5 things you didn’t know about graduate recruitment jobs

Did you graduate in the last few years? If yes, then you probably know someone who has done a stint in a graduate recruitment job. Maybe they are still there! It’s a great industry to get into and a lot of people initially see it as a filler job and end up building their career in recruitment (we might be a bit biased). If you are thinking about applying to work in recruitment, but aren’t entirely sure that it’s for you, then have a read of a few things you might not have realised about almost all graduate recruitment jobs:

1. It’s perfect if you haven’t got much experience

The reason why graduate recruitment jobs are so popular amongst those that have just left university is because you don’t need too much in the way of experience beyond what you might have already from summer jobs. Some students graduate with multiple internships and glowing references under their belt, but the vast majority of young people use the holidays to work flat-out to earn enough money for the following term. If that was you, then you can use your bar work or retail experience in an interview for a graduate recruitment role – any knowledge of how to deal with people and understanding of how to communicate is gold dust in recruitment.

Your degree course will have left you with a lot of transferable skills without you even realising. Time management, verbal and written communication, independence and team work are all vital components of most degrees. Yours might have boosted your abilities in some areas, for example psychology graduates are more likely to have a more nuanced understanding of the way that people relate to one another.

2. Most recruitment firms are fun and social places

This is probably more of a stereotype than a hard fact, but we still think it’s valid! Most graduates don’t have the same attitude that a middle-aged manager has of turning up to work, clock-in, clock-out and head home. If you aren’t quite ready to leave the social life that you enjoyed at university behind you yet, then recruitment agencies are the perfect bridge towards being a young professional whilst enjoying some fun in the meantime.

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3. It’s the perfect networking opportunity

Recruitment is great for graduates because it will give you the opportunity to build your network from nothing. Part of the role involves bringing new clients on board and ensuring that they are happy to repeatedly work with the company. This task requires you to be engaging and personable to make it certain than your company doesn’t lose out! Along the way, you are highly likely to fill up your contact’s list quickly with characters that are going to come in useful in the long run. If you make a point of adding everyone on LinkedIn, then you will be well on your way!

Networking is essential these days – even if you aren’t fussed about turning recruitment into a long-term career, you can still draw on your network to boost your prospects in your next job. Scoring an interview via an introduction makes a lot of difference in the business world.

4. You can learn all about the business world

Speaking of the business world, working in recruitment is the perfect way to learn more about it. As you take on more clients, you will get better insights into the way that different companies work. If you have left university with little experience of how a business works, then recruitment will throw you in at the deep end. You might have to bluff a few things to begin with, but that’s true of almost every job! As you progress, recruiting for different roles, you will learn a lot more about career paths that are available in the world as well, which is always useful information for someone just starting out in their career.

You will also learn essential skills for almost any role that you go on to do within a professional environment, for example balancing business relationships and working to tight deadlines. In short, working in recruitment as soon as you graduate helps you to develop quickly beyond just a graduate.

5. The salary is usually commission-based

If you are like most of the millennial graduate population, then you probably have a lot of debt hanging over you. Depending on the industry that you go into, a lot of graduate jobs don’t offer a huge salary straight off. One way to boost your income is to take a job (such as recruitment) that offers a commission structure. This will be entirely based on how many lasting placements you can make, so it depends on your ability to be a productive employee. Essentially, if you learn fast and are good at your job, then you will be able to make a lot more money than your normal monthly salary. This is great news for anyone that wants to push themselves in their first graduate job, because it gives you that extra incentive and motivation to do well.

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