My new career in recruitment - a trainee's reflection

“You’re not just recruiting employees, but are sowing the seeds of your reputation.”

Upon finding out I was going to be starting a career in recruitment moving from a retail background, I wanted to see what other people were saying about recruitment. This led me to find the above quote. After being at GSA Techsource and in the recruitment sector for nearly two months, I wanted to put my thoughts down on my experience and perspective of the recruiting industry.

From my retail background, I knew that selling a product simply isn’t enough to be successful in any field or market in today's world. As consumers, we buy from people, and in recruitment, my experience so far has only further cemented this.

My first few days were a struggle as I learned how to read a CV and understand a Job Description, however it was getting onto the phone that opened my eyes and made me understand that a CV and speaking to a person is like having a conversation with two different people. Being able to probe further into past experience, or for a candidate to shed fresh light on a previous role meant I was able to really begin to be effective in my role.

I’ve learned by having quality conversations with candidates and talking to them about their past recruiter experiences made me aware that I not only wanted to but also needed to offer a personal service to both candidates and clients to best guarantee my success.

I now use a CV as an opportunity to dig further into a candidates career and what they want out of a role, instead of taking it at face value. It's led to me being honest with candidates, telling them this opportunity isn’t what they want and won't lead them to where they want to be 6 months down the line. From this, I've found that you get much more buyback and honesty from candidates with them appreciating you seeking to understand their needs and not solely the needs of the clients. After all the two should go hand in hand to place the best candidate. 

I'd like to think I've come a long way in two months, however, I know that I have a lot more to learn as I become more exposed to clients and the other side of recruitment

Hopefully, as I recruit more candidates, my reputation will grow to reflect the values I have to offer to both candidates and clients.