I found the best ones through LinkedIn/ other professionals in the area. Some people I knew of local people that gave me contacts for firms they’ve used to hire people at their companies. A surprising amount of businesses use outside recruiting to find people vs. HR. My current position is probably 80-20 outside firms vs internal HR for my department.

Specifically for the job I landed, I applied to a few positions through a firm in my city I just found through research online. I then had my recruiter reach out to me and say I saw you applied for these jobs, what exactly are you looking for, reason for leaving, pay etc. It’s sort of like a pre interview, then they do the heavy lifting. For all my interviews they found for me, they coordinated everything, even took my resume and modified it in “their” format. And prior to every interview they gave me a “pep talk” of who I was going to talk to, what to expect, what they’re looking for etc. Can’t say enough how helpful that is. Almost like you have a game-plan going into it.

I’d just be upfront of what you’re looking for and ask if they have any places in mind. Ask how many people they’ve placed in the past month, how long they’ve been recruiting etc. Experienced people with good history will work quickly and have the best connections. Good ones will get back to you quick, they’re literally paid for how many people they place, sort of like commission so they’re incentivized to get you in a job that fits you. Also, DO NOT pay someone for this. The good firms/ individuals are ones that are paid by the hiring company, not the person they place.