Why Work in Recruitment and How to Get Started
If you’re looking for a flexible career that offers you the chance to make a real difference in people’s lives, then recruitment could be a great fit for you.
Working in recruitment is fast-paced and exciting. But most of all it’s a job that has a significant role in helping managers, supervisors and business build and develop their teams. In the process, we’re also helping candidates get their ideal job and sometimes land their dream jobs, which can be a life changing moment!
Read on to learn more about what it's like to work in recruitment and why this could be the perfect profession for you. You’ll also discover our top tips for getting started in the industry!
A Rewarding Career in Recruitment
There are many amazing advantages to working as an Account Manager or Recruiter, perhaps most importantly, this is an extremely fulfilling career. If you love helping people, then you’ll get to enjoy this every single day at work.
When you take on this role, you’ll have a meaningful job that gives you a true sense of purpose as you assist others in all sorts of ways including managers having the right people and candidates having the right jobs.
What’s the difference between a Recruiter and Account Manager?
A Recruiter sources, interviews and selects candidates for a specific job. These key tasks are quite involved and achieving the right outcome requires a great deal of skill, technique, attention to detail and thoroughness.
An Account Manager is responsible for every aspect of Client service and success when it comes to people and HR generally. One part of the role does involve recruiting tasks as described above. If not, they’ve had experience performing that role and know it inside out. They almost always compete interviews, sometimes at their client's site, and of course select or decide on the candidate with the hiring manager.
The other half of an Account Manager’s role is all about what happens post placement. Account Managers provide advice, support and service in areas such as retention, employee engagement, performance, development, payroll and many other facets of HR. It’s often quite strategic, involves longer term planning and most importantly is built on strong, trusted relationships with both managers and candidates.
Be Part of a Great Team
As an Account Manager or Recruiter, you’ll become part of a supportive team that works together to achieve the best results.
You’ll get the chance to build long-lasting relationships with your co-workers, as well as the candidates and clients that you work with.
A Flexible Approach to Work
If you’re someone who needs flexibility in your work life, then a career in recruitment can be a great fit. More and more employers in the recruitment industry are embracing the benefits of hybrid working and offering more freedom regarding work hours.
Being able to fit your job around your life is an easy way to enhance your work-life balance, which can be great for your wellbeing and mental health.
Key Attributes of a Successful Recruiter
To enjoy a successful career in recruitment, you’ll need to love helping others and of course have excellent people skills and be a great communicator. You’ll also need to be adaptable and be a great learner as this can be a fast-paced industry with ongoing changes that you’ll need to stay ahead of.
It’s very helpful if you have an interest or passion about one of the agency’s industry specialisations. Your natural enthusiasm will shine through in your interactions with clients and candidates when you’re genuinely passionate about your work, and this will also mean you’ll enjoy your job.
Additionally, when you have in-depth knowledge of the industry and roles, it’s a lot easier to understand the skills and experience required and to quickly identify whether a candidate will be a good fit.
Being organised with good research skills will also help you to go far in this industry!
How to Get Started in Recruitment
There are multiple avenues into the recruitment world and different ways to boost your chances. You won’t necessarily need to be degree-educated or have any relevant experience, although these things may give you a head start.
At IRP, we believe in supporting your career progression from day one and continuing to invest in your training. Our core values are Delivery, Empathy and Ownership, and we prioritise recruiting people to our team who embody these values above all else.
You’ll find that some recruitment agencies hire candidates into entry-level roles with no experience and train them in-house. Once basic training is complete, it’s possible to quickly move up into more senior roles. The pace of this will depend on your work ethic and dedication to professional progression.
With a good basic salary package and commission on top, this is certainly an industry that rewards those who are willing to put the work in!
Take an Accredited Course
A course will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to land your first recruitment role. During your course, you’ll learn all the essentials, such as how to screen and interview candidates, how to write compelling job descriptions, how to source top talent and how to make sure you match suitable people to the right roles.
Another key skill you can learn through a training course is how to build relationships with clients. When you’re able to connect with employers and establish a strong rapport, these relationships can become long-term and mutually beneficial – they’ll get a great service from you, and you’ll continue to earn their business.
Build Your Network
As a new or aspiring Account Manager or Recruiter, you’ll need to get used to networking, as this is a fantastic way to connect with other industry professionals. These are people you can learn and gain support from.
Networking doesn’t have to take the conventional approach of in-person events. It’s something you can do effectively online, such as through LinkedIn and other social media platforms.
When you make a consistent effort to network and make connections, you’ll find that you’re kept in the loop about new and interesting opportunities that come up.
Networking can also be reaching out to employers directly to introduce yourself and explore possibilities for working together. As your reputation in the recruitment industry grows, networking will become easier, and you’ll start to find that people magnetise to you.
Find Jobs That Interest You
As mentioned earlier, working in a field that truly interests you is incredibly valuable. Once you’re ready to start applying for jobs, take your time to look around and find positions that appeal to you.
Of course, as you’re just starting out, you might not have as much freedom to be as selective as you’d like. It’s often the case that gaining experience needs to take priority over landing your ideal role. In this case, it’s a great idea to learn all you can about the industry you’re looking into and find ways to get excited about it.
Prepare for the Interview Process
Once you’ve started applying for jobs and securing interviews, you must prepare properly. A potential employer will need to see that you’re knowledgeable, confident, able to communicate effectively and offer some level of insight – all of which you can demonstrate in your interview.
Ensure you go into every interview having researched the company and ready to answer any questions about yourself, your experience, and your motivation for working in recruitment. It’s also a good idea to prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer. Doing so shows that you’re interested in working for the company and that you’ve put the time and effort in to find out more about them.
Powering Ahead in Your Career
Once you’ve got your foot in the door, there’s no limit where your career could take you. You might soon find yourself heading up your own division or being the head recruiter at your agency.
The possibilities are plentiful and, with a few years under your belt, you’ll find that the opportunities available to you will continue to expand and will also become more financially desirable.
Start Your Recruitment Career at IRP
Working at IRP means becoming part of a people-first team that always strives to inspire and motivate each other. We believe that work should be fun and that making a difference in someone’s life is an amazing reward – in the end that’s why we love it!
If you want to become an Account Manager or Recruiter at an employment agency in Perth who is optimistic, flexible, and always striving to improve, then you’ll find your place at IRP. Learn more about joining the team here, and get in touch us when you’re ready to take the next step!
