How To Become a Recruitment Consultant

Recruitment consultants can come from any walk of life. You may have recently graduated, left the armed forces, or simply want a change of career. The flexibility of the role of is second to none and provides an opportunity for anyone who has the drive and ambition to succeed in this highly competitive market.

There is a lot of money to be made as a recruitment consultant if you are willing to put on the work - this job is not for the faint hearted! There are no formal qualifications although it does help to have an area of specialism. This could be anything from a medical background, engineering degree, or 10 years working in the motor trade. All areas of industry require recruitment consultants so you can make your mark in any area of business. Staying sharp and the ability to think quickly will take you some of the way in the world of recruitment. It's a competitive area and competition is high. Over half of those who join the recruitment industry leave within a year, but those who knuckle down and stick with enjoy very high rewards for their work.


Few industries offer as competitive a salary, especially considering no formal qualification is necessary. You will need to be prepared to knocks along the way and put in the extra hours, but the pay off is well worth it.

If you decide to become a trainee recruitment consultant you will most likely start off as a researcher or resourcer. These jobs are termed 'entry level' and you will be trained thoroughly by experts within your company. They will mentor you in the initial stages until you are confident enough to start going it alone. As a researcher or resourcer your primary task is to assist the current recruitment consultants by sourcing new candidates for temporary and permanent vacancies currently being offered by your recruitment consultancy. At this point the number of candidates you can provide per vacancy is the most important factor, but this will change to the financial aspects of the placement when you move up to being a recruitment consultant.

If you can achieve your targets on a regular basis, within three to twelve months you should be on course to becoming a recruitment consultant. There is plenty of opportunity for career development in the recruitment industry, and your desire to progress will be an important part of it. The size and structure of the recruitment company you work for will also be a factor, the bigger the company, usually the more opportunity to progress.

As a trainee recruitment consultant you may wish to settle into a business niche, stay in a purely sales based environment, move to a recruiter on site position, or move into account management. In time and with hard work you may wish to progress to team leader or a managerial position within your recruitment company or another in the industry. Recruiting skill will always remain at the basis of your career, but the ability to manage people, financial ability, and manage time will help you along the way.

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