We All Need a (Jeannie) Genie

Now, I don't mean that we need a genie to grant all of our wishes with various zany outcomes, who eventually falls in love with us.  I do mean that we all want/need someone in our lives that has the ability to make our wishes and dreams come true.  Like the blog states, I'm currently dreaming of jobs, and fortunately for me, I have found modern day genies.  I have found recruiters.  If only it were as simple as them saying "your wish is my command," folding their arms, and blinking my perfect job into existence.

Now, I've never worked with a staffing company before, but in the short time that I have been looking for a new job, I've found that they fall into two general categories.  1) Recruiters who cut to the chase, negotiate salary immediately, then say they''ll get back to you, but you never hear from them again, not even a "no, it's not going to work out."  I'm left feeling a bit cold and bereft.  Was it good for you?  2) Then, there are recruiters who actually seem to care about you as a person, as well as filling their jobs and satisfying their clients' needs.  They treat this more like a relationship.  Maybe it's naive of me to think that they care about you as a person, but let me elaborate.  I'm talking about recruiters who talk to you for more than 15 minutes, and try to gauge if you're a good fit for the position they're currently recruiting for, and will (or at least say they will) keep you in mind for future positions.  These are recruiters that recognize that a good fit for you and the company is better for all parties involved.  But hey, what do I know, I'm new at this.  People of the Internet, what has your experience been with recruiters/staffing agencies?  Which side of the fence have you been on, and can you offer some insight into this world?