So You Want to Be a Recruitment Consultant? Here’s the Reality

Every week, people message me saying:

“I want to get into recruitment – what do I need to know?”

“I’ve just landed my first recruitment role – any tips?”

Recruitment can be a fantastic career. But let’s be clear: the early years are not glamorous. Forget the Instagram posts about big wins and huge commissions. The reality is long hours, difficult conversations, and plenty of rejection before you find your feet.

If you’re serious about building a career in this industry, here’s what the first two years really look like – and how to survive them.

Build Your Commercial Awareness

Recruitment isn’t just about people skills. It’s about understanding industries, markets, and how businesses operate. If you’ve worked in sales or customer service before, you’re ahead. If not, start now:

• Read industry news.

• Follow hiring trends.

• Understand the pressures companies are under.

This commercial awareness will help you connect with both candidates and clients.

Your Training is Just the Starting Line

Recruitment isn’t a degree-led profession. Some companies offer structured training programmes, while others will hand you a phone and tell you to get on with it. Either way, the theory only goes so far. The real learning happens in live conversations – when you’re handling a counter-offer, chasing feedback, or trying to rescue a deal at the last moment.

Your First Job Won’t Be Your Dream Job

Don’t expect prestige accounts or instant commission. Your first role is your apprenticeship. You’ll be cold calling, sourcing CVs, and chasing candidates late into the evening. It will feel like hard work because it is. But those early months build resilience and teach you the fundamentals every successful consultant needs.

Conversations Are Your Currency

Aim to speak to at least one new person every day – candidate or client. These conversations grow your network, sharpen your skills, and build your reputation.

Reflect on each one: what worked, what didn’t, and how you could improve. Recruitment is less about chasing quick wins and more about learning to spot patterns and adapt.

Care and Professionalism Matter

When you’re new, you won’t know everything. That’s fine. What you can do is be professional and reliable:

• Call back when you say you will.

• Keep your database accurate.

• Be approachable and respectful.

These small things build trust – both with clients and with candidates.

Focus on the Candidates You Have

You won’t start out placing CEOs. You’ll place entry-level staff, graduates, and career changers. And that’s where you’ll learn the craft of recruitment: supporting real people through stressful processes, highlighting strengths, and helping them take the next step. Do this well, and word spreads fast.

Keep Records, Spot Patterns

Write everything down. Keep notes on conversations, objections, and outcomes. Over time you’ll see patterns: the client who always delays, the candidate type that often pulls out, the market trends that shape demand. Spotting these makes you more valuable – and helps you get ahead of problems before they happen.

Listen More Than You Pitch

Many new recruiters talk too much. The best consultants ask smart questions, listen properly, and then respond with something that fits. The more you listen, the more your advice will land.

Learn From Experience – But Stay Current

There are brilliant mentors in recruitment. There are also those who still talk about how things worked “back in the day”. Take advice, but always check it against today’s market. Keep what works, leave what doesn’t.

Survive the First Two Years

The first year can feel brutal: ghosting candidates, lost deals, and self-doubt are part of the process. But if you can stick with it, things shift around the 18-month mark. Your network expands, your pipeline steadies, and you start to see real momentum.

And that’s the real certification in recruitment – not a training course, but proving you can survive and thrive in your first two years.

Final Thought

Recruitment isn’t easy. But if you stay resilient, keep learning, and genuinely care about people, it can be one of the most rewarding careers out there.