A few weeks ago I shared a post on LinkedIn soliciting advice from my recruiter friends: "I have so many Recruiters in my connections who didn't actually start out in HR and/or Talent Acquisition in their early career starts. Will you please raise your hand and give one piece of advice you'd give to anyone out there looking to make it in TA/HR?"
My network understood the assignment! It was really hard to pick through all the amazing advice but here are some that I wanted to share again:
Get experience through non-traditional methods
"The thing that helped launch my HR/TA career was internships & contract opportunities! I had zero professional experience so an internship allowed me to gain just a few months of experience that made all the difference in my career trajectory. If internships aren’t an opportunity, look into potential apprenticeship programs. Better yet, get creative and create your own opportunities within your community, church, or other groups." - Adam H., Tech Recruiter
"Find a mentor and learn from them, or offer to help! I got my start by helping review resumes, do phone interviews, scheduling interviews during a period of a hiring boom!" - Tyler T., Recruiting Manager
Stay curious and become a sponge
"Understanding the market and how to improve your interview and communication skills" - Hiu Yu T., Aviation Recruiter
"I started off my following and taking notes from other recruiters. I learned the Talent Acquisition industry by connecting with people, reading more on the industry, practice on resumes and later on starting my own resume service." - Stevie W., Recruiting Manager
"Know the field you're recruiting for. Tech? Teach yourself some basic coding. Accounting? You need to have a solid grasp on what the different FNA positions do. Science? Better be able to explain the different types of QA there is in that world." -Justin H., Tech Recruiter
Dream big but don't stop there
"I use this method called "reverse engineering" with my career. I set goals as to where I want to be in a certain timeline and I work backwards to game plan and see what I need to do to get me there. It's really helped me see tangible and realistic goals to aim for and ignites motivation." - Josh K., Tech Recruiter.
"You have more transferable skills than you might think! Leverage those! And do not give up! Trust me—it is worth becoming a recruiter. From the first day I started, I have been much happier. Reach out to Recruiters on LinkedIn and see if they have any openings, or know of any!" - Benjamin F., Tech Recruiter
Do not take failure to your heart
"This might sound cliché but don't give up. Keep pushing. Keep interviewing. Keep networking. You may be getting a lot of rejections right now, but the right offer is on it's way. " -Jalonni W., Tech Recruiter
"Sometimes you may have to take one step back in order to take three steps forward, and to listen to your intuition if that's what it's telling you to do! I had to take a more entry-level role for my initial role in recruitment, which also meant taking a pay cut. At the time, I knew intuitively that it was the right step, despite it looking like something most may not be willing to do." - Larae S., Aviation Recruiter
"Every rejection is an opportunity for you to grow stronger, I for one had over 200+ rejections between the four months I was out of a job, and each one made me stronger than before." - Manzel C., Aviation Recruiter
Click here to read the original post to view all the amazing advice from my network!
