- knowledge of human resources and employment law
- administration skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- sensitivity and understanding
- the ability to work on your own
- business management skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- knowledge of English language
- to have a thorough understanding of computer systems and applications
Your day-to-day duties might include:
- ‘cold calling’ companies to generate new business
- interviewing and testing job seekers, to create a pool of people ready to fill vacancies
- matching candidates to suitable jobs
- screening and shortlisting candidates before employers interview them
- meeting targets for the number of vacancies taken or the number of people placed into jobs
- keeping records of clients, employers and vacancies
- negotiating your agency’s fees
- ‘headhunting' – finding and approaching candidates for executive or specialist jobs
You could work in an office.
With experience you could move into business development or management, or set up your own agency.
You can find out more about becoming a recruitment consultant from the Institute of Recruitment Professionals and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development