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Here’s why there are so many recruitment jobs in the UK

Sophie Palmer
Digital Marketing Executive

It can be a bit of a shock for graduates to discover that a huge portion of the jobs available to you after university involve helping other people to get jobs.

But although Recruitment isn’t most people’s first choice, it’s a big industry (worth over £20billion a year) that provides a lot of incentives and skills training. 

As monopolising as it can seem on the graduate job market, no two Recruitment companies are the same. You'll see job titles such as "Recruitment Consultant" and "Researcher" across the board, but the roles themselves can differ drastically depending on the sectors in which each company specialises.

With so many Recruitment companies hiring graduates all year round, we wanted to get behind the stigma and discover what a career in the industry can actually offer its new recruits.

 

1. You rarely need any previous experience

More often than not, Recruitment companies value ambition and personality over experience, with many offering structured training or on-boarding programmes to plug any outstanding skills gaps and mould you into the perfect candidate for the job.

Paul Conaghan, Co-Founder of recruitment company Tiro Partners, says: "Graduates are crucial to the business, they come with a fresh set of ideas, have loads of drive and enthusiasm and are hungry to make an impact." 

 

Tiro Paul Conaghan, Co-founder at Tiro Partners

 

 

2. You can progress quickly

As with most targets-driven roles, those who succeed in Recruitment tend to do so quickly, climbing the career ladder at a rapid pace. 

If you put in the necessary hard work in the beginning, the rewards will come thick and fast in this industry, which is why graduates who aren’t afraid to crack on with the job while maintaining a positive outlook do well in Recruitment.

Wilkinson Partners's Beth Williams is a graduate who did just that. Speaking about her progression at the firm, she told us: "I joined as a Researcher and a few months later I was promoted to Associate. Just over a year later I've now been promoted to Senior Associate."

 

WP1 Beth Williams graduated in Theology and is now a Senior Associate at Wilkinson Partners

 

 

3. The incentives are incredible

From a bottle of champagne to celebrate your first deal to trips abroad to Thailand, Recruitment is one of the few industries where extraordinary perks become the norm. 

We visited a handful of Recruitment companies and learned all about the incentives they provide. Nicoll Curtin, based in London, reward their top employees with trips to New York. Spencer Ogden, a Recruitment company working in energy and infrastructure, offers its staff boat rides in Bali, and TRM Recruitment celebrates success with holidays in Vegas.
 

 

Spencerogden4 Members of the Spencer Ogden team enjoying another holiday - Hong Kong, this time. 

 

 

4. You'll gain a wealth of experience

On top of the industry-specific skills you'll receive by default, you'll gain a number of invaluable life skills too, such as mastering how to confidently interact with a broad range of people and implement your own strategies to help drive success. 

Graduates at close-knit companies such as Manchester-based Netsource and Niyaa People, a Recruitment company based in the West Midlands, will find themselves able to make their mark from an early stage, with colleagues at all levels willing to listen to their ideas.

 

Niyaa3 A work hard play hard attitude will see you going far at Niyaa People 

 

 

5. It's about so much more than just getting people a job - it's about helping people

Let's not underestimate that a Recruiter's primary role isn't just to get someone a job, but to help people reach important milestones in their life and career.

We spoke to employees at Maxxima, a Recruitment company that specialises in the healthcare industry. Consultant Lucy Daymond said to us that: “It’s not just about the money, it’s a great feeling when you place someone in a job."

If you're motivated by more than just the pay packet and want to make a positive change in people's lives, definitely don't discount a career in Recruitment. 

 

Maxxima Lucy Daymond, a Recruitment Consultant at Shoreditch-based Recruitment firm Maxxima

 

 

Ready to start your Recruitment career? Check out the latest opportunities here