How to Become a Recruiter

The day to day job of a recruiter is to match up people looking for work with companies looking to hire new employees. You can do this by working for a recruitment agency or working freelance, and you will work closely with companies looking to hire candidate/s for a particular role and find individuals who are the right fit for the position. Some of the most common daily tasks of a successful recruiter include:

There is no specific degree or qualification in recruitment required to become a recruiter. However, having an undergraduate degree will certainly help. Having a Bachelor’s degree demonstrates a high level of written and spoken English skills, which is necessary for this role and interpersonal skills and communication skills.

However, degrees that are directly relevant to being a recruitment consultant would be even more beneficial, such as a degree in Business Administration, Business Studies, Human Resources or Psychology. If you do not have a relevant degree, there are plenty of online courses such as Human Resources Level 3 or an Executive MBA in HR. Following your degree or online course, gaining work experience in business, sales or administration would further increase your employability in the area of recruitment and demonstrate your practical knowledge and know-how of the recruitment industry. 

The more time you spend in professional development, the more likely you are to be the best recruiter you can be. This includes developing your soft skills such as problem-solving and hard skills such as knowledge of employment laws. 

As there is no specific route to becoming a recruiter, there is also no particular timeframe to become one. Most Bachelor’s degrees take three years to complete, so if we consider the degree as the primary qualification, then at least three years. 

If you already have an undergraduate degree, then online courses can take anywhere between 3 and 18 months, with a Level 3 course taking 3-12 months and an MBA in HR taking up to 18 months. 

Online courses are designed to work flexibly around your life, and therefore completion time varies significantly depending on how many hours a week you can spend on your studies. If you take into account the time to gain experience, then it can take a bit longer to become a good recruiter.

The average UK salary for a recruiter is £28, 310 with managers earning up to £44,000 and entry-level recruiters earning £26,000. Often, recruiters can also be paid a commission, so that can give you access to a higher wage if you perform well in the role.