Annual Salary
£16,000 to £40,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Finance & accounting or Sales & marketing or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Finance & accounting or Sales & marketing or go back to all job sectors
Recruitment consultants help employers find suitable staff, and match people to permanent and temporary jobs.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings; attending events or appointments
There will be
2.9% more Recruitment consultant jobs in 2027.
In this role you could:
You could work in an office.
You can get into this job through:
As a graduate it's possible to enter recruitment with any degree, although some employers may prefer a subject related to the industry, like:
Some recruitment agencies specialise in a particular type of work so you may be expected to have a relevant degree or industry experience in that area.
For example, a degree in pharmacy or a background in pharmaceutical sales could help you get into pharmaceutical recruitment.
You'll usually need:
You could start on an intermediate recruitment resourcer apprenticeship and work your way up, or do an advanced apprenticeship as a recruitment consultant.
You'll usually need:
You could start as an office assistant in a recruitment agency and work your way up through on-the-job training and promotion.
You could develop your understanding of the recruitment industry by getting some experience. Whether you're studying or looking for work, you could try:
Getting relevant work experience in areas like marketing, sales or public relations can also help you develop some of the skills needed for this role.
You could apply directly to become a recruitment consultant as experience is highly valued by employers. With the right skills and attitude you could enter this job without a degree. If you have knowledge of a particular industry, this can be useful for working in specialist recruitment agencies like social care, engineering, construction or pharmaceuticals.
Whatever your qualifications, you'll be expected to have great sales skills and be able to communicate with people at many different levels.
You'll also need excellent customer service and teamworking skills.
You could join the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, for professional development, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.
You can find out more about becoming a recruitment consultant from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.
With experience you could move into business development or management, or set up your own agency.
You'll need: