Becoming a recruiter is a complicated journey, with strong procurement and sales elements needed. Alright, it is a bit weird, but essentially, you are finding “humans” in need of work to “resource” to companies in need of workers.
There are, however, some advantages as well as disadvantages to consider when thinking about this as a career option. So, let’s take an in-depth look at them in my look at Working as a Recruiter: Pros and Cons.
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The Basic Salary May Suck, But
You may start on a basic lower than $40k per year. This is not exactly the type of money one can raise a family on with a picket fence, two children, and a golden retriever. However, it is not exactly where you will stay in terms of income either. The average basic salary for a Recruiter is around $53k per year but can go as high as $81k.
The best part is, on top of that, you also earn commissions! The premise is that for every successful placement, a company will pay out a bonus of some sort. The rules vary for recruitment companies. Some require a standard payment for the placement of an employee and then get a bonus if the placement is successful. The placement may be considered successful if the employee does not quit or is not let go within six months.
With commissions added into the mix, the sky is the limit on your earning potential.
The Hours May Be Long, But…
This does not mean you will be expected to work 60-hour weeks. It’s merely the consideration that a company may need some temp staff during a crisis, or you may have a specific position that will be difficult to fill.
Here and there, you will have to put in some extra hours. The best employee to recruit may already have a job and be reluctant or unable to speak with you or go through a recruitment process during their working hours. You may have to accommodate them by setting up a meeting after hours or on a weekend.
You May Need Some Education, But…
You can likely land this job with a bachelor’s degree, and sometimes that is not even a requirement. Some companies rely on your skills first. You will have to be able to navigate basic labor laws, negotiations, and modern technology.
Many aspects of this will be electronic, with people often submitting video resumes or interactive portfolios of their work. You will also need to handle things like background checks and research to make sure you are the correct person for the job.
You May Get Stuck Behind a Desk, But…
This is in no way a job that will become mundane and repetitive. If you do this well enough and land the right gig, you will likely end up recruiting all sorts of employees for all sorts of positions in all sorts of industries. If you end up headhunting the best of the best, who knows? Perhaps you may even get to travel.
Need Advice on How to Deal with a Recruiter?
Then check out our informative guides on How to Prepare for a Phone Interview with a Recruiter, the Best Questions to Ask a Recruiter before an Interview, How to Let Recruiters Know you’re Open on LinkedIn, or How to Message a recruiter on LinkedIn.
And while on the subject of LinkedIn, as we know, it’s a superb resource for Recruiters and generally finding a great job, so check out LinkedIn Riches: How To Use LinkedIn For Business, Sales and Marketing!, the ever-popular LinkedIn For Dummies or LinkedIn Profile Optimization For Dummies, as well as, the excellent, How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile… And 18 Mistakes to Avoid all available online in 2023.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, you may be reluctant, but the best way to determine if this is something you would like to do is to look up vacancies in the field, their requirements, and what they have to offer. This will give you an overall idea of all the things you will do well with and where you may need to improve.
If you are scared of having to deal with people all the time, remember that you can do most of the screening process and research on your own from behind your computer. You don’t have to be an extrovert or talk to people for most of your day.
This can be an extremely satisfying job. You get to help people and companies thrive, and you do it while earning money!
All the best with your career as a recruiter.