Not every degree gives you an obvious career choice. If yours wasn’t a vocational degree, or you’re thinking twice about the path you chose, you may not be clear about what you want to do next.

If you want a career that offers huge variety, the chance to work with a friendly team, opportunities for professional qualifications - plus excellent pay and uncapped commission, then a graduate career in recruitment could be the answer.

As a top recruitment agency in Basingstoke, we love talking to new graduates so we can show you that a career in recruitment is an excellent choice! 

Starting in Recruitment as a Graduate

If you want to break into recruitment but don’t yet have work experience, you are likely to start out as a Talent Consultant. This is a key role where you’ll be responsible for finding and matching fantastic candidates for the vacancies our clients within the Manufacturing, Precision Engineering and Distribution sectors ask us to fill for them.

The positions you’ll be responsible for filling vary enormously and could be permanent or temporary jobs in disciplines including marketing, purchasing, HR and supply chain at all levels from the shop floor right through to management roles.

Recruitment Consultant Abi Yogarajah joined us after graduating in Sociology and Psychology in 2022 as a Talent Consultant in our Office and Commercial division. Within a year of graduating and joining us here at Priority Appointments, Abi has now moved to the role of a Recruitment Consultant and is currently working towards her next career step.   

Abi brought her friendly nature, enthusiasm and down-to-earth personality to our team, as well as an analytical approach.

She says, “Helping people get their dream job is my greatest reward! Working in recruitment as a graduate is a fun job and it’s great that you get commission so all your hard work pays off.”

Abi says that working in recruitment has improved her confidence and organisational skills and she is planning to progress in her career as quickly as possible as she has the option to study professional industry qualifications in Recruitment Practice. 

Here are some of the key benefits of starting a career in recruitment straight out of University.

1. No two days are the same

Working in recruitment is one of the most varied jobs you can choose as a new graduate. One day you’ll be working on a job that requires very specialist skills, the next, you’ll be looking for half a dozen temps so a manufacturer can fulfill an urgent order.

2. You’ll have a graduate recruitment job that is all about people

If you love working with people, then recruitment is an ideal career for you as that’s what we’re all about! 

We find great people for great companies in Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire, so you’ll build relationships with our clients and the candidates we put forward for interview. 

You’ll also be part of a very tightly-knit team that works hard, but plays hard too! Recruitment only works when we all work together towards a common goal and support each other. 

3. You’ll be at the same level as colleagues with work experience

People come into the recruitment industry from all sorts of different roles. Some of us started out in sales in fields as diverse as retail and car sales, whilst others have come from completely different backgrounds and sectors.  There’s a fair amount to learn when you begin your journey in recruitment, but we’re here to provide training and support so that you can become confident as quickly as possible.

4. There are plenty of opportunities for further qualifications and professional development

 You’ll get on-the-job training to give you all skills you need to be a superstar Talent Consultant.

We also support and encourage all our employees to take further qualifications. 

Many of our staff take their Level 3 Certificate in Recruitment Practice (CertRP) qualification, one of the leading accreditations in our sector which is backed by our professional body, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. 

Once you’re qualified, you can apply to become a Member of the Institute of Recruitment Professionals, which means you can use MIRP after your name, and ultimately progress to becoming a Fellow.

5. You can make good use of your hard-earned research skills!

Knowledge is power when it comes to recruitment! Sometimes, we already know the right person to introduce for a particular vacancy, but on other occasions, our Talent team needs to use their super-sleuth skills to find the right people!

As a graduate, your skills in organising information and research will come in very handy.

6. You can start earning commission very quickly

Your on-target earnings are realistically likely to be around £30-35k in your first year, but can increase quickly as you progress and win more clients. Unlike some sectors, at Priority, you’ll benefit from a transparent career structure and plenty of promotion opportunities. 

7. You’ll build a great professional network

Joining a recruitment consultancy as a graduate is a great way to start building your professional network right from your first day. You’ll get to know the owners and senior managers of a huge range of local businesses, as well as building relationships with candidates and your colleagues.

8. You’ll become a co-owner of the business

Priority Appointments became one of the first independent recruitment consultancies to be fully employee-owned in 2022, so if you stick with us, you’ll not only build your career, but also become a part-owner of the business (after a qualifying period) you are helping to build. 

It’s also well worth remembering that working in recruitment is one of the few roles where you can gain professional qualifications without needing a degree, so if you decided that University wasn’t for you before you finished your degree, we’d still love to have a chat with you. 

Watch this short video from Abi Yogarajah to discover why a graduate recruitment job is such a great choice .

If you have a strong positive mental attitude and boundless energy, and are ethical, honest and a pleasure to work with, we’d love to meet you!

Get in touch with our Managing Director,  Tracy Welch, in confidence to find out more.