John Brown, Recruitment Consultant
"Where perhaps a decade ago, recruitment consultancy was something that people ‘fell’ into, the sector has evolved 
so much that today, it is a professional career option for many graduates. The UK recruitment industry is the largest in Europe, worth an estimated £24 billion and in a climate where skills shortages are still dominating the business landscape; employers need specialist help more than ever before. And that’s where a recruitment consultant comes in.
In a nutshell, my job involves matching job seekers (candidates) to vacancies with employers (clients) for a fee paid by the client. But there’s much more to it than that - it is a very consultative environment where attributes such as sales ability, people skills, problem solving and customer service are absolutely key. Today’s clients and candidates are looking for consultancies who can become trusted advisers - not just matchmakers!
I can’t really describe a typical day as the role is so diverse - and that’s what I love about it. One day I could be looking for a rocket scientist with a PhD and the next I could be searching for a qualified medical engineer to support front line forces in war zones. It's all about finding the person with the right skills which can be a great challenge. I also have to deal with a vast spectrum of clients and candidates which makes the job really interesting. Regardless of the state of the British economy, engineers are in high demand and our clients are always commenting on there being a lack of good quality candidates.
Some days I’ll be out of the office meeting and advising clients on their recruitment strategies. This involves getting to know their business, their culture and their needs and building relationships in order to better service their requirements. An enquiring and probing mind is essential - as is the ability to be able to liaise at all levels of management.
A lot of my time is spent on the telephone and I’ll meet and interview candidates not only to ascertain their suitability for a role, but also to give objective career advice. I also have to write copy for recruitment advertisements, keep the recruitment database updated and manage issues such as the taking up of references.
I joined the company shortly after graduating as a trainee consultant and had both a formal induction programme and mentoring from a more senior colleague. As I had no previous experience of recruitment, the 20 module training course was excellent for me as that really got me started. It's broken up into manageable chunks - and then you get the chance to put what you've learned into practice. My training was very much one to one which worked really well for me as I was able to go at my own pace and then this was backed up by refresher and feedback sessions. And it shouldn’t stop there - the best recruitment consultancies to join are those that believe in an ongoing investment in training. At our organisation I’ve been lucky enough to be selected for leadership and talent management programme to address succession planning - and you have to earn your place! There is a set of criteria which staff must meet in order to be accepted on the programme linked to performance and behaviours. Sometimes I’ll be deployed at client sites so that I can gain an in depth understanding of customer requirements. At other times I may be attending client specific training programmes to ensure an expert understanding of technologies and work processes. And from time to time I’ll attend briefing sessions given by industry specialists.
It is important to appreciate that recruitment consultancy is a sales role and so the culture is commercially driven and can be pressured. But in my role, as well as being rewarded for the achievement of sales targets, I am also rewarded on competencies such as problem solving, teamwork, customer service and organisational skills. It’s a true meritocracy – an individual’s progression is limited only by their own performance and ambition. The company offers eight grades each with its own specific promotion criteria as well as five clear career paths designed to offer variety 
and to meet individual preferences.
Commission schemes vary from company to company but on target earnings at the end of your first year should be around £30k which will accelerate as your career develops.
A career in recruitment won’t suit everyone. It can be highly pressured and sometimes the hours can be unsociable - particularly if you need to interview candidates out of hours. However it has given me early responsibility, high earnings potential - and the satisfaction of helping to shape peoples careers - and in my book you can’t get better than that!"
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