It’s college graduation season and recent graduates are interviewing or at a minimum thinking about their first post-college job. I think this is a good opportunity for me to share my thoughts on why recruiting is a terrific option and something you may want to consider whether you are a recent graduate or a more seasoned professional.
First a little insight into my perspective – my first post college job was as a recruiter at a large privately held staffing company, TAD Resources, based in Cambridge, MA. I hadn’t spent my college days dreaming of becoming a recruiter but it turned out to be an excellent decision and launched me on an exciting, fulfilling and lucrative career. After many years in staffing, including ten years as a Senior Vice President with a global staffing leader here are my top reasons for suggesting recruiting as a career choice:
Recruiting is incredibly rewarding. You are helping people find a job and finding the right job can changes a person’s life.
Recruiting will develop and improve your communication skills. You will spend hours speaking with people on the phone and face-to-face. Your written communications skills will also progress via email, texting, and social media posting. You will learn how to deliver both good and bad news with diplomacy.
Recruiting is fast-paced. Dealing with a wide range of important and often time sensitive issues on a daily basis, you will quickly learn to multi-task, develop a sense of urgency and prioritize.
Recruiting is fun. You will find yourself surrounded by bright, positive, hard-working, competitive professionals. The many inspirational colleagues I have worked with have been a highlight for me.
Recruiting will provide you with access to, and an understanding of, all types of technology. Powerful applicant tracking system (ATS) systems, artificial intelligence (AI) platforms to assist with sourcing, and social media will each be an integral part of your everyday work.
Recruiting can open your eyes to other roles you may not have considered. Personally, I chose a sales position as my next role within the staffing industry. This was something I never would have considered without first gaining the confidence and aptitude from recruiting. Guess what? I loved that job and excelled at it.
Recruiting provides a front row seat to what is occurring in the business community on a daily basis. What companies are hiring? What are their unique staffing needs? What is their culture like? By finding your clients the right talent to grow their business you will be contributing to the success of many different companies.
Recruiting will provide you with opportunity. The global staffing industry generated $461 billion dollars in revenue in 2017 and the long-term outlook for the staffing industry is excellent. Research continues to support the growth of contingent, freelance talent and being at the center of this dynamic field is more exciting than ever.
If you want to find out more about the staffing industry check out Staffing Industry Analysts or American Staffing Association for a comprehensive view of what the industry has to offer.
