Are you inspired to become a matchmaker for employers and job seekers? Helping people connect to the right job can be your dream job too. So think about becoming a recruiter!
Getting a college degree will be the first step to starting your career as a recruiter. Beyond having a degree, having the right soft skills is essential to success. Being a people person is the primary qualification for this rewarding career which can pay a median salary of $60,350 per year.
The star of our video, Angela Mayhew, is a Senior Recruiter at FabFitFun, a fashion subscription service based in Los Angeles. She received her bachelor’s degree in Communications/Journalism from St. John Fisher College. Like most recruiters, Angela’s journey to her current position has had a few steps along the way.
Since there is no defined career pathway to becoming a recruiter, you can blaze your own trail with the right combination of skills and knowledge.
Here are four facts that can lead you to become a recruiter:
- There is not one specific college degree required to be a recruiter, but a degree helps big time. Some of the most common bachelor’s degrees held by recruiters are in the following fields: psychology, business, journalism, human resources, and sociology.
- These are the most important skills required to be a fantastic recruiter: customer service, communication skills, organizational skills, applicant tracking systems & software, and decision-making skills.
- Often the path to becoming a recruiter begins with a different job. These are the five most common first jobs recruiters held before making the jump: sales, operations, administrative, support, and research.
- These are the top five industries that recruiters work in (percent of total occupation): Administrative & Support & Remediation Services (19.6%), Employment Services (16%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (12.6%), Government (12.5%) and Health care & Social Assistance (10.4%).
