Hello Charlton Life
I am soon (on the 1st May) going to be made redundant. (Just what you need before summer)
I just wanted to see if anyone is a recruitment consultant as I've found a couple of adds for the role and the prospects look brilliant...Usually based over a 3-5 year plan.
I know it's a stressful job but past that have no idea what one actually does?
You know the old saying... If it looks too good to be true it usually is.
Many thanks for the serious replies
Darrel
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Comments
In general, despite what many will say, it is a good option but it really depends on who you work for / with and the sector of recruitment.
If you have very good sales and closing skills, communication and relationship building is what you enjoy and you don't mind long hours and targets then go for it.
There is a good firm in Beckenham I would recommend for first jobbers.
I have worked with quite a few agencies over last 5 years and imo it takes a certain type of person to do it but there is good money in the commision. I have a couple of mates at different agencies in central london if you want contacts?
Personally think they are robbing bastards. One sent me a CV of someone who was already on my radar and when I subsequently employed him they tried to get me to pay them 22% of his salary.
I detest the fact that they place an employee, charge a ridiculous fee and then phone that person a year later and try to get them to move. My wife gets a call every couple of months from the ones who placed her 6 years ago despite her telling them she is not looking to move
They tend to be mouthy wideboys who think they are Gordon Gecko
They tend to not listen to any requirements and just chuck me CV's that are completely irrelevant
My mate did it for a year and said it was ridiculously cut throat environment.
I think I have made my feelings known. Sorry for anyone on here in recruitment but I am not a fan
If you want to be a consultant Dazzler, really get a feel for the company. It is a number games and activity is directly correlated to results - you'll find some companies are still aggressive in their targets and it can be quite cut-throat but there are plenty of "lifestyle" recruitment businesses that have popped up where the pressure isn't as great (but neither are the financial rewards).
I'd personally look for recruiting in a sector that interests you (or you have experience in like insurance) as it is much more enjoyable. As well as IT, I think the big sectors to be in over the next few years will be: Engineering/Energy, Oil and Gas/Healthcare.
If you want some company names Dazzler then let me know.
A few years ago I was approached at a graduate fair by a recruitment consultant, trying to recruit more recruitment consultants on behalf of another recruitment consultancy firm. Seriously. You couldn't make it up!
My own experience of using them is much like another other industry - there are good ones and bad ones. The good ones tend to be really good, and the bad ones.....well I think 'scum of the earth' has been mentioned above.
My personal objection is the monopoly that they have built up within certain industry sectors. In my line of work (accountacy) it's nigh on impossible to get a move these days without using one, which really irritates me.
I'd look closer to the accountancy firms who obviously don't have the attraction and recruitment strategy in place to deliver candidates direct to them. Or they are just lazy.
That's not applicable to one industry either, there are many 'big' companies who simply don't 'get' recruitment and what in entails from the start to the end of the process - this is why they need recruiters because they fail in their own attempts.
Of course, it could be the jobseekers fault as well. Are they doing enough to get themselves in front of employers? How are they getting themselves noticed? Are they simply giving up at point of application? Are they doing all they can to connect and network where they can with the decision makers of their future employers? Are they positioning themselves as experts in what they do? Or do they just want everything on a plate for them?
It is very hard work - infact I don't think you'll find harder 'office' based work than recruiting. Start at 7.30AM and finish between 6.30PM-7PM.
The company I worked for was a good one and I made a lot of friends, however that was balanced out by the relentless mentality that came with it. Very rarely are you given freedom to just enjoy your achievements. There is always pressure.
For the person with the right skills, you can make an incredible amount of dosh at a very young age.
Be aware, 50% leave the industry within the first 6 months. It is very cut throat.
99% of agencies will also expect you to tell lies, fake your identity on the phone to get leads etc. I was fortunate in that I worked for one which didn't employ such tactics on the whole. They started to creep in though when they acquired a competitor, and I left.
Willing to have a chat about it in a bit more detail.
The problem is that recruitment consultancies have spent years and loads of money managing to convince big companies that they don't 'get' recruitment and that they therefore need 'help'. This seems to be the only area in which they've had any real success. What did these companies used to do before the consultancies came along?
I agree that there is an element of laziness on behalf of the companies. However, as for what the jobseekers can do, the truth is really very little. Generally speaking, a vacancy comes up, the company goes straight to a consultant, and the position will never even be advertised externally or directly by the company. Yes, there is nothing to stop jobseekers making speculative applications, but this is very time-consuming and inefficient, especially in today's depressed job market.
Personally I happen to believe that one of the biggest problems in this country at the moment is that people spend all of their time 'connecting and networking' rather than getting on with the job they are paid to do. Call me old fashioned, but I am a firm believer in rewarding good performance, not general brown-nosing or faffing about trying to make yourself look good. Sadly, many others now disagree, and recruitment consultants have had not a small hand in this.
Dazzler, im a recruitment consultant. It all depends on what company you work for. If you work for say, Reed, they monitor the amount of calls etc that you make. If your not pulling your weight and getting in the numbers then they will just get rid.
Luckily, i work for a relaxed company and its more to do with building up a good relationship with your clients and knowing the industry.
There is potential to earn a shit load of money, BUT you have to be patient. It seems a lot of people are out of work but cant be f*cked to go to interviews/trials and make up any old crap to get out of it.
They are so bad, I don't use them.
:-)
Not that straightforward. Where I work (for example) you have to go through a particular agency.
Funny enough I have just had one on the phone to me offering some job (supposedly).
What a complete tosser he was.
They don't understand how the world has moved on. They don't understand where their target candidates 'are'. They don't know how best to market themselves. They don't understand the legalities of employment law. They don't know how best to communicate to candidates. They need consultancies or they wouldn't grow and/or retain staff. If you think that recruitment consultancies brainwashed some of the biggest firms in the world into believing this then you are giving them far too much credit.
It's not about making yourself look good (or better than you are) either. It's about positioning yourself as the best person for the job. I'd argue that a huge number of roles are stilled filled by "who you know" - this could be a recruitment consultant, somebody in the industry or just a friend.
I wish people would just think a recruitment consultants' role is to find people a job. Sorry, it's not. The clients pay the bills and the role is about finding people for jobs. Harsh? Maybe. A reality? Certainly.
Of course relationships are built with candidates who consultants believe they can find a job in the future but jobs don't just appear out of thin air which can be filled.
The lack of transparency in our industry is the worst thing, I just wish that some of the consultants were a lot more honest about what people can expect in the current market. Clients and candidates alike.
Valley Gary and WSS are absolutely right.
The only other thing I'd add is that I generally only get paid on a success basis. That means when I find the right candidate and that candidate starts. I could do a lot of work and then the client finds a candidate from somewhere else. Client owes me nothing. My tough luck. And if my candidate doesnt work out, the company may not use me again.
How many of you would work under those conditions?
My goal is a career not a quick buck. As there is a basic salary under the role, I wouldn't mind the challenge. I seem to excel at my current job in a stress filled environment.