Starting in Recruitment: Will It Limit My HR Career Options Later On?

Dear All,

I am a fresh management graduate with specialization in HR. I want to ask my seniors, is it good to start my career with a recruitment firm? I have a fear in mind that I might get stuck with recruitments only. Furthermore, is it possible to switch to other functions of HR later in my career, say, after 2 years?

Please advise me.

Thanks and Regards,
Gautam

Gautam,

It is alright to start your career from a recruitment firm, but the point to keep in mind is how much time do you want to work with the same kind of profile. It is advisable not to work in recruitment for more than a year because recruitment firms do not have much to offer. You must plan firstly in which sector you want to see your career, such as Telecom, IT industry, insurance, Engineering, etc. Then accordingly, you can choose a recruitment firm providing recruitment solutions in that particular sector. This way, you can learn recruitment for the same industry, and then after gaining experience of say 8 to 10 months, you can go for a change. I was also with a recruitment firm for 6 months, and now I am working with an IT Firm as an HR Exec. Hope this will help you.

Regards, Kshama

Thank you very much for your response, Kshama. Well, I'm planning to enter the IT sector. As you mentioned the importance of planning, I intend to focus on recruitment for a year before transitioning to an HR executive role. My question is, will this transition pose any challenges when moving into other HR functions, such as HR generalist roles? Will my experience in recruitment limit my opportunities in other areas of HR?

Not at all, Gautam. The important factor is "Time"... move ahead when you realize you have enough experience. As you said that you are a fresher, at this point in your career, it is very difficult to get a profile which consists of core H.R. functions like Training & Development, Performance Appraisal, etc. So, you have to go step by step. No doubt that if one starts working in a recruitment firm, the offers he gets are mostly from recruitment firms, but it is up to you to accept them. You can place your CVs in IT firms as and when you realize that you have enough experience. Core HR functions are offered only after you understand the basic functions like recruitment, etc.

Eight months back when I started my career with a Recruitment Firm, I also had the same concern, but I kept updating my knowledge about all the HR functions & switched at the right time. Do not worry, just keep yourself updated and stick to what you have planned.

Regards,
Kshama

Hi Gautham,

As suggested by the other members, it is good to start your career in a recruitment firm. First, specify your type of industry. Once you learn about recruitment and understand how it works, you could move into other core HR functions. Gradually, you would find them interesting too. So go ahead, and good luck to you.

Dear Member,

According to me, it is absolutely okay if one does not have experience in a recruitment firm. However, one must be very sure of the industry or sector they choose. In fact, I suggest two options that could work well for you.

Firstly, you need to decide on your area in the HR department. If it is only recruitment, then yes, you need to dedicate a good amount of time. My reason for this is also dependent on the industry you wish to focus on as a recruiter. If you aim to be an IT recruiter, consider joining a consultant who specializes in IT clients.

Alternatively, if you want to be a generalist and feel like gaining experience in a recruitment firm, you should decide on your industry and be certain about the clients and openings you choose. Because once you have good experience in a particular industry, that industry will always welcome you with open arms, at least in their recruitment department. From there, you can progress to other areas of the department.

Lastly, you can directly join a company related to your preferred industry and request to be absorbed into their recruiting team. This way, you will start with a corporate team and also understand the recruitment procedures of the organization.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Reena

reflectionz2002@yahoo.com

I am really thankful to all of you for your help and valuable suggestions. Now, I am finding myself clearer about all the issues. The suggestions have really helped me become more clear and focused.

Thanks and regards,

Gautam Piplani

Dear Mr. Gautam,

If you can get into a recruitment agency, you can gain hands-on experience. While doing business with various organizations, you can learn about their recruitment strategies, expectations, and the like. So, from here, if you are going to join a regular organization, you will be able to perform better.

Regards

That really was a nice suggestion. One will come to know about the recruitment strategies and all the various IT companies, which will help later on in a career. Thanks a lot for your suggestion.

Regards,
GHFG

Based on my experience, I wouldn't recommend pursuing a career in HR or IT/non-IT recruitment. The salary packages are not attractive, and there are limited job opportunities in multinational companies compared to consultancy firms. The market is not receptive to candidates once their salary reaches 30k per month.

For those thinking of taking recruitment as a career, you may want to have a look at this article dedicated to recruitment as a profession - [Recruitment As Profession](http://recruiterslife.com/recruitment-as-profession-2/).