Going into recruitment at a young age with no prior experience can be daunting, especially if you have never worked an office job before. Many younger people when first completing their secondary education will pursue employment within retail or hospitality. Both industries require large amounts of communication with others and specific product knowledge to ensure high-quality service.
The median age for recruitment consultants in Australia is 36 years old. This data indicates that most people do not choose recruitment as a career straight out of school. Recruitment is one of the few careers that can have a large earning potential and career progression without prior qualifications.
Most recruiters start their career between 25-34 years of age, which makes up for 36.8% of all recruiters throughout the country. The 35-44 age range makes up for 27.7% of all recruiters, with 17.1% being within the 55-59 bracket. The 20-24 age range is the fourth largest group, which is when I began my recruitment journey.
Although you do not need a qualification in recruitment, being successful within the industry requires specific traits and knowledge.
Skills someone should know before starting recruitment are active listening, reading comprehension, speaking, and critical thinking. Having interests in areas such as enterprising and administration will play a large role in the success of the recruiter.
Starting as a recruiter at 22 years old was a big career change for me personally, as I was coming from a face-to-face sales and hospitality background. Both of my previous industries have helped me enormously in my communication skills and understanding of others.
Face-to-face sales have taught me resilience and the importance of specific details when talking to others. Each conversation will be different from the next in some way within recruitment, even if it’s on the same topic. Having a specific tone in your voice or stance when talking with someone will influence the outcome of that conversation. Learning these important skills at a young age has positively impacted the way I behave in significant situations today.
Sales experience isn’t always needed to become a recruiter, many people from other industries can have healthier values. Those coming from another industry should concentrate on their values and what they can offer in recruitment other than experience. Having an open mind and the drive to improve yourself can go a long way. This is very important when you have little experience on your CV and can emit a goal-driven mindset to others.
Being young with little to no experience gives you an excellent opportunity to educate yourself on psychology and the way different communication techniques can influence a situation. Gaining knowledge of basic skills that are majorly needed within recruitment will help when entering the industry.
Younger people’s parents can play a considerable influence on their personalities and therefore their careers. Having the ability to make your own choices at a young age and doing what you personally feel is benefitting yourself is very powerful. Having a qualification is highly encouraged and even though many qualifications are never used after graduating, it shows employers that you are driven and can commit to working hard to achieve your goals.
Starting in recruitment at a young age can have great benefits over others. Having your name known by companies at a young age as a recruiter is very important for future success. In 5-10 years from now, you will be known by a large majority of the industry you recruit for; this will make you a reputable recruiter. Having others know you before you know them can be very effective in recruitment.
Younger people with no qualifications can start a career in recruitment. If an individual does not possess the values and skills currently needed in the industry, these can be gained. Having the drive to improve yourself with a strong student mentality is the strongest thing I believe is needed to succeed within the recruitment industry.
