Whether you started the role as a recruitment consultant with a longstanding career in mind or, like many people out there, you fell into the role, there’s no doubt that working in the field teaches you a lot of invaluable skills which can be transferred into a variety of alternative careers. Moving on from recruitment can seem a daunting task, but it shouldn’t be – check out some alternative career options below:
1. Public Relations
The role of a PR person is to manage a company’s reputation and influence others’ opinions and behaviour through the use of media and communication. Usually, you are the first person a prospective candidate will speak to about a company and your role requires the ability to sell both the company to the candidate and vice versa. After a stint in recruitment, you’re used to dealing with people and overcoming objections; expect the same rollercoaster of ups and downs if you opt for a life in PR!
2. Account Management
A movement from managing recruitment for clients to managing accounts can be a natural transition, and you should have some very transferable experiences. If you are good at client meetings, managing processes and expectations, then this could be a good natural step. Let’s call this the safe option.
3. Events Planner
You probably involve yourself in more planning than you think already, and this doesn’t necessarily mean the office parties – although we know there’s usually lots of opportunity for that in recruitment (there’s the “Christmas one,” the “we made it through January one” and even the “every Thursday one”). This could involve planning interview days, meetings, networking events, or industry meet-ups. In addition to your experience, recruiters tend to have the ability to work a room – networking and building good relationships with prospective clients. If this is something you enjoy, there’ll be lots of this if you enter a career as an Events Planner.
4. Loan Officer
Much like the qualification process of a candidate, you’ll be required to extract the relevant information before approving or declining a bank loan, but more importantly- working in recruitment means you’re probably well accustomed to the loan helpline. It helps to know the script of questions you’ll need to ask and some of the things that salespeople might say to try and get a bigger overdraft during the January blues.
5. Career Counsellor
Let’s face it, the role of a recruiter requires much more than sending a resume to a client and counselling candidates through their career choices is part of your day-to-day role. Taking them through the step-by-step notions of their career path can be rewarding, but sometimes you can leave the office feeling like you’re owed a master’s degree in psychology! Are you great at helping people make these decisions, but you’ve not been hitting your sales targets? This could be the ideal role for you.
6. General Counsellor
I mean, why limit yourself to career counsellor? After a certain stint in recruitment, you realise that, to place a candidate, you not only need to know about their career motivations but the candidate’s life outside of work which can often include their husband/wife, children, and any other hobbies/activities which require commitment outside of work (and that’s just before the candidate gets the job). Onboarding can often require counselling through their first month/two months/rebate period, and this includes ensuring that they make it through each day without quitting their job and/or having a mental breakdown.
7. HR Manager
Whilst it’s no secret that HR managers and recruitment consultants don’t always see eye to eye – HR manager positions draw on a range of similar skill requirements. To be successful in an HR role requires good organizational skills, effective planning, and communication. Some HR roles also require some internal recruitment day to day which makes it an obvious choice for some people.
8. Real Estate Agent
Many of the roles and responsibilities of an estate agent are extremely similar to a recruitment consultant. It’s unlikely (as many of us know) that there is the perfect house within your budget when you go to market, and an estate agent is required to flex a customer’s specification and negotiate from both sides of the fence. The negatives include: long days and cold calling; sound familiar? If you fancy a change of scenery or have always had a keen interest in property, then there are a lot of transferable skills. This aside – if you struggle to make it to work on a Monday, you can swap them in for a Saturday if you become an estate agent!
Failing all of the above, you only live once…
9. FBI Agent
Having been in recruitment for a number of years, we know how to find those additional details of a person we’re looking for. By hook or by crook, a recruitment consultant will soon have their mobile/direct line. Now I’m not saying that we’re stalkers, I am saying, however if one of your friends required ‘intense research’ on an individual, they would probably come to us! Still want one foot in recruiting? Here’s how the FBI handle employer brand.
There is life after recruitment
A career in recruitment can be rewarding, but there’s no beating around the bush; it can be tough! If it’s not the job for you, then it’s a great job to teach you a range of business-related skills that can be applied to a variety of different roles. Being resilient and business-minded will go a long way in the business world – whichever direction you choose to go!
