After graduating with a degree in International Business and Spanish and working in the States, I returned to Ireland with a vague idea of the type of industry I wanted to work in.
Like many grads who don’t have a clear career path, I was applying for roles in various markets, but I wasn’t convinced any was right for me. I didn’t want to jump into something I wasn’t sure about, but I knew I wanted to start gaining experience and earning money.
Temp job opportunities
While looking for a job I heard about a temporary position within Cpl supporting the internal Sports and Social club. I had experience working for an events company in New York so I thought it would be a good springboard for me to start my career in recruitment.
I liked the idea of taking a temporary role which gave me flexible working conditions. This meant I could continue to apply for jobs and attend job interviews outside of work.
Working for Cpl
In my first week working for Cpl, everyone was extremely welcoming. I was given a desk in the centre of the office surrounded by recruiters from different departments including Office Support, Marketing, Sales & Retail and HR.
I was given my own responsibilities, but I could also observe and learn about various parts of the company such as business development, speaking to candidates and clients, closing deals and making offers. This gave me a broad understanding of the recruitment process and I became really interested in the industry.
I spoke with my manager and expressed interest in furthering my career in recruitment. My manager then took a leap of faith and enrolled me to participate in training the following week.
I go by two sayings in life: “everything happens for a reason” and “what is for you won’t pass you”. If I had decided against taking the temporary position at Cpl, I never would have gone down the recruiter career path.
I’ve already learnt a lot, and these would be the key things I’d pass on to anyone else thinking of becoming a recruiter.
What you need to know before becoming a recruiter
- You need to be resilient
The perfect example of this is when I got my first placement within 2 weeks of becoming a recruiter. The client gave such good feedback on the candidates I had sent over for an interview. When I rang the chosen candidate to offer her the role, she was over the moon and accepted there and then.
The next day I got an email from the candidate saying she wouldn’t be taking the role after already accepting. I was angry and upset but got back sourcing and had two new candidates ready to go for the interview.
The following evening the role was filled. I learned a lot from this, and it’s definitely made me stronger and wiser. With the ups, there will be downs and learning how to manage both is essential. Every day at work is a new day and a fresh start.
- Good communication is vital
The power of effective communication is so important. As a recruiter, you need to understand the job you are given so you can deliver the best result for the company, the client and the candidates.
Communication amongst your team is crucial, so you can share candidates and help each other. Being clear and open with your colleagues also means you can share opportunities, learn from each other and avoid situations such as contacting the same people.
- You should enjoy meeting new people
Building relationships with everyone, not just candidates and clients, is a huge part of being a recruiter. Developing a relationship with each candidate you meet is so important.
They might not be right for any of your current roles, but if you get to know them you might have the perfect opportunity in the future. Your candidates and clients are also your best referrals, so it really is necessary to enjoy meeting new people and really getting to know them.
- But you need to be target driven
Finally, as a recruiter, it’s essential to be target driven. Each month you need to find the motivation to work towards, or exceed, your targets. In order to enjoy your job as a recruiter, you need to be motivated and ambitious.
You will be faced with targets each month so you need to find a way to motivate yourself each month to meet these. Getting my first placement within two weeks gave me such a drive, so that next month I could set a goal of making more. Setting goals for yourself is a way of giving you the push you need, and it also helps you remain resilient.
Interested in joining the Cpl team?
Since moving to a recruiter role I now specialise in Office Support with a focus on permanent Office Support & Admin roles. I recruit for a variety of positions including executive assistants, personal assistants, administrators, team secretaries and receptionists.
Accepting the temporary role at Cpl has opened doors for me and there are currently many temp positions available.
In Cpl Office Support, we have a team that specialises in temporary and permanent contracts. If you would like to know more information about the current internal positions we have or other office support roles available please do get in touch.