Tip One: Network until you drop…
Keeping in touch with your contacts frequently is very important. This helps build relationships with clients as well as candidates. A recruitment consultant typically spends around 85% of their working day on the phone.
Tip Two: Communicate your way to the top…
You need excellent written and verbal skills, this goes without saying, but something recruiters often lack is the ability to be a good listener. Recruitment is a very skilful profession, it does require ongoing training, and it’s about being open minded and trying new techniques to find out what works for you. You have to constantly develop your skills.
Tip Three: Resilience is the key…
As a recruitment consultant, you can take a lot of knock backs, you need to be able to bounce back quickly and be resilient to disappointment and rejection when cold calling.
Tip Four: Ensure you have a competitive edge…
A competitive drive and passion for the job you’re doing is vital in this industry. The market is saturated with many recruitment businesses and therefore you are working in a very competitive environment.
Tip Five: Shout about your success…
If you do a good job and know it will benefit the reputation of your company, don’t be afraid to tell your superiors. It is a really good idea to get testimonials from clients and candidates and start to build up a portfolio of your success.
Tip Six: It’s no nine to five, so don’t expect it to be…
Recruitment is always very challenging, from Monday to Thursday, you will almost certainly be required to work later than the normal nine until five, and your hard work won’t go unnoticed.
Tip Seven: Reputation, Reputation…
Be honest with your clients and candidates. When recruiters are economical with the truth about the realities of a job, they just end up with a bad reputation. Building a strong reputation is everything in this job.
Tip Eight: It’s all about the money…
Like any sales environment, a significant proportion of your income will be commission, and you need to want to earn the cash to put the effort in. In a performance based industry like recruitment, the more successful you are the more you will earn, and therefore it does help if you are money driven.
Tip Nine: Go the extra mile…
Try to think outside the box. Don’t just do what is asked of you, go the extra mile. If you think of something that would benefit the business or something that would be appreciated, suggest it! Your superiors may just love it and you may get the big promotion you’ve always wanted.
Tip Ten: Commitment is crucial
Provide an exceptional service for clients and candidates and you won’t go far wrong.
Date: 23/5/2006
