I have one idiot who made me an offer which might have been somewhat realistic: it was at a networking company, doing C++ for APs/controllers (5 years experience wanted). I told him something like "sorry, no, I'm just leaving that field (and that city) for a little startup, I was more of an NMS guy anyway, and I wasn't using C++ - you could do a better job of convincing me that you understand my background and skill-set; I see you even are advertising for NMS positions on your company's site." I also allude to his company's competence using abstruse engineering language: "I've worked with your products before, and already faced some of these 'unique challenges' you promise."
Three months later he contacts me about the same C++ positions, with the same language. After me telling him exactly how to do his job. This time I was a little more explicit, and asked him to keep contacting me so I could make fun of him and his company to my engineering buddies. :P
Probably a bridge burned, but one I'll never use, and I don' t make a habit of this.
"you could do a better job of convincing me that you understand my background and skill-set; I see you even are advertising for NMS positions on your company's site."
I had a similar experience, and because I had multiple people from their office call me about different positions in the same time period, I became convinced that recruiters are just allotted a concrete list of positions that _they_ are responsible for. (think of it like randomly handing out a different list of target customers to each member of your sales team)
Even if you aren't a good fit for a given position, they'll call you about that position and not the one you're a better fit for, because well, it's not _their_ job to fill the other role.
I've always mentally associatted third-party recruiters with 'Glengarry Glen Ross,' so the idea that there are a number of 'leads' they all fight over would make sense. Just reversed with the easy to fill jobs being the good 'leads'. Some of the third party groups I've dealt with certainly had that aroma. (Some of the megaCo recruiting depts, too.)
That's exactly what happens at some places, from what I've heard. In some companies (the more commission-oriented ones) employees even own their "contact list" of candidates.
Three months later he contacts me about the same C++ positions, with the same language. After me telling him exactly how to do his job. This time I was a little more explicit, and asked him to keep contacting me so I could make fun of him and his company to my engineering buddies. :P
Probably a bridge burned, but one I'll never use, and I don' t make a habit of this.