How did you start in recruitment?
I originally trained and worked as an electrical engineer in the British Army. Then, earlier this year, Reveille Blue approached me regarding a career in recruitment.
I was unsure of what the role entailed, I did some research on the internet, and I felt it was an industry that I could transfer a lot of personal/life skills and skills learnt from my time in the Army and I attended an open day in Manchester.
I was immediately interested, and then completed the recruitment aptitude test, which tested my objection handling, researching, networking, sales and negotiation skills, which I have since found out are very important in recruitment. I then attended the recruitment academy for 1 week, and then completed the training from home, which included completing an exam and calling the Academy Trainers who acted in the capacity of both clients and candidates so i could put into practice and iron out any errors of what i had learnt from the training.
Reveille Blue then arranged 4 interviews close to where I live, and i was offered 3 positions, and accepted an opportunity with a new Technical recruitment agency that had moved to the area.
How did you initially find recruitment?
Because I have a technical background, the technical side of things was fairly easy for me to grasp. I had an understanding of IT and how things knit together but I quickly realised that recruitment is more about dealing with people. Sure, you need to understand the business you are working in, but the major part of recruitment is focussing on the people and the emotive process they go through in finding a new job.
Describe a typical day
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 Project Manager for a permanent position and the next I could be searching for Software Developers on a contract basis to support a large IT implementation. 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, IT staff 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.
What qualities do you need to be successful in recruiting?
Overall you need good people skills. You need to be able to gauge situations that can often become quite emotional. You need to be good at communicating – both to candidates and clients – and have an aptitude for sales. Essentially, this means talking to people in the right way to get what you need for your end objectives, and if you’re a good communicator, this should come naturally. You also need to be able to think and react quickly when under pressure and be able to stand on your own two feet.
What do you enjoy about recruitment?
The reason I’m still in recruitment today is because I love working with people. I enjoy the diverse nature of recruitment – because you’re dealing with people, some things are naturally out of your control so you have to react to different situations, all of which helps to bring change to the job.
Are there any downsides to the job?
You do experience a certain amount of stress and pressure because of situations that may arise that are beyond your control. You have to remember that you are dealing with people and you can’t always make them perform at the push of a button.
Is the career progression good?
If you really want to progress in recruitment you can – it’s a good environment to work in because you can work at any level. People from all walks of life fall into recruitment – from graduates to highly skilled people – and it’s up to you whether you make a career out of it. If you can find and maintain clients and candidates then you’re likely to be very successful. When I first started, it was just me and the contractors and candidates I represented. Now I’m part of a team running close to 100 contractors and turning over £3 million a year!
Is recruitment recession-proof?
Not entirely but you can see trends happening. Companies that are making a number of redundancies will need to hire again to keep operational, so we might suddenly get a peak in work after a trough. Also, the nature of work might be different – for example, a company might put a freeze on permanent staff but need to recruit a number of contract workers to see them through the next few months.
What advice do you have for anyone wanting to work in recruitment?
I highly recommend working with Reveille Blue. They offer 1st class training, and as they have relationships with recruitment companies, they do all the work for you, they introduce you to companies and prepare you well for interview.
Fully understand what your limits are in terms of location, salary and job role. Many Recruitment Consultancies will look for individuals with exceptional communication skills and an aptitude towards selling. Most companies will offer good training and if you’re starting from scratch, they’re likely to guide you initially towards candidate searching and resourcing candidates (for specific jobs), selling and trying to find new customers, or a mix of both. The incentives for being successful in this business can be very attractive and how successful you are is very likely to determine your earning potential. Often, good old fashioned hard work will see you moving in the right direction.
What advice would you give Service Leavers / ex Forces thinking of moving into recruitment
Recruitment was not an obvious choice for me when i left the Army, i actually initially did a course in Close Protection, but soon realised that the market was saturated. Recruitment has given me the opportunity to be in control of my own financial security and an opportunity to utilise all of the soft skills learnt in the Army such as communication, respect for procedures, ability to ‘think out of the box’ and team playing. Also, there is a sense of camaraderieship working in recruitment very similar to that in the Army.
Even if you are not technical, there are many opportunities in recruitment, working in industries such as Commercial, Industrial, Defence & Security, Construction, Digital & Marketing, Sales etc.
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 best advice I was given when starting in recruitment, was to ‘invest in yourself’ , this is so true, i take every opportunity to learn about business and recruitment, and as a result, I am making more placements, building strong relationships with candidates and clients and earning exceelent money!