Starting a career as a Recruitment Consultant

I began my career as a Trainee Recruitment Consultant in January of this year.  I am working the technical engineering jobs desk under the mentoring and guidance of Deirdre Finnerty (winner of the Recruiter of the Year award 2015). Some of the job opportunities in engineering that I’ve been trained in recruiting for in our Galway office are: manufacturing engineers, automation engineers, packaging engineers, test engineers, industrial engineers and polymer engineers.

While I was happy and content in my previous role I felt there was more out there for me to learn and broaden my career prospects. I wanted to develop a career path and after some research and advice from friends I decided that recruitment would be the best career choice for me.

After meeting with the team in CCP during the interview process, their drive and passion for the job put my mind at rest as to whether I was making the right choice. They made me more determined than ever to secure a job in this industry. To be given the chance to learn and work alongside some of the best people in the industry was one of the main reasons I was attracted to this opportunity.

One of the first things I learned about this job is that the environment is extremely fast paced, dynamic and certainly not for everybody. I found it quite daunting starting a new job with relatively little experience in this industry. Our training period is 3 months, which is great as it allows us to gain familiarity with the process before we take on the role in its entirety.  It was a very steep learning curve and only now, 8 weeks in,  do I finally feel somewhat confident in my abilities.

I was made aware before I started that recruitment is full of highs and lows. Only now do I fully understand what that means! Being able to keep going during the lows is something I have struggled with, but a simple thank you from a client or candidate, acknowledging  the hard work you have put in to recruiting for a role is enough to know you are doing something right and spurs you on to keep going.

I made my first placement last week (yay) which has definitely balanced out all the lows thus far. Being able to find the right fit for both the client and the candidate proved very rewarding.

We have four weeks left of our training before we fly the nest and are left to our own devices. How will I get on? Who knows! But I’ll certainly give it my best shot.

Top Tips for starting out in recruitment

• Get on that phone! This is something that I have struggled with the most, but every time you pick up the phone it gets easier.
• Put yourself out there! Attend networking events, CIPD talks, anything where you will get to mingle with prospective and existing clients and get your face and name recognised.
• Be resilient! There are highs and lows in every job, but especially recruitment.Treat each low as a learning opportunity and move on.
• Ask questions! Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You are only starting out and of course you are going to have some questions. Colleagues will be more than happy to help in any way they can no matter how big or small.
• Utilize social media! LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are proving to be increasingly popular as a means to find prospective candidates. Advertise your roles, look for candidates online, and exhaust all avenues available to ensure you get the best calibre of candidates available.

I would really appreciate the opportunity to discuss engineering and technician level recruitment opportunities with you. Although I’m only starting out I assure you of an excellent customer experience. We work with the very best of client across Ireland. I’ve also been trained up by the very best in Ireland so please put your trust in me by allowing me to introduce you to some fantastic job opportunities in Ireland.

I look forward to hearing from you: Tracey Lenihan, CCP Recruitment, Galway  091 730088