Confessions of a New Recruiter

It’s Friday morning, the weekend is just around the corner … finally! It’s been a hard week, I’ve made placements, but I’ve also had to tell people they no longer had a job.

I’m no writer, I’m a qualified chef with more experiences than most people my age yet here I am giving this a go. The irony is that I spend a fair amount of my time as a recruiter writing adverts selling jobs to people and selling my capabilities to prospective clients, so you would think I would be good at this.

I’m inspired to take finger to keyboard and write this article after a particularly hard time at work over the past few months. I went searching for something, anything really, for new recruiters that have been here before; I wanted to know how they overcame it and what they did to do it. A cheat code so to speak. All I could find was experienced recruiters that had been in the industry for so many years giving a reflection rather than an ‘in the moment thoughts and mindset’ read.

I don’t believe them as I think it’s just fluff. So here it is, from someone that’s been in the industry only 18 months.

I’ve been experiencing an unfortunate combination of personal issues (a breakup and losing my dog temporarily, it’s amazing how much that not-so-little idiot helps with stress) and a quarter that wasn't going my way at work; both attributable to causes beyond my control. For a person who is as much of an ‘organised control freak’ as I am, this didn't sit well with me. I find myself questioning my ability to do my job, to the point of, am I in the right job? Do I know what I’m doing? Am I letting my candidates and clients down?

“Why do I do this job?” I asked myself firstly. Because I am a people person and I love helping people! Finding a candidate or a job and matching the two together is simple right? Well that’s what I thought; if only it was that simple. The grunt of the work that goes on behind the scenes that neither candidates nor clients see is the hardest part of being a Recruitment Consultant. I am truly passionate about the candidates I meet. Their stories, their lives and their experiences make me want to make it my mission to find them a job. This means finding a candidate their dream role, selling the candidate the role and then selling the candidate to the employer.

Another reason I do this job is I love a challenge and I love relationship building, especially with a challenging client. Building a relationship with a new client, where they start to value your opinion and respect you as a consultant is one of the best feelings. You realise you have a purpose and offer a service that they want from you, out of all people. To have repeat business from a client confirms I know what I am doing and I’m on the right path. If other people value what I do, I am good at my job despite all my self-doubting.

The part of my job I can quite adamantly say I hate - is having to let candidates down. What if a month down the line of a lengthy interview process, you have to tell the candidate that the job they had set their heart on is a no-go? Or letting the client that you have been working with so hard to build a relationship with, that you have no candidates because the ones you’re finding are not what you want and either want too much or you know that there will be personality clashes.

I must remind myself - I do this job because I love people, I love getting to know people, I am curious and admittedly I love a good chat, especially if it’s something I’m interested in. The reward for me is when you get to know a candidate; caring not only about their professional skills, but what really makes them tick as a person and you finally match them with their dream job. This makes every low worth it. Don’t get me wrong, the commission at the end of the month is also a pretty great sweetener.

But it’s not just the pressures of candidates and clients that get you down. Sometimes it’s your colleagues and bosses. They mean well, we know that, or do they?

The answer is of course they do!

Recruitment I found is more competitive than anything I’ve ever done. It’s why I love it so much. I’m a Capricorn, don’t tell me I can’t do something because you can bet your ass, I’ll do it. The team you’re in will always push you to do more and be better, it’s a game after all. If you win, we all win. I’m not sucking a*s when I say this but I’m so thankful for the team I get to work with every single day. Yes, sometimes they give me the sh*ts and I stick my headphones in and purposely ignore them. But when I need support, they are there to guide, mentor and build me into something I never thought I could be. In my office, as I’m sure is in yours, there’s so many different walks of life who have experienced different things and that have come from different backgrounds. That’s exciting and I am so thankful for all their love and support so far.

Bosses … where do we start?

This has probably been my biggest struggle so far. Coming to terms with management doing things differently to the way I would is a hard pill to swallow given my previous experience. Targets and KPI’s are a pain in the ass. Let’s face it though, without them we would have nothing to strive for. For me it seems no matter what I do they want more, or they want to focus on the stuff I’m not doing. This sucks! It’s motivationally and emotionally draining. I’m sure if you’re new to the recruitment game you’re feeling the same way. Trust me, speaking from a manager’s point of view; you don’t ever want this to go away. Yeah you may get frustrated in the moment and walk back to your desk after another meeting thinking that you’re done and your over it. But use this, like I am, to get better! There’s always another day. Make that placement so that you can walk into your boss’s office with a smile on your face because you did it!

Sometimes you’ll win, sometimes you’ll lose. Ask my Director how many times I challenge him; then ask him how many times I’ve won. I think I’m a carton of beer down and he’s up by 50-1. It sucks that I lose so much, but when I win it is the most amazing feeling. But don’t get a big head - trust me when I say this, it doesn’t last for long. He means well, and again speaking from a management point of view, he doesn’t want me to go. He’s not trying to push me out the door and make my life a living hell. He’s trying to push me to reach my maximum potential, that he knows I am capable of but I am yet to see. He’s got many more years’ experience and has hired and fired plenty that couldn’t make it. So, it’s for a love reason, not a hate reason. He’s a great mentor and I can, and have, learnt a lot from him. I just need to relax, trust his judgment and believe in my mentor. He’s sitting in the chair that one day I hope to be in. He’s been through some sh*t that I don’t know about and he is stopping me from making the same mistakes that he did early in his career. But I’ll never stop questioning him. I learn more when I do.

This job sucks some days it truly does, but what job doesn’t? Most days it’s the most fulfilling and rewarding career and I honestly wish I had started in recruitment earlier. Being a recruiter puts me in the perfect position to know never to take my job for granted. Finding a new job isn't easy these days, expectations are high, and competition is tougher.

The conclusion I’ve reached is that the lows don't last for long. If you are experiencing one, it’s because you are passionate about your job, which means you are in the right job. When you have lows, believe me when I say those highs aren't far behind. If you are like me, the lows only make you fight harder to see the highs, which will inevitably come even when your mindset says they won’t. With passion comes results!

It’s now the end of my Friday, I pack my laptop up and phone charger. I have a couple of things I want to get sorted over the weekend to make my next week that little bit easier. I have my beautiful dog I’ve just got back to go home to after months of not having him. I’ve got my biggest pride and joy (my car) to wash and clean and ensure its at its highest standard. Hell, I might even go for a drive through the mountains to stretch her legs. I also have my gardens that need some maintenance and loving partner to spend time with. I can’t wait to relax!

I blink,

 Sh#t it’s Monday… Let’s do this!