Tips for getting into the recruitment industry

Posted by HR GO Recruitment on 12 Jul 2018

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If you’re looking for an exciting career, where you deal with people from all walks of life and where no two days are the same, you may want to consider working in the recruitment industry.

With the industry continuing to grow, now is a great time to consider a career in recruitment. Here are a few tips to help you on your way.

Do your research

To ensure that a career in recruitment is right for you, you should start by researching everything about the industry. For example, do you want to work for a recruitment agency, or join an in-house team in a large corporate company?

Alongside this, do you want to recruit in a particular sector, such as sales or marketing? Search online to see what different recruitment sites offer and sign up to industry newsletters to gain a better understanding of what is happening in the industry.

With content and digital marketing becoming an integral part of the industry, studying up on the latest trends and getting to grips with audience engagement can provide a wealth of knowledge and be a valuable asset when working in recruitment.

Doing your research will enable you to hold an informed opinion of the industry and help you to prepare for what's needed to succeed within recruitment.

Better yet, why not gain some first-hand experience by seeing if you know anyone within the industry and finding out more about their job role and day-to-day tasks.

Assess your skills

Before applying for a role in recruitment, take a moment to assess your skills. Do you exhibit excellent communication skills? Are you able to achieve targets and hit deadlines?

Make sure you understand what's required and if you're lacking in certain skills, then consider an internship or taking on work experience.

Gaining first-hand knowledge of the industry through an internship or temporary work will give you the edge, as employers will often seek this from candidates.

Stand out from the crowd

This can be tricky at the best of times, but especially with recruitment. A recruitment professional would have seen thousands of CVs in their time and will therefore know exactly what to look out for.

This means that, in order to stand out amongst hundreds of other candidates, you need to ensure that your CV and cover letter is nothing short of immaculate. You can do this with the following tips:

• Ensure your CV is clear and concise and doesn’t run over two pages
• Demonstrate on your CV that you have the relevant skills and experience required for the position
• Use your cover letter to explain how your skills and experience can benefit the employer
• Keep your cover letter to no more than one page
• Proof-read your CV and cover letter multiple times to avoid typos or grammatical errors

By tailoring your CV accordingly and following the steps above, you'll ensure that no matter how many applications a recruiter sees daily, they will make time to read yours.

Be proactive

In order to support your application, consider calling the company that’s advertising the role. However, if you do decide to call the recruiter, then you need to make sure you come across as keen and not desperate for the position.

When calling the recruiter, make sure you choose a good time, such as late morning or early afternoon. Recruiters are busy people, so a call right before they leave the office won’t be appreciated.

If done correctly, following up an application by phone or email can boost your chances and show the recruiter that you’re proactive and confident.

Final thoughts

Recruitment is a fast-paced industry and is often quite demanding. To succeed in this role, you need to be energetic and resilient. You’ll also need to be confident, target-driven and tenacious.

By thoroughly researching the industry and gaining the necessary skills and experience required, you will be able to tailor your CV and cover letter accordingly. This will show the recruiter that you have a genuine interest in the industry and will boost your chances of success.

Have we peaked your interest? HR GO has recruitment consultant roles available. See what's currently on offer and learn more about working for us.