This was the week of the headhunter. Not the turkey kind, though some 50 million birds were chopped, bled and plucked for November 27 alone, but the other kind that sets up shop to find you a new head after your own gets axed. Don't assume for one second that they are working for the job-hunter, as they are paid by the employer, but as long as you accept that, they provide another alternative for keeping your resume fresh and your interviewing skills honed.
They are in as dire a situation as the companies they represent. Dire straits indeed, as I contacted ten recruiters this week, and spoke with one of them...and felt their discomfort...

"May I speak with Mr. Ramar please? Yes, this is Willy-Willy following up on an email I sent him on Monday. Thanks, I'll wait."
"Hello, Mr. Ramar, yes, thanks for taking my call. I'm following--I'm sorry, you can't locate my email? Yes, Monday, I got your name from Lord Greystoke...that's right, you placed him on an escarpment in darkest--right, the fellow with the limited vocabulary but great leadership skills."
"That's right, Willy-Willy, I forwarded my resume and would like to know if I can clarify any information for you, and find out--no, I wasn't aware you only specialize in recruiting C-level swingers, that really doesn't fit my--sure, I'll hold..."
"Oh, you found it, great, can we review some of my qualifications--yes, I'll keep it to ninety seconds---'
"I started my career in the west basin of the---I'm sorry, I can't hear you, what is that annoying drumming sound that keeps getting louder and louder---? Yes, I can hear you much better now, as I was saying, I trained under Charlie and Zahir, and picked up numerous accolades for my--yes, Charlie with the parrot Walter--oh, you've heard of him, it's a small world---no, he had an unfortunate incident with a rope bridge...right, he was one of a kind."
"To continue, wait, can you hold a second Mr. Ramar, thanks..." Babette, Babette, come back to Willy-Willy, I make you nice banana soup..." sorry, had to put out a quick fire here...anyway, I hope you can run my qualifications through your database to see if there might be a---yes 'guide' would be a good description, I'm comfortable taking the lead and cutting through the--that drumming again, Mr. Ramar, I can't hear a word you--Mr. Ramar? Mr. Ramar! What the---yes, hello? Who am I speaking with...?"
"The White Goddess? Oh, you're an associate of Mr. Ramar---I see, you've moved into his camp---well, maybe you can help me..."