Tips for success in recruitment jobs 

Recruitment jobs are not to everybody’s taste. They’re extremely hectic, and rejection is something you’ll just have to get used to on the path to success. But one thing is for sure, if you’ve got talent, you can earn big sums in the industry. So what’s the best way to develop through your fledgling years for the best long-term results? 

To answer this, try to look at it from the other perspective – that is, the perspective of the head of a recruitment consultancy looking for bright young entrants to join their team. What qualities would the perfect applicant have? 

• A background in the appropriate form of recruitment, whether temporary or permanent

• A background in the relevant sector, be it as a recruitment agent or as an employee in that sector

• A first-rate work history with good results in whichever sector the candidate has been employed in to date

• Integrity and a positive mental attitude

I’ve been the head of a recruitment agency, and I can remember times when one of my main agendas was trying to prevent a specific candidate signing up with the competition. Be that candidate and success will surely follow! But how?

Well firstly it’s a good idea to treat your first three years in recruitment jobs as a kind of apprenticeship, with your main aim to make yourself overwhelmingly tempting to anyone seeking a consultant to join their team. To achieve this, you need to build up the different components previously mentioned. It’s well worth trying to achieve this irrespective of earnings potential. Why? Well once you’ve developed your CV so as to become the ideal consultant, you can pick and choose the most profitable sector to work in, and your salary will quickly compensate you for any shortfall in your opening three years.

In the right sectors, a high calibre consultant is valuable indeed. Just consider that in financial recruitment for accountants and the like, typical fees for industry big shots are about £8000 per position. The difference between an average and an outstanding consultant could be around four placements a month – a difference of £24K per month and £288K over the year in fees! Here, the head of a consultancy stands to make great revenue, notwithstanding a big basic salary and generous bonus for the consultant. Consequently, in some sectors, exceptional consultants can command earnings over £100K, no problem. And the even better news is it tends things to get even rosier as an individual’s contacts and networks grow. 

The reason I wrote this piece is that the other day I was approached by a consultant a year-and-a-half into her career who had done well on a £15K basic earning plus a £20K bonus. She was on the lookout for a job with a bigger basic salary – perhaps £20K – and didn’t mind whether it was permanent or temporary. It struck me that this is the moment to aim high. With my background, I know that good consultants are highly lucrative for the business and are few and far between. High earnings recruitment jobs are there to be grabbed. Another year’s worth of experience, and with a good track record to show for it, and this young lady would be ready to go for a consultant’s job in the big leagues: the same job but with bigger fees!

Recruitment jobs are not for everyone, but if it is for you, and you're good at it, capitalise on the opportunities you’re presented with. It's an exciting career path with the potential for big earnings. All it takes is a little thought with your job selection in the early stages. 

All the best