Samantha D.
About me
| Samantha D. | |
| Sociology | |
| Sociology with Criminology | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Alcuin | |
| 2016 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Recruitment Consultant | |
| boutique recruitment consultancy | |
| United Kingdom | |
| HR, recruitment and training | |
| Small business (0-49 employees) | |
| 2018 |
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A day in the life of a Recruitment Consultant in the United Kingdom
You really can change people's lives in recruitment- it's an amazing feeling that never gets old.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
I work for a boutique recruitment consultancy in central London, specialising in business support and graduate recruitment. Our clients are varied and cover everything from boutique Private Equity and Asset Management firms to global management consultancies and media firms.
What do you do?
I manage client accounts and find the right candidates to fill vacancies. This includes searching for candidates on job boards and LinkedIn, interviewing, submitting CVs, arranging interviews, negotiating starting salaries working closely with clients and candidates to ensure both sides are happy when they start their new job. In recruitment you can often be working on 10 or more vacancies at any one time, so managing your time is key! In addition to this I also conduct Business Development, which includes calling prospective new clients to introduce them to the business and build relationships, with the end goal of them coming to us to help with their future vacancies.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
I've always been fascinated with studying people and have always enjoyed interacting with people of all walks of life (which is why I loved sociology!) I attempted to break into recruitment straight after university and applied for many graduate schemes but was unsuccessful as I was routinely told I did not have enough experience (hint- apply directly for small recruitment agencies instead of the big schemes if you have no work or sales experience!). I had absolutely no work experience when I left university, so after quite a few rejections I decided to look into jobs to local to where I lived that would build up my administrative skills. I found an administration and data tracking role within a school which allowed me to build my experience and then applied for recruitment roles in 2018. I uploaded my CV to a number of job boards and was contacted by a recruiter (now my colleague!) from Reed. The role that I was approached for was essentially an entry-level position as a Research Consultant, meaning that I was focused on finding and interviewing candidates, as well as performing administrative duties for the team. After 3 interviews, I was offered the role! I loved the role and learnt so much in my first few months and was gradually given the opportunity of covering for Consultants when they were away from the office on annual leave and found that I really enjoyed this. After a year as a Research Constant I was given a promotion to Consultant in November 2019!
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
Recruitment has always been something that I have been interested in but was never sure if it was for me - it can have quite a bad reputation for being very sales-focused, target-driven and pushy. My first experience with recruitment in 2016 was not particularly positive and was actually advised by a recruiter that in all my interviews I should just say that the reason I want to get into recruitment is because I'm money motivated (which is not the case)! My current employer is not reflective of this at all - the focus is a personal approach and finding the right job for the right people- which is what I am passionate about. Always do your research on recruitment agencies- there are genuinely fantastic companies out there!
Describe your most memorable day at work
The first time I received a job offer for a candidate that I had put forward for the role was amazing! Not only was it a huge client of ours that we hadn't worked with for around 10 years but the candidate was so happy as it was her dream role. You really get emotionally invested in "your candidates" - it was emotional for both of us! You really can change people's lives in recruitment- it's an amazing feeling that never gets old.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
Recruitment is an industry of amazing highs and frustrating lows- it's all about resilience! Giving lovely people the news that they were unsuccessful in an interview isn't a nice job but honest and sensitive feedback is a key part of the role. You can also have job offers fall through, frustrated candidates who take their frustrations out on you over the phone, candidates who don't turn up for their interviews after being fully briefed, following job briefings from clients that are virtually impossible to find candidates who match all their requirements and spending a whole day calling 20 prospective clients only to have none of them return your calls or emails. Every day in itself is a new challenge- but it's worth it for the good days!
What’s your work environment and culture like?
I am very lucky to be in a true "family feel" office. There are 16 people in the whole company (some of them work remotely so there are usually about 10 in the office) and everyone gets on really well. Many people have been at the company for many years (we were founded over 30 years ago and the owner is still part of the businsss- an impressive feat!) We have "birthday teas" for everyone on their birthdays, which includes yummy buffet-style food, plenty of wine and cake! We also have wine time on a Friday and are lucky enough to work opposite a little pub, which we often end up in at the end of the day!
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
I was a student ambassador during UCAS open days, as well as marketing ambassador for sociology which meant that I ran a blog about university life as a sociology student. In these roles I was able to interact with numerous prospective students and their parents and answer any questions they had about York. These certainly built up my communication skills and got me used to interacting with people of all ages and from all walks of life- something that is key within recruitment!
What would you like to do next with your career?
I aim to stay at my current company and expand in my Consultant role- I am still in the early days at the moment as I am still building up a client base (which can take many months and years in order to build up a loyal and extensive client base) so this is hopefully a long-term role for me (which is exciting considering I am now in the role that I wanted to find over 3 years ago!)
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
* Really research the area(s) that you are interested in and the kinds of companies that you might want to work in. It's worth registering with at least 1 or 2 relevant agencies who may have a job that you will love but hadn't thought to look for!
* Create a LinkedIn profile and build up a network of professionals within an industry or area that you are interested in, as well as following pages of companies and individuals that interest you. If they have any job vacancies, LinkedIn is often the first place they will post!
* Get SOME work experience in when or before you graduate- it will make life so much easier. A 1 month internship at an office, a customer service role at a hotel or restaurant - it's all relevant and will help you navigate the first hurdle in your application processes!
* Have your CV updated and ready to go before you graduate. Make use of UoY Careers Service - their CV advice was so helpful and really helped me!
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
* Anything related to working in recruitment- routes in, tips for CVs and transferable skills
* I work in graduate recruitment so very happy to give general CV and interview tips.
Next steps...
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