Oh, to be among the wanted. That's what many workers out there say when they hear friends or colleagues moaning that they don't know what to do when a recruiter -- or headhunter -- calls them at work to tell them about an exciting new job.

But to be among the wanted: It can be a tricky balance of checking out an opportunity and remaining loyal to an employer. And it's particularly difficult when one is sitting at that employer's desk, talking to a recruiter on the telephone. So sneaky. So underhanded.

So common and so necessary.

Recruiters often happen upon workers in one of three ways:

The workers are well known or other people refer them, and they are very good at what they do. These people are in very senior positions or have specialized skills.

Others are found because they are incredibly active in their job searches, whether they are searching or not. They are on job boards and databases, and because of that, they end up in recruiters' files or simply on a recruiter's radar screen. Often.

And others are found because they are very public. They are association officers or on boards, or can be found easily via a Web search. These are people who hold positions in the community. Therefore, recruiters or organizations know about them.

These people might get calls rather often from recruiters who are paid by companies to find good hires for open positions. The recruiters are essentially trying to make a sale. That's great for a lot of people. But the question lingers: How do these people handle the sticky situation of being recruited while at work?

READ: Shhh -- Recruiter on the Line

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