Dear CareerBabe:

I am a public relations manager with AT&T, soon to be downsized out of a job. I have been searching for headhunters, but have had little luck finding one that covers PR/communications. Most are high-tech. Any leads to share for hunters in my field?

Dear Dennis:

In certain ways I think many people "delude" themselves here because they want to find a recruiter to get their next good job. So remember: Recruiters are only interested in you if they can place you for money.

Please ask yourself this question: Will a recruiter actually find me a job or do I need to develop leads myself? If your answer is "myself," then you need to start:

1. networking like crazy
2. reading the paper
3. going on the Web
4. finding PR associations, companies, people who have made this transition before

PS: For recruiters, look at the response to "Desktop Diva" on Researching salaries & education in a new field.

Good Luck!