Exploring Career Paths: Recruitment vs. Generalist HR - Expert Advice and Insights

Dear All,

I completed my MHRM from Kakatiya University in 2006. I have some experience in administration, and now I am considering transitioning into recruitment with a focus on IT. Many of my friends work as IT recruiters and they believe that IT Recruitment offers better career prospects and higher earnings compared to roles in generalist HR or Core HR.

Do you agree with this assessment? Could you please outline the pros and cons of pursuing a career in IT Recruitment? I would appreciate your insights and guidance on this matter.

Thank you and Regards,
Vishwanath
99 483 57827

Dear Vishwanath,

I think it is good to get into recruitment as the consulting industry is growing exponentially! It is a good career provided you have the passion for it. The exposure you get in recruitment is great. Where are you located? Do let me know your email ID and I'll let you know more about it.

Regards,
Celine

Hi friend,
I worked as an IT Recruiter in a US based Co. for 9 months and now I am working as an HR don't run after money look at your passion which really suits you. These days a graduate with comm. can become a recruiter. If you work in US recruitment process you have to work in the night shift. Try to do SAP HR it will be a good option for an MBA with some HR experience. At the end of the day its your option so be careful.
All the best for your future :D
Kalyan.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your suggestion! My email address is vishwanathsavula@hotmail.com. Please let me know more about IT Recruitment and the prospects as soon as possible. I have little time to make a decision as I have already been in admin for the past 5 months, which hasn't led me towards recruitment. Do I have possibilities to get into IT Recruitment?

Please email me at your earliest convenience.

Regards,
Vishwanath
99483 57827
Hyd

Dear Mr. Kalyan,

Thank you so much for your suggestion. What you said is right! Even a graduate can become a recruiter. I have a few more queries to be answered. Please, can you give me your contact number, personal email, and the possible timings so that I can contact you and have a little time to choose the right option?

Regards,
Vishwanath
99483 57827
Hyd

Hi Celine,

Thank you for your suggestion. Please provide me with more details about a career as an IT Recruiter and its prospects. My personal email address is vishwanathsavula@hotmail.com, and any information you can offer would be immensely helpful.

For the past 6 months, I have been working in administration where the earning potential is limited. I am uncertain whether transitioning into IT Recruitment would be a wise decision. I have received several offers from consultancy firms for an IT Recruiter role. Could you advise me on whether I should pursue domestic or international recruitment? Also, if I start with international recruiting, would it be possible to switch back to domestic recruitment in the future?

Your guidance is crucial as I have limited time to make decisions about my career. Kindly reply as soon as possible.

Regards,
Vishwanath
99 483 57 827

Hi Celine!

Thank you for your suggestion. Please provide me with more details about a career as an IT Recruiter and the prospects involved. You can reach me at my personal email address vishwanathsavula@hotmail.com. Your assistance would be immensely helpful to me.

For the past 6 months, I have been working in administration, where there is limited scope for earning. I am unsure whether transitioning to IT Recruitment would be a wise decision. I have received a couple of offers from consultancies for IT Recruiter positions. I seek your advice on how to start my career. Should I opt for domestic or international recruitment? Moreover, if I begin working in international recruitment, would it be possible to transition back to domestic recruitment?

I am in urgent need of guidance as I have limited time to make decisions about my career. Please respond as soon as possible.

Regards,
Vishwanath
99 483 57 827

Hi Vishwanath,

It's good to start as a recruiter. But remember, most of the companies have started outsourcing recruitment activities rather than employing an HR recruiter. Five years down the line, you may find yourself doing the same job, even if your position advances to a senior manager. This is because you will become a master in recruitment but may lack knowledge of other HR activities. In contrast, as an HR Generalist, you have a wide scope for learning and innovation. There is also the possibility to transition to other specific HR roles such as Training and Development, Payroll, or even a labor manager. It's better to start as an HR Generalist because it provides a broad understanding of HR activities.

Please let me know if you need any further assistance.

Best regards

Hi Gayu,

Yes! What you said is absolutely right!! :) Down the line, after 5 years, I'll be a master in recruitment. Please, could you let me know where I can make good money, either in Recruitment or in Generalist HR? If money is the criterion, then is recruitment good? :shock: I heard that recruitment is an area where we have to work for incentives (targets).... How long do I need to work on targets? :cry: Is the entire recruitment target-oriented? What is your comment? :?:

Regards,
Vishwanath
99 483 57 827

Hi Vishwanath,

If money is the criteria, HR is not your cup of tea because in any organization, HR is always paid less compared to marketing and finance. HR is a job of prestige. Remember, if you are sincere in your career, you would surely earn more money in the future because there would be a pay raise and a raise in your designation, which is obvious. Just keeping money as a criteria, freshers or any individual quits his/her education and jumps into a job without mapping their career to what they want to achieve 5 years down the line. So maybe HR generalist would not provide a great salary but a prospective future, and an HR recruiter would be given targets if he or she works in consulting companies, and incentives would be provided. However, 5 years down the line, growth would be uncertain as recruiting activities are outsourced. As a recruiter, you can join a consulting company in the future or start your own, but entry into the corporate world is unclear.

Bye

Hi Gayu,

Yes, you're right! If money is the criterion, HR may not be a cup of tea. But what I came to know is recruitment is an area where I can be paid more compared to Generalist HR and many people say recruitment is not an HR area; it falls under the category of sales and marketing. How far is it true?

Would you let me know if you are into Generalist HR, Recruitment, or any other HR specialization?

Regards, Vishwanath 99483 57827

Hi Viswanath, this is Sandhya. Even I did my MBA from K.U. If you are really interested in recruitment, consider getting into the IT field as a Recruiter. I have been working as a recruiter for 2 years now. However, before making this decision, you should think about the future. Consider how many years you can sustain yourself in this rapidly changing world as a recruiter.

Thank you.

Hi Sandya!!

Very glad to see your message. Surprised when I came to know that you are one of Kakatiya University guys... :) Could you let me know what you have learned and what your current position is in recruitment for the past two years?

Let me know what the best career opportunities are for an IT Recruiter down the line after 5 years. Can I go for corporate HR if I start my career as an IT recruiter? Or otherwise, what is the best area you would suggest for me other than Recruitment? What would you suggest?

Regards,
Vishwanath.

Hi Vishwanath,

I am also a new member of this site. I have an MBA and am interested in Recruitment, but I lack knowledge about this field. As you mentioned in your views that you are an expert in your field, could you provide some ideas on what steps I should take to start this process? Please give me some guidance on where to begin and what steps to take. If possible, kindly send an email to me at: rpdixit1@yahoo.co.in.

Regards,
R/P/Dixit

Hi, I was going through the comments and suggestions and found one peculiar comment that any graduate can be a recruiter. Well, to start with, can a graduate not be a good software engineer or a marketing professional? :D

The point is that a professional degree or diploma is no guarantee of success in that particular area. It takes three H's, i.e., Head, Heart, and Hand to be successful. Harsha Bhogle, the famous cricket commentator, is a good example; he was an IIM Ahmedabad pass out, and look where he is today.

So, my friend, if you have the will to take the challenge and interest in selling a position (yes, recruitment/resourcing is 70% selling) and the ability to interact with different people in a professional manner, then there is no reason why you should not do this.

Hi there,

I am planning to get into the HR field, but I don't have an exact idea about what an HR executive does or the difference between an HR executive and an HR generalist. Once I get into HR, I don't want to jump from one place to another because I am coming from a different background of work experience. So, I would like to get into the HR field where I can learn and grow in terms of money as well as designation. I am not looking for a job in HR, but rather I am looking for a career in HR.

I don't want any mental pressure of targets, as it is mentioned in your mail here. I want to work in day shifts (no night shift).

Please, can anybody help me out?

Thank you,
Rekha
[Login to view]

Dear Rekha,

Thank you for your email, but I did not understand what you were trying to convey. Please write more clearly.

R/P/Dixit

Hi Rekha!

I just saw your message, and I really appreciate your interest in getting into HR. Can you let me know about your previous work experience?

Dear Vishwa,

I think you are much more concerned about money than your career.

I think Kalyan has handled the core recruitment all along, as he mentioned that he was working in a recruitment firm. I believe he would have used job portals for headhunting. Let me share some facts about recruitment.

Working on job portals requires real concentration and a great deal of patience to identify the perfect profile that others may overlook.

It demands extensive knowledge and logical thinking.

When it comes to the interviewing phase, the real work begins. You need to extract the maximum potential from the candidate. If the candidate is a fresher, they might be hesitant to talk, so you must make them feel comfortable to bring out their best abilities.

Dealing with senior profiles is equally challenging. It requires great tolerance. When you call them for an interview, they might cite important meetings, and continuous calling is not advisable as they are usually occupied. Sometimes, even after my office hours end at 7:00 pm, I have to wait until 9:30 pm or 10:00 pm to reach out to senior-level individuals for interviews.

Keep all this in mind when you are deciding on your career. HR is an intriguing field where each requirement exposes you to various industries. The monetary aspect can be rewarding as your incentives may sometimes surpass double or triple your salary, but it all comes down to working smart.

Wishing you the very best for your career.

Regards,

Rupa

Dear Rupa,

I really thank you for your kind response, which helped me a lot. I do admit the fact that my message seems to be concerned with money rather than my career. Now, I apologize for failing to communicate exactly what I wanted to. Please go through it and give me your valuable suggestions.

Most companies like Google, Dell, Oracle, and other MNCs are offering HR Executive/Associate positions to individuals who have at least one year of experience in recruitment. Nowadays, almost all the top domestic companies are looking to recruit HR experts with exposure to recruitment. What is your opinion on this statement? Let me provide you with a real example. Recently, one of my friends received an offer from HCL as an Executive - HR. She has around 8 months of experience in ITES Recruitment and is now planning to move to IBM.

Therefore, I am considering starting my career as an IT/ITES recruiter, gaining one year of experience (possibly two years if time allows), and then aiming to move to companies like Dell, Deloitte, or elsewhere.

Kindly reply and guide me in the right direction to fulfill my aspirations.

Regards,

Vishwanath Savula

0 99483 57827 (Hyd)

Hi all!

I am doing MBA (HR) from ICFAI University (distance learning) and about to finish it by Jan '08.

I got a job recently as a Recruiter in a consultancy firm. On understanding the job profile, I'm feeling very nervous... it seems to be very challenging! They told me that I will have to search job portals, databases, and also use my own contacts. It is target-based! I'm comfortable with searching in job portals, etc., but what about contacts? They said I would have to end up building a rapport with the peons too to get in touch with the managers.

All my confidence has gone down the drain after listening to all this! I need guidance. Can any of you please tell me how tough it is going to be? What is this recruitment process all about and how challenging is the job? I don't think I have any other option as I want to be in the HR field. I spoke to some people in the related field, and they told me that if I want to get set in the HR field, then this experience in Recruitment is essential.

Please help me!

IT/ITES recruitment process requirements are different. I have worked for a few months in Dell and Wipro BPO. Do you think I should apply for a position as an ITES recruiter? Would it be easier for me then? I believe I can understand the ITES requirements better. But which one is tougher: to get candidates for ITES or other roles? Additionally, I read in an article that as a recruiter, you should get hold of candidates "BY ANY MEANS." What are these means? How difficult will that be?

Hi Kalyan,

Your suggestion looks perfect to me. I have been in recruitment for a couple of years and have also completed SAP (HR), although not from a reputable institute.

Could you please provide your email ID or, if possible, your mobile number so that we can discuss in detail at a time convenient for you?

This is Devyani from New Delhi signing off for now.

Email: jpn@spanconsult.com

Dear Friends,

I am working in Dubai as an Assistant HR Manager in a contracting company. My responsibility is to recruit and develop the organization's human resources. I am performing well in my role, but I am not satisfied with my work. I need more ideas for recruitment in IT, Manufacturing, Contracting, Natural Resources fields, and Trading. Could you guide me on the best ideas and policies for recruitment, please?

If someone wants to contact me, my email ids are skriyaz786@yahoo.co.in or Shaikhriyaz786@hotmail.com.

Riyaz