Anyone worked within the recruitment industry?

Jigsaw

I had an interview with a major recruitment consultancy this morning for a job with them as a recruitment consultant. Now I am pretty sure that I would enjoy the job and that I know what I am letting myself in for etc. However, I was wondering if there was anyone on here who had experience of working within this industry and perhaps had any insight, tips or indeed warnings they would like to share.

Cheers

AARRRGH

I was the financial controllor for a large recruitment company. Currently I run a group of recruitment websites (see www.acme.ie)

It's not a bad industry to work in. If you work for a successful operation (such as the major one you interviewed for) you will make good money.

In the place I worked the average salary would have been around 50k per year.

The only drawbacks I can think of are the requirement to cold call, and the fact that it's a sales job (I personally think sales is a sleazy job.)

You also have targets to hit, which may be unrealistic depending on your manager.

Certainly if you're anyway ambitious and hardworking you can make a lot of money and move up the ladder fast. It's not an industry for the lazy, shy or untidy - I've seen a lot of people get fired in the recruitment industry.

Jigsaw

Now there's the thing - cold calling. In principle I don't like the idea of doing it butif I am cold calling someone about something that they might actually want that would be different.

I have worked to targets before, but sometimes I have had unrealistic targets imposed upon me. The only thing there was that if they were truly unrealisitic then no one in the team would reach them. If someone does, then clearly it is doable.

I can't deny that I've heard you can make quite a bit of cash at recruitment and that that does attract me. However I think more thought is required. I thought it couldn't hurt to go for the interview anyway.

Any further insight into recruitment would be gratefully received!!!!!:)

Burning Eclipse

I've got an interview tomorrow with a pretty reputable recruitment company. I've been going over old threads and there is a lot of hate for recruitment consultants. Not wondering where this is coming from, but I am looking for some tips and any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'd really like to get this job.

AARRRGH

Make sure your appearance is perfect. Expensive suit, expensive shoes, cleanly shaved, perfect hair, etc.

Don't talk about the HR aspects of the job or wanting to help people. Recruitment is a total sales job so you love selling and you love the concept of working off commission.

Prepare something like selling them a pen or a mobile phone.

Have you worked in sales before?

Burning Eclipse

dublindude wrote: »

Make sure your appearance is perfect. Expensive suit, expensive shoes, cleanly shaved, perfect hair, etc.

Don't talk about the HR aspects of the job or wanting to help people. Recruitment is a total sales job so you love selling and you love the concept of working off commission.

Prepare something like selling them a pen or a mobile phone.

Have you worked in sales before?

Nope, I'm about to graduate with a Hons degree in Marketing. The position is for a graduate, so lack of direct sales experience shoudn't be a huge issue.

Also this position isn't commission based. The manager gave a presentation and stated that the company doesn't operate that way. You get payed a salary and year end bonus (yes, I can see the similarity, but not commission based in the same way as other recruitment firms).

Question - I don't drive yet, is that doing to be a big issue do you think??

Also, meant to ask, what have you seen people get fired for, I'm curious about this...

AARRRGH

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Question - I don't drive yet, is that doing to be a big issue do you think??

Where I worked lots of the staff didn't drive (they sold to the Dublin market) and it wasn't an issue.

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Also, meant to ask, what have you seen people get fired for, I'm curious about this...

Where I worked no one got fired for being bad at the job, but they did get fired if they had poor time keeping/too many sick days/bad attitude.

Burning Eclipse

Thanks dublindude, I've seen you post in other threads too, you come across as being really well informed on this area!:)

Glad to hear that the lack of a car (hopefully) won't be an issue.

So, on a personal level, if you don't mind me asking, how did you find the recruitment industry? I know you were a financial controller, but in terms of type of work, people you dealt with... What are your overall opinions on Recruitment as a career... Last question, I promise!!;)

AARRRGH

No problem on the questions, keep them coming!

I quite liked the industry. Sales people are good fun, and the company I worked for was rolling in money

I think it's a good career choice, although it's not an industry I'd want to work in if I were 40 or 50 years old. It's kind of a young persons industry... Sorry if that sounds like an awful generalisation.

Burning Eclipse

dublindude wrote: »

No problem on the questions, keep them coming!

I quite liked the industry. Sales people are good fun, and the company I worked for was rolling in money

I think it's a good career choice, although it's not an industry I'd want to work in if I were 40 or 50 years old. It's kind of a young persons industry... Sorry if that sounds like an awful generalisation.

Good stuff. All sounds promising, thanks again, now-back to preparations!!