My Life as a Recruitment Consultant: Jamie Holden

Welcome to the third installment of our series "My Life as a Recruitment Consultant", where we give you the chance to meet our team, and also find out more about the day to day life of Recruitment Consultants.

Jamie Holden is a Consultant specialising in Civil Consultancy recruitment for QLD. Jamie has a double degree in International Business and Commerce, and is an accredited member of the RCSA (APRCSA status). He has just over 3 years recruitment experience , and when he's not at work he enjoys soccer, playing games, and spending time with friends and family.

How did you get into recruitment?

I was doing work experience in the HR department of an engineering consultancy and they mentioned recruitment as a great way to gain good experience straight out of uni. There were a couple of ex-recruiters working with the company who spoke to me about what the job involved, and it sounded very interesting so I decided to pursue a role in recruiting.

How easy or difficult did you find it to pick up the basics of the recruitment role?

Picking up the basics is quite easy and all it takes is a few days training and you can get on the phones in no time. Recruitment is a challenging and dynamic role that actually has a lot more to it than the basics though. It is only through experience that you learn how to do the entire role. Even then, the industry is always changing and there is always something new to learn.

What sort of things do you do on a day to day basis?

Recruitment is a varied role with a lot of different aspects. On a day to day basis the role involves business development, candidate generation, speaking to job-searchers, speaking with clients, writing advertisements, completing reference checks, reviewing job applications and arranging interviews.

What are the best parts of the job?

The best part of the job is arranging interviews and assisting people in finding their ideal job. It is also very rewarding when you can find a perfect candidate for a client that they have been needing for a long time.

And which are the worst parts?

The worst part of the job is informing candidates that they were not successful in their application and also informing clients that candidates have accepted another position. Completing administration tasks is also another aspect that is never fun.

What was the biggest mistake you made as a novice recruiter, and how did you deal with it?

There were no major mistakes that I can remember making. Most of my mistakes were based around not getting a full and clear understanding of what is required and then not getting a good match between job opportunity and candidate. I managed to deal with this by ensuring that I am always asking the right questions and making sure I get a good understanding of what both clients and candidates are looking for.

How do you think the recruitment industry is perceived by our clients and candidates?

I think a lot of clients are coming to realise that we are an important aspect to their business success. There are certain candidates that are very hard to find and they are very valuable to a business. Searching for the right person can be very costly for a company and clients can spend a lot of time with limited success. Having someone that is a specialist recruiter with contacts throughout the industry and that is able to provide the required candidate will save clients a lot of time and hassle.

Candidates also see recruitment consultants as valuable as we are specialists in our field and able to explore multiple opportunities to find the right role for them. We already are in contact with the right people and are fully up to date with the market. This saves candidates a lot of time by having a recruiter do a lot of the hard work for them.

How do you differ from your competitors in the same field?

I try to ensure that I am always providing the best service to both clients and candidates by working effectively and efficiently at all times. I try to gain a clear understanding of what both clients and candidates are looking for to ensure that I am not wasting anyone's valuable time.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career in recruitment?

Be prepared to work hard. Success does not come easy but it is definitely there for those willing to put in the effort. It is a challenging and exciting role that never gets boring.