What you say does fit with my intuition. If I wanted to start looking for a job now I'd talk to the folks in my network at various startups / the Googles or Facebooks of the world.

However, it does make sense that a connected recruiter would help with looking for opportunities outside of that sphere as well. The suggestion to ask for referrals to good recruiters and sort by frequency is a good one. I'll keep it in mind for the next time I start job hunting.

Thanks again!