• Publish Date: Posted over 6 years ago
• Author:by Rachael Stranack

My first 6 months in recruitment

​Recruitment...the first 6 monthsThis time last year a friend asked me “what do you plan to do when you finish Uni?”; I had no clue.Like no clue whatsoever. The question stumped me, I’d always been so decisive. I was lost.I’d worked numerous jobs since I was 15, but none had really, really appealed to me. I liked to work, which I knew was a positive trait. I’d been team leader for Manchester’s busiest student bar; sorted packages on the night shift in the Royal Mail and repaired jeans in a tailors shop. The only common theme was how much I enjoyed that sweet dollar at the end of it.So my friend told me about recruitment, referred me to a Rec to Rec and next thing, I was interviewing for Core Talent. A company, who I thought was geared to employing and supporting graduates.  They say recruitment is tough, there'll be ups and downs but the rewards are worth it. They’re right.The first 6 months have been a blur. The first day you sit down at a desk and have absolutely no idea what's going on. You don’t know who you’re going to have to speak to next, let alone understand what they’re telling you. At Core Talent, all Graduates, go through a 12 week training programme, a mix of classroom led teaching and deskside training. You have to be a quick learner, good with people and be able to deliver on your promises.There are cycles, you’re winning every call. You’ve got so many good candidates and so many good jobs and you’re firing with all guns blazing. The next week you may have nothing, no one's answering the phone and no one wants to hear what you have to say. But, what I’ve learnt is that it’s about keeping going and keeping it simple. I have made 6 placements so far and more in the pipeline. I will be on for a promotion to Consultant too.The long hours are tough. I thought I’d worked hard before, but until you’ve done your first full quarter with a target to aim for and not a job in your pipeline you haven’t really worked before. But how else do you talk to your candidates who are already in a job?I’m probably not the same fresh faced grad, eager to start her first ‘real job’ but I can’t complain, I’ve found the job for me. You don’t come to work to make friends, but it’s nice when that happens and I have made some great friend here. Especially when you’re in the place around 50 hours a week it helps - and so does reaping the rewards for those hours.Not only the financial and social rewards, but hearing your candidate has got the roles they deserve is the icing on the cake, being a recruiter can help you make a difference to someone’s life. My parting lines of advice would be don’t enter into this lightheartedly, you will get out what you put in.If you’re looking for engineering role in maintenance, I can help. Call me on 0161 832 1378 or send your CV to RachaelStranack@coretalent.co.uk  or visit our website for all of our latest roles.