serve and get more details on specific jobs of interest. Headhunters and employment agencies have recruiters who are super busy people so schedule appointments and please be respectful of their time.

2. Ask the professionals in your college career center. I don’t care how long ago you graduated, most career office serve their alumni. Too many people forget about the resources available to them that are designed to connect them with hiring managers and recruiters. Career center or alumni centers have staff that can give you recommendations. Some centers actually allow recruiters and headhunters to participate in career events like job fairs.

3. Connect with recruiters and headhunters through professional association memberships. No matter what industry you are interested in, there are professional associations affiliated with your industry. Many recruiters and headhunters stay connected with professional associations and routinely meet their new potential candidates that way.