How to Become a Recruiter?

Are you thinking of becoming a Recruiter or already started your career and planning the next step? Learn how to become a Recruiter, what skills you need to succeed, how to advance your career and get promoted, and what levels of pay to expect at each step on your career path. Explore new Recruiter job openings and options for career transitions into related roles.

Steps to Become a Recruiter

A recruiter locates, screens, and attracts potential employees for open positions. If you're a detail-oriented person with strong communication skills, working as a recruiter might be a good job option. In this article, we will cover the steps you should take to become a recruiter.
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1

Earn a degree in the field you're interested in recruiting for.

Recruiting is one of the few professions that doesn't have a specific track or discipline. Most employers seek recruiters who have at least a Bachelor's Degree in a related field, such as business administration, psychology, or human resources. Other common areas of study include communications and sociology. Even if some companies might not require a degree, having one can help you stand out from other candidates.

2

Get experience through internships or job shadowing.

One of the best ways to learn about recruiting is to get firsthand experience. Some undergraduate programs include internship opportunities or job shadows. Either option will allow you to talk with others in the industry and learn tips about how to best perform. When starting, though, you might not immediately get a job as a recruiter. Some jobs that can lead up to work as a recruiter include ones in human resources, customer service, and administration.

3

Hone your time management and problem-solving skills.

To be a successful recruiter, you should possess several skills. You need strong problem-solving skills, especially since the main goal of your job is to find people to fill job positions. You also must have good time-management skills since you will be tasked with finding employees for several jobs. If you want to sell your recruiting services to recruiting firms and clients, you need to know how to sell yourself and show people why they want to work with you.

4

Build your network through social networking.

As a recruiter, your job is to find people jobs so you must have a wide network of connections via a large social network. You can reach out to these connections for recommendations. Your network might have the perfect candidate for one of your job postings. To build your network, join social media websites and regularly interact with posts. Attend conferences, career fairs, and other networking events to gain additional contacts.

5

Obtain certification, such as Professional in Human Resources.

Even if you're already involved in recruiting, it doesn't hurt to obtain certification. You can find dozens of recruiting certifications available, but three of the more common options include the following:

  • Professional in Human Resources (PHR): Issued by the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI), the PHR is geared toward people who are already working in human resources and who intend to stay in this industry. It focuses on workforce planning and employment, labour relations, compensation, benefits, and risk management.
  • Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP): As one of the many certifications offered by SHRM, this one is ideal if you've been in the field for a few years. It covers HR development, business management and strategy, employee relations, and employment.
  • Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC): The Association of Canadian Search, Employment & Staffing Services (ACSESS) awards this certification, which includes an exam that concentrates on employment and labour laws.

Recruiter Career Path

Recruiter

2 - 4Years of Experience
$47K - $71K /yrAvg. Annual Salary
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Senior Recruiter

2 - 4Years of Experience
$65K - $98K /yrAvg. Annual Salary
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22% advanced to

Recruiter IV

5 - 7Years of Experience
$48K - $76K /yrAvg. Annual Salary
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Salary Trajectory

Recruiter Career Path

Recruiter I
Recruiter
Assistant Manager of Recruiting
Senior Recruiter
Recruiter Manager
Recruiter IV
Senior Manager of Recruiting
Principal Recruiter
Assistant Director of Recruiting
Associate Director of Recruiting
Director of Recruiting
Senior Director of Recruiting
$40K
$62K
$84K
$106K
$150K
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Related careers in the Human Resources Industry

Interested in other Human Resources careers? Below are occupations that have high affinity with Recruiter skills. Discover some of the most common Recruiter career transitions, along with skills overlap.

Recruitment Consultant
13% skills overlap
10% transitioned to Recruitment Consultant