Case studies: Recruitment consultant: Amanda

Amanda has a degree in business studies from Leeds Metropolitan University and works as a business manager for Hays IT, specialising in recruiting IT staff in higher education.

After I graduated I spent six months working for a small recruitment consultancy before going travelling. This experience helped me secure a job with Hays IT in Manchester when I came back and I’ve now been with Hays for three years.

The first six months were a steep learning curve. The job is a lot like running your own business and I had to quickly gain the confidence to pick up the phone to potential clients to build up my business and contacts.

After six months I was promoted to senior consultant, and two years later I moved to London where I am now business manager responsible for the higher education practice for Hays IT, recruiting IT professionals for universities and colleges across the UK. Working for a global company like Hays means fast career progression is possible and there are opportunities to work for Hays around the UK and in our offices worldwide.

It really does help to be a people person in recruitment as you spend all day talking to customers. Working so closely with candidates means you really care about them, and seeing them succeed is very satisfying. As I’ve now been working in the sector for three years I have built up my knowledge of the market and always find interesting new things to learn - being inquisitive and open to learning new things every day is also really important. 

As I work with clients across the UK, I spend a lot of time out of the office meeting with them - I’d hate to be chained to my desk all day, so this is ideal for me. The support and advice offered by my colleagues and managers has been invaluable, particularly in the early stages.

Graduates thinking about a career in recruitment might find it helpful to have some sales experience, but the most important qualities you need are an enthusiasm to learn, an interest in your market and a desire to work with people.