No, I'm not a headhunter

It seems that whenever I tell someone for the first time that I'm a recruiter, their response is typically, "So you only find people to work for your company then?" with a quizzical look on their face. It's as if the concept of 'Corporate Recruiting' is such a foreign one; that all recruiters are headhunters. Maybe part of it is that the firm I am currently with (and those that I have worked with prior) are not household names. If I had said, "I am a Recruiter at Microsoft", then maybe they would get it? For the Corporate Recruiters out there, have you ever run into this? And if so, why do you think that concept of being an internal, corporate recruiter is so misunderstood?

Nothing against headhunters, it's just not what I am. I take alot of pride in being a corporate recruiter and have always enjoyed working on the 'inside'. I tried the headhunter route very early in my career and it wasn't for me. I need to feel a part of something, something bigger than me. Even though I've changed employers about every three years or so, I've been fiercely loyal to those organizations (and still am in most cases), and often thought of myself as one of those organizations' biggest cheerleaders. It's not about putting people in jobs. It's about connecting great people with great opportunities in great organizations. It's about having a direct impact on the growth and future of an organization I am a part of. That's what I'm about. So why is it that there are some who apparently don't seem to understand that this role exists in corporate America today?

BTW, how do you like the new 'Snap' link preview I've added in. There are so many cool new blog widgets and tools out there, I just had to add this one.