Recruitment Consultants / anyone in Recruitment please hel...

[ScouseBird8364]

I'm currently not working since July 2013 due to my hub having a Stroke and me having to care for him and kids etc, and HATE it! Anyway, I was only ever really in Admin, but quite good roles and built up a fairly decent CV. I'm studying a BSc Psychology now, mainly due to utter boredness and not being able to work and hoping to get back to work in few years time.

Anyway, I'd love to get into Recruitment (something I've always had an interest in) but have a few questions...

1. Do you actually NEED Sales experience? I've got vast Customer Service exp, from my roles within contract Admin, planning roles etc but not sales?

1. I understand I'd probably have to start as a trainee, therefore what woulsd the starting salary approximately be and for how long would I be on this before I could move up towards a 20k mark??

I only ask about the salary as personally, I'd be happy to take anything as long as I got into a career I enjoyed, howevee this is not possible wirh my husband not being able to work again, and the fact I'd have to be paying a full mortgage again upon my return to work? I feel so stuck and like I'll never get to where I want to be I have so much ambition and drive too, it's killing me

[ScouseBird8364]

Anyone?? Or does everyone just sift through the AIBU threads?!?

[missmargot]

It is years and years since I worked in recruitment (12+) so things will have changed a lot I'm sure. Back then the starting salary was £16k plus uncapped commission. You didn't need sales experience but you needed to demonstrate an aptitude for sales and lots of drive and determination.

[NickiFury]

When I was in recruitment it was VERY easy to get into, no one wanted to do it (including me), I found it quite cut throat and very hard work, especially with the less skilled placements, to the point of having to set alarms to make I called them and got them out of bed to go!

Tbh if you send a good CV in they're not particularly interested in recruitment experience, any sales or even retail is good.

[Hoppinggreen]

I have been in sales, sales management and sales training for many years and Recruitment is too hardcore for me.
It's very cut throat, high pressure and has a high staff turnover . Hours are long and generally speaking it's not family friendly.
It is easy to get into because if you don't hit targets quickly they will get rid of you so they aren't taking a risk employing you.
Customer service might be helpful but it's not really a core skill for Recruitment
Sorry t be negative, I do know people who love it ( and have friends who own an agency) but they are young and childless

[HopeTulips]

Hi there been in recruitment for approx 16 years. I've worked in more junior IT recruitment contract and permanent, I've worked the contingent market and the retained head hunting market. For the last 14 years I've worked the exec market but for interims. My tips to you would be go and get a job at a high end firm that values their staff. They do exist. I imagine in a firm that specialises in recruiting execs or management consultants etc, even in a junior role you can get 30,000 base. Register with some firms that specialise in placing recruiters too, they will help. Sales experience does help but it's not the be all and end all. It's not for the faint hearted you need to be resilient and competitive, quick and personable. It's quite emotionally draining and a bit of a roller coaster. Because it's hard to switch off you never get a break as you are dealing with people hungry for work, some interesting characters, some very intense ones. Again the senior end of the market is quite rewarding as people have more grace. Also choose your sector. It's a really buoyant time in energy, transport, health and not for profit. Also as markets have picked up it's very hard to get good recruiters at the moment so it's a good chance to try and get in there. I've rambled but it's not easy but can be very rewarding. If you like talking to people, being honest with them and providing them with useful advise and actually keep in touch with them go for it. Just think of all the bad experiences you've had with recruiters and if you become one don't repeat them! It'd relatively easy in that respect. Good luck?

[justcakes]

You don't necessarily need to go into an agency. You could try working for an internal recruitment team and start as a recruitment administrator for example. Another option is working for a recruitment outsourcing provider where you are either assigned to an onsite role or as part of a team supporting the recruitment function for a company. These are less sale and more about recruitment.

I started in agency first but mostly worked in consultancies or internally. junior recruitment roles and admin roles were paying about £25-£30K about 5 years ago in London. Market has probably changes since then.

Good luck.

[shesawseashellsontheseashore]

Do you really want to work in recruitment? They are sharks. Would sell their grandmother if they could... As a candidate I have found them harder and harder to deal with over the years. In fact, they have got so rude that I got to the point that I only applied directly to companies.

What about HR. I think that would be a bit more interesting and fulfilling unless it's only money you are interested in.

[QueenChrysalis]

I worked many years ago in an agency as admin support, you could try out a job like that to get a taste for the environment and job role. It's not something I would do as hard sales is tough and you need to be chatty, charming and thick skinned. DH gets work via specialist agencies and gets calls randomly, the talk as if they are your long lost best buddy and are often barking up the wrong tree with unsuitable job roles. And if you don't meet your targets you are out. It's probably similar to an estate agent. I suspect internal recruitment roles would ask for experience due to lower staff turnover, so an agency would be a stepping stone or you could try out HR which could include recruitment and building up lots of knowledge on employment laws and policies, plus some advisory and support work for staff and managers. Again it's tough to get the foot in the door but you could do the qualification while seeking work.

[RustyDalek]

RustyDalek's DD here- have worked in recruitment for 2.5 years now, recently going in house. If you have a family I wouldn't recommend recruitment. Depending on the company you work for, some expect long hours for no overtime pay, and a cut throat attitude towards those who are not performing as expected. I've seen people quickly exited from the business with little explanation to the rest of us other than 'not reaching targets'.

With regards to starting salary, it varies usually from £16-19,000 but pay rises can be slow to come to until you start 'billing'.

If you need something with a work life balance, I really wouldn't do recruitment. It offers long hours, little appreciation other than monetary and very little flexibility should you need it.

[bugcatcher]

Hi, it is tru that working in recruitment is competitive and the companies have high staff turnover but I have been in recruitment for over 8 years and worked only for one company which I hated. With my past two employers I have flexibility of later start, early finish and working from home due to young family. They are a boutique, specialist engineering and IT company so up against a lot of well known names, however you work hard (and smart) you can make your money and not work all the hours under the sun. You will need to develop/have good sales skills and the beginning will involve a lot of cold calling which will either make you or brake you (people hang up or just simply give you an earful) but I do get a job satisfaction (and I like the paycheck at the end of of course). Internal recruitment roles often require agency + internal recruitment experience but you may be lucky. The market is crying out for recruitment professionals but even with some of the roles which then progress to full 360 consultant role you need to have some sales experience. HTH