Should I Become a Recruiter?
Recruiters are human resource specialists who help interview candidates for a position and assist in hiring the best individual for the job. In addition to screening and interviewing, recruiters may also conduct testing for candidates, check job references and work history, process paperwork, and outline employee benefits.
These workers often must travel to attend job fairs and other career events at universities and potential places of recruitment. Most professionals work regular work hours in comfortable office settings. Some recruiters are hired by firms on a contract-basis and only have short-term tenures. Read on to learn more about how to become a recruiter.
Learn What Type of Recruiting You Are Interested In
There are many different kinds of recruiters. In addition to learning how to become a job recruiter, you should also look into the different kinds of recruiting that you might be able to do as part of your career. Types of job recruiters include the following:
- Headhunters have their own business and are hired by existing companies to find talented individuals.
- Internal recruiters work on hiring and promoting within a company.
- Executive recruiters recruit and promote people in high-level positions within a company or an industry.
- Sales recruiters specialize in hiring sales staff for one or more companies.
- Military recruiters aim to recruit people, usually young people, into military positions.
- Sports recruiters are talent scouts that look for athletes to compete on professional teams.
- IT recruiters hire people with technological expertise in order to help companies in various sectors.
Career Requirements
| Degree Level | Bachelor's degree |
| Degree Field | Human resources or related field |
| Experience | Related professional experience may be required for those without a degree |
| Certification | Certification is required or preferred by some employers |
| Key Skills | Listening, speaking, decision-making, and interpersonal skills; strong attention to detail; knowledge of CRM software |
| Median Salary (2019) | $61,920 (for Human resources specialists) |
| Job Outlook | 7% growth from 2019-2029 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2019)
How to Be a Recruiter
There are several important steps that you can take toward becoming a job recruiter. These include job recruiter education requirements, skills, and certification. Becoming a recruiter will take several years but has a solid payoff.
1: Earn a Bachelor's Degree
To begin a career in recruiting, individuals can work towards a bachelor's degree. Some colleges offer bachelor's degree programs in human resources management or in a related area, such as business administration with a specialization in human resources. Students can also take courses in personnel administration, human resources, or business. Other courses that would be helpful at the undergraduate level include English, accounting, and training and development. Some people who go on to be various kinds of recruiters complete undergraduate degrees in marketing, psychology, sociology, and even kinesiology in the case of sports recruiters.
2: Gain Experience and Skills
Students can gain experience in an internship or entry-level position, such as a customer service representative. In these positions, prospective recruiters can develop organizational skills, social aptitude, and effective communication abilities. Learning how to communicate effectively can help individuals screen and interview people once they are recruiters. Entry-level experience can also help workers build relationships with other professionals in the field.
3: Consider Certification
According to the BLS, employers may require or prefer applicants with professional certification. Organizations, like the HR Certification Institute, offer a variety of certification options. Pursuing these credentials typically require passing an exam and meeting experience and/or education requirements.
4: Apply to Recruiting Firms
After gaining experience and training in recruiting, professionals are prepared for this human resources specialist position. Jobs in this field may be found through personal connections or networking. Individuals can also check websites for jobs, such as the job board of the Society for Human Resource Management.
5: Pursue Continuing Education
Professional development workshops and seminars can help individuals stay current with new developments in the field of recruiting. The BLS notes that job prospects may be better for human resources professionals with knowledge of health care coverage and employment laws. Recruiters can research these areas to stand out among other applicants, and potentially advance to top recruiting agencies or take on supervisory roles.
Recruiters typically need a bachelor's degree in human resources or a related field or relevant experience, and professional certification may be preferred if not required by employers.
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Career Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median salary for human resources specialists was $61,920 in May of 2019. This is significantly higher than the national average for wages. Human resources specialists can also expect a faster than average job growth of 7% between 2019 and 2029, with an estimated 600,000 new jobs emerging in this field. This makes becoming a recruiter a fairly stable and smart choice for those wishing to get involved in this field.
