My Life as a Recruitment Consultant: Dan Roggenkamp

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.

Dan Roggenkamp specialises in recruitment for the Civil Consultancy industry in QLD. Dan has a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology) from QUT, and is also an accredited member of the RCSA (APRCSA status). He has 2 years recruitment experience, and enjoys surfing, motorbike riding, camping, traveling, gym, dancing and playing guitar.

How did you get into recruitment?

I was first introduced to recruitment mid 2008 when I decided to do a work placement at Skye Recruitment through my university degree. Part of the placement was to independently create and complete a thesis that had an organisational psychology theme. This role meant that I spent a significant amount of time on the sales floor with consultants and management staff. Upon completing my degree, I decided to apply for a consultancy position and started with Skye Recruitment in January 2009.

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

Initially the role was challenging as I had started in a industry that was struggling as a result of a poor economy and I was primarily involved in contract/temp recruitment which didn't suit my personality.

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

I like to separate my day into three blocks which involve business development (client interaction), advertising/candidate generation and administration. Business development is a priority each and every day.

What are the best parts of the job?

I find client interaction the greatest part of the role. Not only is it often the most challenging aspect, it is rewarding to be able to meet and often go beyond a client's expectations.

And which are the worst parts?
No matter what white collar industry you are in, there will always be a significant amount of administration and paper work that will be attached to that role. If I was able to divert all administration to someone else, the role would be perfect.

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

Easily the biggest mistake I made as a novice recruiter was how I would handle rejections and the word "no" from either a client or a candidate. I now encourage objections in my daily interactions. When I took a few moments to uncover the meaning of objections, I realised and was able to appreciate that an objection is just a sales opening that has become available for you to take advantage of.

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

The feedback is often varied, however there seems to be a general consensus that external recruiters can be beneficial and provide a valuable service. There is an evident differentiation in what level of agency interaction a company will perceive as being beneficial.

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

Our culture and office dynamic is built on a mixture of the European and Australian recruitment models. As consultants work in teams with the same clients, there is a sense of unity and team work that is associated with our day to day activities. As an agency, we will focus on relationship longevity with clients whereby we are encouraged from day one to ensure that all interaction has a overriding focus on quality as opposed to quantity of the product we deliver.

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

Do not consider this industry if you do not like sales and do not have clear short-term and long-term life goals. This role requires one to be self-motivated and will always provide the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. As a result, you need to ensure that you have a clear reason as to why you will be successful in this role.