​Starting a career in recruitment.

​Hi, my name is Pat and I have recently moved to a Digital & Media Recruitment team here at Aspire. I wanted to try something new, challenge myself, and do something outside my comfort zone.

I moved to the UK nearly seven years ago. Like almost all changes, living in a new country was challenging at first, but it’s also been extremely rewarding and fun. Fast-forward five years in the Sales and Hospitality industry and I’ve started an amazing new career in Recruitment.

This is another new adventure with a huge learning curve, so I thought I’d share with you what it’s really like starting a career in recruitment.

It's no surprise to see that a career in recruitment is shaping up to be one of the most appealing options for people right now. The recruitment industry welcomes graduates of every kind, in fact, you don’t even need a degree at all as long as you have the desire to learn, a keen eye for detail, and solid English writing and communication skills! Great news for anyone who doesn’t want to go to University and mount up student debts. Recruitment is not only a good option for fresh graduates, but it also allows you to gain some of those crucial career skills such as networking, negotiating, pitching or presenting, time-management and prioritization.

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Why Recruitment could be the best first job?

1. Every day is different

If you’re the kind of person who craves variety in their career, then recruitment could be a good fit for you. One day you could be in the office all day searching for and speaking to candidates, the next you could be out on client and candidate meetings, negotiating offers, and winning new business. What remains constant is that you’ll always be juggling a number of different roles, meeting new people every day and improving your skills as a recruiter.

2. Earning potential

The earning potential of a career in recruitment is another notable reason to pursue this profession. No matter your base salary, commission structures mean you have an amazing earning potential. With no commission cap, you can reap the rewards for all your success.

3. A career development

Comprehensive training and opportunities to learn from colleagues at your desk help you grow and develop your skills that could contribute to your professional growth. Once you have completed your recruitment training, you have the freedom to headhunt and manage your own candidates and clients. Running a recruitment desk is like running your own business. It’s a great balance of taking control of your desk at the same time as having the support of a wider business.

4. The competition

If you are looking to build a career with a fast track to success and don’t mind friendly competition, then recruitment could be the career choice for you. Many recruiters may feel this friendly competition is a powerful motivator to complete their tasks and fulfill their clients' expectations

5. You can have a positive impact on people’s lives

The impact you can have is extremely rewarding. Whether it is finding someone their dream job or helping a client hire the perfect person to grow their business, you have a huge impact on people’s lives.

When you offer a great candidate their dream job, there’s no better feeling in the world. And as a recruiter, you know that your coaching and guidance throughout the hiring process helped them secure the job that they’ve been searching for.

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First year in Recruitment overview:

First month: for the first week or so, you will receive training in areas such as interviewing, market overview and sales techniques. You will then start resourcing for candidates, calling them and selling opportunities, and preparing CVs for submission to clients.

First three months: the next three months are a transition period. Some companies keep new people in a resourcing role for the first months, others have junior consultants- responsible for two accounts and for increasing new business. Your financial targets are kept low for the first few months.

First six months: You will be talking to new clients, making placements and finding out more about your market. Also, your financial targets will start rise.

First year: your training is completed! With more market knowledge, you will get more respect from both clients and candidates. Your financial targets and earnings should increase at a similar rate.

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What about the tough times?

While I’ve focused on the many reasons why recruitment is such an exciting and impactful job, there are obviously some drawbacks.

There are days where everything seems to go wrong. Self-motivation is a very important quality to have in this profession. Candidates pull out, clients change their minds about the role, or the vacancy gets filled seconds before you were going to present the client with a fantastic CV.

It’s especially important in recruitment to have a specific goal to drive you forward, so even if you do get those rainy days, you bounce back.

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