Recruitment consultants have a firm grasp of the industry and the people they work with. However, getting there can come with a tough grounding.

A dependable recruiter means someone with the right mindset, attitude, and ability to dig deep. There is a lot documented on the potential and reward, but what about starting out? It is certainly not easy.

Let’s have a look at what it takes for people to find their place in the recruitment business. This is more about longevity than the promise of success and recognition.

Russell Drinkwater, Director, shares his introduction to the recruitment industry. “I was working very long hours, every week, for a facilities management company. From chatting to a recruiter at a Southampton FC game, I just couldn’t get the idea out of my head and what he was telling me about how his job was progressing. I took that leap from one industry to another.”

Jack Bond, Director, shares a similar story of an introduction via someone else, “I was working for a groundworks company and via the contact from a recruitment company, in 2009, I made that step to run the trades and labour desk for an agency. It was hard and to be honest, I thought I would struggle to keep my job. I moved over to the technical team and things started to happen. Working with site managers and engineers, it started to click into place.”

Entering the world of recruitment from a completely different industry is also evident from Jason Drinkwater, Director, “I was in the Parachute Regiment and was about to take up a position in Yorkshire to train recruits.”

“My brother (Russell), shared how he was progressing and triggered my thoughts that it was time to look at something completely new. I made that move and to be honest, after the first day as a recruiter, I hated it. The perception and reality were completely different from the world I had come from. I stuck with it and it is now my career.”

When starting, your motivation and stamina become driving forces. Russell explains, “When I was in the facilities management world, it was meetings, travel and seeing people face to face. In recruitment and with a technical team, the start was relentless. It’s you on the phone and the screen and I had to grasp the concept of the process to make it work. I was ready to give up after two months and then the penny dropped. By this I mean the candidates and clients you work with, you build a good rapport and it’s akin to working with friends.”

To have staying power, you have to have a thirst for the industry and to learn from everyone around you. Jack explains, “If I didn’t have the training and the mentorship from others, then perhaps my recruitment career would have been short-lived?”

“It doesn’t matter where you are in your career, the support and people you surround yourself with is important. It can be a volatile industry. Many people leave the industry after three months and if someone is not starting to see a return for their efforts after six months, is it the industry to progress? However, we are a supportive team at Bond Recruit.”

What kept Jason going was the ability to see the potential, “Russell was a huge driver in this. He told me the truth and what to expect and what to work for. It can be uncomfortable when you have the pressure of clients and candidates and this is why people do fizzle out from the recruitment industry. I wanted to be in a better place and I could see what needed to be done. You have to be around others who care about you and for you to drive yourself to see the possibilities.”

When you begin as a recruiter, the challenges outweigh the reward. It takes time. Here is what we know now:

• Attitude is everything
• With a lot to learn it can be overawing, take advice from others and listen
• The will to succeed has to outweigh your insecurities
• Patience is a virtue
• The relationships you build are worth their weight in gold
• Being a people person is just as important as a salesperson
• Trust the process
• Accept help from others
• You have to look after yourself

When you start, the challenges are going to outweigh the successes. 

It also means that the breakthroughs that happen become the place to focus attention. It can be overwhelming at the start, but also shows that there is a career sitting right in front of you.