My Life as a Recruitment Consultant: Craig Trevithick

Welcome to the next instalment 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.

Craig Trevithick specialises in recruitment for the Mining industry in QLD. Craig is degree qualified, and an accredited member of the RCSA (APRCSA status). He has 4+ years recruitment experience, and enjoys travel, reading, golf, soccer, snowboarding and, in his own words, "nearly any sport except synchronised swimming".

How did you get into recruitment?

I actually started in recruitment through a recommendation from my girlfriend, who was working as the HR advisor for a engineering company, and felt that I had a lot of qualities in common with the recruiters she successfully dealt with on a regular basis.

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

To be honest, not as difficult as I thought to begin with. I have always been good at dealing with people. Understanding more about the sector I recruit for is always an ongoing challenge but, saying that, I find that the more and more I talked to candidates and clients the better I became at recruiting for them.

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

In my role there are multiple things that I am required to do on a day to day basis, such as liaising with clients, interviewing candidates, putting them forward to suitable positions, providing feedback to both clients and candidates throughout the interview process, performing reference checks, maintaining connection with placed candidates to ensure a successful and smooth placement. writing ads, networking, and client meetings.

What are the best parts of the job?

Constantly dealing with people, as I like interacting with people from all walks of life. Helping them fill or find a new role is a positive, but the main part of the role that I enjoy is the interaction I have with both my clients and candidates.

And which are the worst parts?

Unfortunately, clients and candidates often misunderstand the recruitment industry, and the general misconception that we will do anything to make a placement is usually a frustrating barrier I have to overcome.

I take a lot of pride in the work I do. I believe that my job is to find the best role for my candidate, and the best candidate for my clients. If I only look at trying to push candidates or clients, I will never have much of a future within recruitment. Saying that, I am amazed that I get as much initial resistance from both clients and candidates when my main duty is to help both parties.

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

The first candidate that I had out on interview... for some reason I believed that he was only working with me, and just interviewing with my client. When he received an offer from my client I was amazed that he was also looking at 2 other offers from other companies at that same time, as he had not mentioned anything to me. Now I am quite blunt in gathering that information. It never affects how I work with candidates, but now I find having more insight helps me with the process, and there are less nasty surprises at the offer stage.

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

I believe I have mentioned this previously. It is quite strange that candidates sometimes believe that we are just trying to get a fee from placing them, so we will say and do anything to get that, and also that clients can believe the same. If I recruited in that fashion I would have a bad name with my candidates and clients, and since I recruit in a 'talent short market' it will only take a few bad referrals to close a market for me. It is never in the recruiter's best interest to do a bad job for either client or candidate in the hope to get a placement.

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

I believe I differ in a few aspects. I know that any good recruiter can talk to people, but what makes me different is that I am persistent, I know that time kills all deals, and I will do what I can to make sure that my candidate is given the best opportunity to get the role they will love and that my client will get the opportunity to employ the right candidate with both the skills and the fit that is in line with their business.

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

If you a person that likes the ups and downs in life, loves a challenge, and wants to be rewarded directly for the hard work you put in then this is the job for you. If you want a job that is safe and dull.... steer clear of recruitment!