Most job seekers have worked with recruiters at some point.
These professionals help more than 16 million people find work each year, reports the American Staffing Association. They play a key role in our journey to a fulfilling career, and you, too, can join this exciting, fast-paced industry and change lives.
First, make sure you know what to expect. Recruiters do more than just screen resumes, check references, and schedule interviews. Their work is extremely diverse and often requires wearing multiple hats.
In this role, you’re expected to be a counselor, salesperson, marketing specialist, and career coach all at once. It’s the kind of job that forces you to come out of your comfort zone and discover your true potential. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to continuously improve your skills and achieve professional excellence.
Eager to find out more? We asked some of our top performers to share what surprised them most about working in recruitment. Below are their stories.
1. You’ll work in a fun, supportive environment
Recruiters work in a fast-paced environment, but it’s nothing like some of the depictions of sales teams you’ll have seen in film and TV.
Regardless of where you are in your career journey, you won’t be without support. As part of a team like the ones at Frank Recruitment Group, you’ll receive ongoing training, mentorship, and development opportunities to help you be your best. You’re going to work closely with your colleagues, support one another, and celebrate each other’s wins. The environment is dynamic, with a healthy dose of competition.
Charlotte Smith, a Senior Recruitment Consultant at Washington Frank, was surprised to discover a completely different work environment than what she had in mind when she joined the business. Before breaking into the industry, she was expecting to work long hours, with colleagues taking the competition to extremes. But she quickly realized that was not the case.
"Everyone on the team was helpful from day one."
"Obviously, you have to go out there and do things yourself, but you'll receive support every step of the way. When you do something wrong, it's not the end of the world. [After joining the team], I was studying on the side and I still managed to go out, socialize, and do stuff."
Charlotte Smith
Senior Recruitment Consultant | Washington Frank
2. You’ll wear many hats
No two days are the same for recruiters. These specialists have a wide range of duties and often juggle multiple roles as part of their job. They are sales reps, marketers, psychologists, strategists, project managers, and matchmakers.
The modern-day recruiter also has strong technical skills. This allows them to understand the client’s needs and find the best person for the job.
If, say, your client is seeking a network architect, you need to know a thing or two about enterprise networks in order to help them. Having a good working knowledge of applicant tracking systems, candidate relationship management (CRM) software, and other recruiting tools is just as important.
Your job duties will depend largely on your level of seniority and experience. For example, Alexandra Tamele, an Account Manager at Jefferson Frank, started out as a 360° recruitment consultant and team leader. Each role involves slightly different responsibilities.
“As a 360° recruiter, you’re typically doing both sides,” she says, “so you screen and interview the candidates yourself or you source them.”
"When you're an account manager, you only handle the client-side."
"In this role, I receive the candidate profiles from my delivery team or the recruiters on the floor and then send them over to the client. Sometimes, I also talk to the candidates and assist with the interviews and sourcing—especially when we have a lot of positions to fill."
Alexandra Tamele,
Account Manager | Jefferson Frank
3. The work is diverse and interesting
Recruiters must be able to “sell” a job to prospective employees, build a pipeline of talent, promote open positions, and track employment trends. Their work also requires an analytical mindset and business acumen.
Jacob Pöhl, the Team Leader for Microsoft Cloud Azure at Nigel Frank, joined the company two and a half years ago. Back then, he didn’t know what to expect. “I thought that I had to call some people who work somewhere, ask if they need a new job, and then try to convince them to accept our offer,” Pöhl told us. Soon, he realized that recruitment is a lot more complex.
"The whole process for recruitment is like the Champions' League of sales."
"Basically, you need to convince two parties to stick together for a permanent working relationship—and this is not that easy. You need to talk to the candidate beforehand, make sure they are qualified, discuss expectations, and assist them every step of the way. I think most people don't see the effort behind something like that."
Jacob Pöhl,
Team Leader, Microsoft Cloud Azure | Nigel Frank
Marcus Tembe, a Recruitment Consultant at Frank Recruitment Group, didn’t know much about this business before joining our team. What surprised him most about it was the workload.
“At first, I didn’t realize how much you really needed to do. Now I look at it and I’m like ‘Oh wow, there are lots of different elements and parts to your job!’ For example, we need to prepare cover sheets and CVs for our clients so they can see all the key points about the person we’re sending across. That’s something I never thought we would do,” explains Tembe.
4. You’ll earn good money
Recruitment is one of the best-paying careers for college grads and young people. In addition to their base salaries, recruiters get a commission for placing candidates. They may also qualify for performance bonuses and other incentives, such as paid trips. Their earning potential is unlimited.
Jacob Pöhl made about €75,000 in his first year as a recruiter. When he joined the company, he told himself: “Okay, maybe I can go to €40,000 or €50,000 in the best-case scenario.” And yet, he earned a lot more despite being new to the field.
"The money that can be made is just mind-blowing."
"It's worth putting in those hours and hard work when you know you get that reward at the end of the month."
Yasemin Asir
Recruitment Consultant | Nigel Frank
5. The potential for career progression is excellent
You would be surprised how quickly you can progress in recruitment. Depending on your job performance, you could climb the career ladder every few months.
“I was promoted to senior in my first nine months on the job,” says Welat Omari from FRG Technology Consulting. Like most recruiters, he started out as a trainee.
Two months later, he was promoted to Recruitment Consultant. After another six months, Omari was promoted to Senior Recruitment Consultant and soon became Team Lead. Today, he is a Manager, and Chair of the DACH Diversity Committee at Frank Recruitment Group.
Charlotte Smith joined Washington Frank in August 2020 and was promoted to Senior Recruitment Consultant in less than a year. Jacob Pöhl started to work as a Recruitment Consultant at Nigel Frank in November 2018. Over the next few months, he was promoted to Senior Recruitment Consultant, Principal Consultant, Senior Principal Consultant, and Team Leader.
Your career path is unique to you. Just remember that you must prove yourself fully to get the opportunities you deserve.
"You just have to be patient and willing to learn and to fail before you succeed."
"You have to take the bad with the good, wait for the payoff, and struggle a little bit before you start to reap the benefits of putting the work in."
Chloe Brant
Senior Recruitment Consultant | Nelson Frank
Take the first step to a rewarding career
Without a doubt, recruitment is one of the toughest sales positions, but your hard work will pay off. Plus, you will become part of a thriving industry and meet amazing people from all walks of life.
As a recruiter, you will not only earn a good income but also have the chance to make a difference through your work. At the same time, you’re going to develop your skills and become the best you can be.
The first step is to choose a company that can help you get to the top of your game—and that’s what we do here at Frank Recruitment Group. From custom learning programs and sought-after rewards to an entrepreneurial culture, we provide everything you need to succeed in your role.
