Your first job in recruitment consulting: typical tasks graduates can expect

What to expect in your first recruitment consulting job

First month: for the first week or so, you’ll receive training in areas such as interviewing, sales technique and employment law. You will then start resourcing for a senior consultant in your team. This involves finding suitable candidates, calling them, ‘selling’ opportunities, and preparing CVs for submission to clients.

First three months: months two and three are a transition period; your training will be over, but you won’t have all the responsibilities of a fully-fledged recruitment consultant. Some companies keep new graduates in a resourcing role for the first quarter; others have ‘junior’ recruitment consultants, responsible for one or two developed accounts and for increasing new business. Financial targets are kept low for the first few months.

First year: you’re off! You will be talking to new clients, making placements and finding out more about your market. With more market knowledge, you will get more respect from both candidates and clients. You should be getting regular reviews, more training and mentoring from senior consultants. Your financial targets will start to rise and your earnings should increase at a similar rate.

A day in the life of a recruitment consultant

8.30 am Start work. Coffee! Read emails.

9.00 am Assess CVs that have come in overnight.

9.30 am Research potential clients.

10.00 am Call potential clients to introduce the consultancy and its services. Contact existing clients to ensure they are satisfied with your services and to build up the business relationship. Make clients aware of graduates who meet their current requirements and send them your new CVs.

12.00 pm Review day so far. Read emails. Send CVs to clients.

1.00 pm Lunch.

2.00 pm Interview a candidate face-to-face.

3.00 pm Find suitable candidates for live vacancies. Schedule evening calls to ‘uncontactable’ candidates in full time employment.

4.45 pm Make urgent client calls.

5.00 pm Review day. Read emails.

5.30 pm Meetings.

6.00 pm Call ‘uncontactable’ candidates at home.

7.00 pm Leave office – and head to the pub!