As a non-traditional career choice, a career in recruitment is great for people who are self-motivated, well-organised and commercially minded. It’s not your typical day-to-day 9-5 role, quite the opposite really. Working in recruitment allows people to experience a broad cross-section of industries, consulting to a wide range of companies from start-ups to large global players. Recruitment is about building relationships and nurturing them- you will be communicating with people all day, every day- so you really need to be good at it.
There’s no doubt that recruiters are passionate about what they do! You must be. They love tracking down great talent and helping people make great career moves. The satisfaction of a perfect match, both for the client and candidate, keeps them motivated. You must be in tune with the industry to survive in it, as industries are constantly changing and clients are looking for the most knowledgeable recruiters to find them the right talent.
As you progress your career in recruitment you’re likely to partner with companies on more senior positions, including critical C-level hires. You will get the opportunity to manage teams, set up new divisions, work internationally and operate at a strategic level.
What you need to know about a career in recruitment
It’s full on, but bloody fun:
- Recruitment is a fast-paced environment where no days are the same. There’s plenty of variety and interesting information to absorb through interactions with both candidates and clients. It helps to be curious and commercially minded as you delve into the business goals, products, and unique selling propositions of various organisations.
- The environment is so important… and ours is 10/10! Our office is lively and almost always abuzz with activity and talk – recruiters love a good chat and a celebration (any excuse to celebrate!). If you’re lucky enough to work somewhere as awesome as Boston Link, you’ll be surrounded by a bunch of personable, bubbly, passionate and enthusiastic people who really care about collaborating and achieving shared goals. Also, working as a recruiter, your environment changes as it involves you going out, meeting people, organising client meetings, and attending industry events, so there will a lot of time away from your desk.
- Multiple work trips for conferences and events, rewards, incentives, quarterly celebrations and of course commissions… these all make recruitment that much better!
- The Recruiter life really is a roller-coaster; the good times are great, but you need to build resilience to manage the tough times, like with any job. Circumstances often change quickly and are outside of your control. You may have done everything right throughout the process but sometimes it’s just the way things work out! You are dealing with a multitude of competing priorities, with candidates during major life decisions and clients seeking the best fit to achieve their business goals. The ability to pivot, stay positive and bounce back when things go awry is key to the success of a recruiter.
- You need to be a multi-tasker, to jump from role to client and candidate all within the same thought process. You need to be able to read and understand people whilst thinking ahead. This will be something that will come to you with experience and time in the industry, but it will make you a better recruiter! You must be able to work as part of a team and also enjoy a level of healthy competition.
Recruitment at Boston Link is not like any type of recruitment
Research is key to having a happy career in recruitment. It’s important to understand the business you are stepping into - the culture, the way success is measured, and the expectations for consultants, the way commission requirements are structured and how they are paid can vary considerably between recruitment agencies.
Recruitment is a professional services consulting role – especially at Boston Link, where we believe good recruitment centres on building, cultivating, and maintaining relationships. People are your product and solving people-problems is what we do best. A good recruiter listens to a client’s needs, learns where to look for leads and knows how to connect the dots to provide mutually beneficial outcomes for all parties.
We are a multicultural and dynamic team that work flexibly. Some people work remote, some in the office and some choose to work hybrid, however they feel is most productive and efficient for them. Our roles can be performed flexibly, as long as consultants feel motivated and the work is done to a high standard, we don't mind where! We want our team to feel comfortable and confident in their daily work. Boston Link highly believe in cultivating a strong work life balance as everybody has other commitments and responsibilities.
Some Recruitment Consultants have led highly successful careers in other sectors before discovering recruitment later. At Boston Link we have many qualified professionals in our team that chose to redirect their career into recruitment, where they have been able to apply their industry experience, qualifications, and transferrable skills to progress their career path in a different direction.
Recruitment is a fun, challenging and rewarding career. If you’re considering a career change or you’re ready to take on a new challenge, get in touch! We are more than happy to have a conversation and help you understand whether a recruitment career at Boston Link is right for you. Drop us an e-mail on contactus@boston-link.com if you are looking to join our family at Boston Link!