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Helping you find a career in the recruitment industry

If you're the kind of person who likes to help other people find their path in life, then the recruitment industry might be for you. Recruitment involves matching candidates to the roles that best suit their interests and skills. It can be a rewarding experience because it means you get to be the one noticing potential talent that others may miss. You'll get to recommend people for promotions or new positions that may open up a variety of new opportunities for them.

You may work for an in-house recruiter, meaning you'll be recruiting individuals for one particular company. Alternatively, you may work for a recruitment agency and will be hired by clients to find the right applicant for roles they're recruiting.

You'll often be looking for candidates with a specific skill set for a particular job. Your goal is to find the very best talent for the position. Often, you'll be aiming for a specific target and will earn commission depending on how successful you are. This means there can be a lot of money in recruitment, with more experienced recruiters earning around £30,000 plus commission.

Typically, you'll start off as a resourcer. That means you'll be doing research and finding potential candidates as part of a team run by a more senior member. As you continue through your career, you'll gain more experience and responsibility, normally after a period as a resourcer you'll move into a client-facing role, building relationships with a number of different clients.

You'll often be calling potential clients or candidates, so make sure your phone manner is up to scratch!

Often, you'll need a degree, although there aren't usually specific subjects to study. Degrees in business, economics or a humanities subject can give you some of the skills you'll need. However, if you have a lot of experience in a particular field, you may be able to get a position without needing a degree if your skills match what the company is looking for in a recruiter.

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FAQs

FAQs

Skills & interests you'll need

You'll need to have a firm knowledge of the business world, particularly sales. You'll also be interacting with a lot of different people, so confidence and clear communication will be important. You may also need a bit of a thick skin as it's possible a lot of your cold calls will not result in anything - but what a rush when it does!

You'll need to be charismatic and personable too, as a lot of your success will depend on your ability to win people over.

There can be a lot of pressure in recruitment, as companies typically want positions filled as quickly as possible, while the industry itself can be heavily target-driven. If you're the kind of person who thrives under pressure, then recruitment is a great choice for your career.

You'll get to deliver a lot of good news to successful candidates, but you may also have to deal with a few failures here and there, as well as offering negative feedback. It's important to show your sensitivity in situations like these and always think positively!

How to get Recruitment internships, work experience or placements

As previously mentioned, you're probably going to need a degree of a 2.1 standard to get a position in a recruitment consultancy unless you have excellent experience already.

At the very least, find some work experience in the business world to show your familiarity with how industry works. You could contact local firms and ask if they have any work experience available. Administrative work or doing some work in a recruitment office can be great ways to get some experience. Many recruitment firms will offer internships or work experience programmes doing general administrative work while also letting you get a sense for what the team does.

If you're interested in recruiting for a specialist field, such as banking or IT, you may require a specific degree that will match the field.

You'll often receive training on the job that will help you to advance. There are courses as well that can provide you with the skills you'll need as you progress through your career.

Read more about the Recruitment industry

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

British Institute of Recruiters

Institute of Recruitment Professionals

Association of Professional Recruitment Consultants

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation