7 Tips to Become a Successful Recruiter

business people (2)Being a recruiter allows you the freedom to be creative in your profession. Many recruiters love their jobs because they build a world around them — a world of career-minded, driven, money-motivated, and competitive professionals.

The world of recruiting is full of endless opportunities, doors flying open and fulfilling success that you could have never imagined. Perhaps you want to travel the world, build a family or maybe you want to become a subject matter-expert in something you are passionate about.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Recruiting With Cloud And Semantic Search Technologies

What Makes a Good Recruiter?
As recruiters, we are gregarious, assertive and curious by nature. A recruiter is essentially a sales person — presenting top talent to leading organizations who are looking for the missing piece of their puzzle. One of our top recruiters in the big data space describes it best: her candidates are so rare she often refers to “finding a unicorn” when she identifies the perfect fit for a role.

If you are strong willed and personable with a passion to succeed, then you have what it takes to get started in the world of recruitment. There is no exact formula for success as a recruiter, it takes hard work, dedication to your industry and of course, you have to earn it.

If you are looking to jump start your career in the recruitment industry, here are some quick tips to land your first job:

1. Become a sourcer. An entry-level position at a staffing firm will allow you to shadow a recruiter in the area you would like to recruit for and learn the style that works for you. This position will allow you to master the basics of screening resumes, conducting phone interviews and shadowing the client interview process.

2. Network on LinkedIn with like-minded people. Join groups relevant to your education, interests and geographical region. Maximizing the number of groups you are in will also maximize your network and you will be able to view and connect with more professionals who are relevant to your desired career path. Many people post available positions to their alumni groups and you then have a direct contact regarding the position.

3. Attend as many networking events as possible. While LinkedIn and career pages make it much easier to apply and learn more about available positions, nothing replaces the power of an in-person intro and exchange of business cards. Stay up on your local events via a variety of organizations: www.meetup.comwww.eventbite.comwww.bizjournals.com.

4. Market yourself with your resume as a sell sheet. Your resume is undoubtedly a place to sell your work history, but also a place to sell yourself. How many job seekers are “organized?” Break the mold and showcase your expertise and your personality to really stand out to an employer.

5. Pick up the phone. Following up with a phone call after you submit an application will ensure that you are staying front of mind and aren’t throwing your resume into cyber space.

6. Ask for help. You might not know everything about getting into the recruitment industry. Ask questions of people you know who are familiar with the industry, as well as friends of friends who might be able to get in touch with the right person.

7. Do your homework. Research companies that have good reputations and are known for hiring people new to the industry. Lots of people have gotten their start in recruiting through agencies that are willing to train employees without recruitment experience.

8. Summarize yourself in 30 seconds or less. Have an elevator pitch – know what you want, be able to quickly describe it, and go after it.

If you want in, then get in!

MORE: Recruiter’s Anatomy: How to identify and train top performers

 

Maria Tannehill

Maria Tannehill
Maria Tannehill is an internal recruiter at Greythorn. She can be reached at maria (dot) tannehill at greythorn (dot) com

Maria Tannehill

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