J. L. Kirk & Associates

I want to add my two cents in the name of public service.

The way not to get scammed is to have information.

Bob Krumm says this:

BTW, never, under any circumstances*, ever pay a headhunter or a job placement firm to find you a job.

He adds a disclaimer:

(*Okay, not “any circumstances” but those circumstances apply to so few people that you know if you’re at a level and in a field where you need an agent.)

I think that leaves a bit too much wiggle room. Better just to say that it applies to so few people that it is *NOT* you.

Publishing is known for this kind of scam. The thing to remember is that a reputable literary agent or publisher makes money by selling your work. If they want money up front for representing you it means that they don't have to sell anything at all. It's a huge HUGE red light. This is not an acceptable practice in the industry.

The problem is that most people don't know anything about what standard practices are in publishing or with agents, and they might not know what is normal with employment firms.

Employment firms make their money by finding you a job.

Instapundit links to posts about the J. L. Kirk & Associates monkey business that brought this up just now.

This goes to a blog response claimed to be by the women who conducted the interview, claiming to represent J.L. Kirk & Associates business practices. They got a law firm to send a letter to bully Katherine Coble into taking it down.