5 reasons to build a career in recruiting
(Reposted from LinkedIn. Originally posted on Nov 11, 2021)
I remember the first time I went to a job interview back when I was at university. I was applying for a call center job that turned into a 2 year gig where I learned a surprising amount about the geography and postal code system of Germany. Along with elaborating on where I’d like to be in five years, I kept thinking “Wouldn’t it be nice to be on the other side of the table and ask the questions?”
Fast forward 7000 interviews later, I have asked more questions than I can count. On the other side of the table. Or mostly the phone. What got me into recruiting was pure curiosity and interest in people. And here is what kept me in it for longer than 2 years.
The people - let’s face it, people are fascinating. Predictably irrational and rationally unpredictable. As a recruiter you will hear countless stories, speak to and learn from professionals who have accomplished great things in their fields, observe human behavior and even influence some decisions along the way. Also - recruiters are fun to be around.
The impact - Bringing talent to an organization has a direct impact on its ability to grow and succeed. On the other hand, offering someone their dream job could very well change their life.
The learning - you could say that about almost any field, but the learning in recruiting never stops. Learning about what’s important when making career decisions, how businesses operate, about leadership, assessing competencies, asking the right questions and more importantly - listening for the answers. You will learn a lot about yourself.
The storytelling - we all love a good story. As a recruiter you get to tell stories about leadership and business and connect to individuals from all over the word and hear their stories as well.
The challenge and pace - recruitment is fast-paced, demanding, ambiguous, nuanced. Being a recruiter is not easy. It is both an art and a science. It requires high emotional intelligence, advisory skills, business acumen and influencing skills. None of this is straightforward to learn and master.
Bonus reason: recruiting professionals are in extremely high demand right now and recruiting for recruiting has never been harder. Companies are competing to hire and retain experienced recruiters with specific expertise within an industry or a geographical market. Soon enough they will start pivoting towards hiring and training early career talent or professionals looking for a career switch to bridge the talent gap. I have personally worked with and learned from great recruiters who are former lawyers, teachers, sales professionals and account managers, all bringing their diverse perspective and innovative problem-solving skills.
Curious to hear what keeps you in recruiting?
