How to succeed as a newbie recruitment consultant

Jody Collings was a hotel manager before beginning her career with Just Recruitment Group Ltd, where she oversees the trainee scheme. She shares her tips to help newcomers thrive

    There’s a sense of excitement when you know you’ve found the perfect person for a vacancy.  

I’ve always loved dealing with people. I think that’s crucial if you want to work in recruitment. You have to be interested in people, and want to understand what makes them tick. That’s how you match candidates to jobs.

Recruitment is a two-way process. It’s not enough to understand a candidate’s needs. You also have to establish a rapport with employers, in order to grasp precisely what they’re looking for.

When I work with our trainees, I concentrate on their communication skills. If you can’t hold a conversation with someone, this isn’t the industry to work in. So much of what we do relies on listening, then responding to what you’ve been told.

Training is vital, but you can’t teach everything. I didn’t follow a formal training programme when I started working at Just Recruitment four years ago. I learnt on the job, and picked up skills by observing colleagues.

Our trainee scheme is intended to equip the next generation of recruitment consultants. It’s a real privilege to be involved in mentoring this group of new recruits. They’re all eager to learn, and ask loads of great questions.

You can’t be half-hearted about working in recruitment. Ours is a hard-nosed, demanding industry. If you succeed, the rewards are fantastic. But you really need to crave them if you’re to thrive.

Effective recruiters have inquiring minds. Yes, we tend to be great talkers. But unless we know what our clients need, and what our candidates are looking for in a job, we won’t stand any chance of bringing the two together.

Our trainees are like sponges. They’re so eager to learn that it’s a joy to work with them. We offer a mixed programme to build their skills, and they’re already showing great potential.

It’s great to be involved in an innovative training programme. The recruitment industry hasn’t always been good at bringing on fresh talent. Just Recruitment’s new trainee scheme is at the vanguard, and I’m proud of what we’re achieving.

I still get a buzz out of placing a candidate. There’s a sense of excitement when you know you’ve found the perfect person for a vacancy. If you lose that thrill, there’s probably not much point turning up for work.

Enthusiasm, commitment, hard work and determination. They’re the characteristics I’m trying to instil in our trainees. Get them under your belt, and you’ll have a bright future in recruitment.

© Copyright Just Recruitment 2018

If you liked this article you may like to read: Six of the best reasons to work in recruitment

You may also like: How do you choose the best recruitment agency for you?

Jobs currently available

New job
Counterbalance FLT Drivers
Sector: Production and Stock Control
Salary: £16.87 per hour
Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
Role: Full Time
Contract: Temporary
Job ref: JT-HAD-FD-0725
About the role

Just Temps seeks reliable and hardworking Counterbalance FLT Drivers for a hands-on role in a fast-paced environment, within a well-established food manufacturing company, based in Hadleigh, Suffolk.

Hours: Monday to Friday, 11pm to 7am.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Heavy lifting – regularly handling up to 50kg
  • Ripping and tipping of raw materials
  • Maintaining a clean and safe working environment
  • Working in a dusty environment with appropriate PPE
  • Supporting general production and manufacturing tasks

Role requirements include:

  • Comfortable with heavy lifting on a continuous basis
  • Previous experience in a factory setting is desirable
  • Good attention to detail and strong work ethic
  • Reliable and punctual

What’s on offer:

  • Competitive hourly rate
  • Consistent Monday to Friday hours
  • Long-term opportunity with a reputable local employer

If you're ready to roll up your sleeves and get stuck into a vital role in the food production industry, we want to hear from you.

 

Just Temps acts as an Employment Business for the supply of Temporary Staff.
The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position. 
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more
New job
Accounts Administrator
Sector: Accountancy, Banking and Finance
Salary: £30,000 per annum
Location: Colchester
Role: Full Time
Contract: Permanent
Job ref: 913707
About the role

Just Recruitment is working with a well-regarded and long-standing family business based on the outskirts of Colchester, looking to add an Accounts Administrator to their team.

Please note that due to the location, you will need access to your own transport.

Working hours:

Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm. 1 hour lunch break. The company can be flexible and offer a 4 day week.

Free parking is available on-site.

You must have a minimum of 3 years’ experience working with Sage 50 accounts and Sage payroll, with the ability to work on your own initiative.

This role is focused within the remit of bookkeeping up to trial balance using Sage software.

Duties will include:

  • Ensure timely and accurate recording of financial transactions.
  • Daily financial operations, including posting of supplier invoices, reconciliation of supplier accounts, accounts payable management, creation of customer invoices, accounts receivable management, etc.
  • Perform bank/credit-card reconciliations, including a factoring banking account and Petty cash accounts.
  • Quarterly VAT returns and analysis. (including RTI submission to HMRC).
  • Prepare weekly aged creditors reports and process weekly supplier payments, run accordingly.
  • Prepare monthly aged debtors reports and provide credit control where required.
  • Maintain cashflow forecast for the Finance Director to review.
  • Process monthly payroll, payments, journal entries and year-end procedures (including RTI submission to HMRC).
  • Manage auto-enrolment pension contributions, submissions and legal returns to the pensions regulator.

Skills required include:

  • Significant experience in finance or accounting.
  • Proficiency with accounting software, Sage 50, and payroll.
  • Advanced knowledge of spreadsheet software such as Excel.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Experience in data entry.
  • Effective decision-making and problem-solving techniques within a finance environment.

 

Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more
New job
Factory Operative (Nights)
Sector: Production and Stock Control
Salary: £15.27 per hour
Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
Role: Full Time
Contract: Temporary
Job ref: JT-HAD-FO-0625
About the role

Just Temps seeks reliable and hardworking Factory Operatives for a hands-on role in a fast-paced environment, within a well-established food manufacturing company, based in Hadleigh, Suffolk.

Hours: Monday to Friday, 11pm to 7am.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Heavy lifting – regularly handling up to 50kg
  • Ripping and tipping of raw materials
  • Maintaining a clean and safe working environment
  • Working in a dusty environment with appropriate PPE
  • Supporting general production and manufacturing tasks

Role requirements include:

  • Comfortable with heavy lifting on a continuous basis
  • Previous experience in a factory setting is desirable
  • Good attention to detail and strong work ethic
  • Reliable and punctual

What’s on offer:

  • Competitive hourly rate
  • Consistent Monday to Friday hours
  • Long-term opportunity with a reputable local employer

If you're ready to roll up your sleeves and get stuck into a vital role in the food production industry, we want to hear from you.

 

Just Temps acts as an Employment Business for the supply of Temporary Staff.~
The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position. 
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more