How do you manage recruiter SPAM

Question

It's been over nine years since I actively looked for a job as a software developer. Now, I'm re-entering the job market.Back in 2011, after I took my job, I started getting multiple calls a day from pushy recruiters. Everyone I worked with also got multiple calls too. Most of the recruiters sounded like they didn't understand the industry and had no clue just how often everyone they were calling was getting approached.Now, I'm happy to get an occasional call, email, ect from a recruiter! But when it's multiple calls a day, it's a problem.Now that I'm re-entering the job market, how do I protect myself so I'm not hounded by pushy recruiters for the next year?

JohnFen · Accepted Answer

My approach is this: I treat them the same as telemarketers. If they call, my phone automatically shunts them to voice mail (it doesn't even ring). If they email, they get flagged as spam.
That only applies to cold-calling, not to recruiters that I've reached out to or have an existing relationship with. I learned many, many years ago that if a recruiter is cold-calling me, the odds are overwhelming that they're a bottom-feeder and have nothing of substance to offer.
I also deleted my LinkedIn profile a number of years ago, mostly because of the amount of recruiter spam I got from it. Doing so has had no noticeable affect on my career.

onion2k · Answer

Add their number to your contacts and give them a silent ringtone.Add their email address to your contacts and set up a mail rule to mark everything as read.