In our latest Recruitment Careers series, we look at the importance of choosing the right market sector to recruit within and how this impacts your success as a recruiter.

Recruitment careers are great if you are an ambitious and driven individual. You can become successful very quickly because you can build your own mini business. It’s exciting, challenging and rewarding all rolled into one.

However, in our experience, the market you choose to specialise in impacts your success. Why? Well, like with anything in life, the more interest you have in something, the more motivated you will be to learn, talk about it and in recruitment sell it.

Recruitment careers involve engaging with people every day about the industry they work in. If you don’t have an interest in this, it would be like sitting with a group of people who are talking about a topic you don’t understand, have no interest or opinion of and ultimately become bored.

You cannot see recruitment careers as a job, a means to an end as if you do, you will not succeed. Therefore, if you’re thinking about a recruitment career, choose to recruit within an industry that interests you, one that you can connect with people.

1. YOU’VE BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY FOR A LONG TIME, IN YOUR OPINION, WHY DO YOU THINK CHOOSING A NICHE MARKET IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR RECRUITMENT CAREER?

When you work a niche market all your activity ties in together – every candidate you speak to could be suitable for more than just the one vacancy you initially had in mind for them. The leads you gain from them can generate vacancies which are suitable for the other similar Candidates you have on your books.

Also, I believe it’s best to have a clear identity – by stating that you specialise in a market you gain instant credibility. You’re seen as an industry expert, someone that can offer help, advice and knowledge.

2. YOU SEEM REALLY INTERESTED AND PASSIONATE ABOUT THE MARKET YOU RECRUIT FOR, DO YOU THINK THIS IS A BIG FACTOR WHEN DECIDING ON THE MARKET YOU WANT TO RECRUIT FOR?

If you don’t have an interest in the vertical market you’ll get bored and it’ll become more of a chore. Both Clients and Candidates will pick up on this.

3. YOU CHANGED THE MARKET YOU RECRUIT FOR PARTWAY THROUGH YOUR RECRUITMENT CAREER, WHY WAS THIS?

Although I had an interest in my market, I found that from the activity I was putting in I wasn’t getting the results I was hoping for or expecting. This was mainly down to that particular market lacking urgency – they could normally divide the workload amongst other staff until the perfect candidate came along.

4. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT MARKET TO RECRUIT FOR?

Find something that interests you, research it, find out the demand for Candidates in that market, and who your competition would be. If it looks like you can reach or exceed target after crunching a few numbers then it’s worth looking into further.

For example, when I decided my original market wasn’t bringing the results I wanted I researched into other areas. After a conversation with someone in the office, the Injection Moulding & Plastics industry looked promising. Not only did the numbers add up but the technical and scientific side to the roles I’d be recruiting for was something that fascinated me and I wanted to know more. The rest, as they say, is history, I haven’t looked back since.

5. ONCE YOU’VE DECIDED ON YOUR MARKET, HOW DO YOU DEVELOP YOUR KNOWLEDGE TO GAIN YOUR REPUTATION AND CREDIBILITY LIKE YOU MENTIONED?

By speaking to Candidates, watching videos on YouTube, and by going on Client visits. You’ll start to pick up things and if you don’t understand something look it up and learn about it, after all, if it interests you, learning about it will be easier.

6. HAVE YOU GOT ANY OTHER ADVICE FOR THOSE THINKING ABOUT WHICH MARKET THEY SHOULD RECRUIT WITHIN?

Look at it as your own business, and make a business plan. Preparation is vital!

In conclusion…

To summarise, pick a market that interests you but do your research to ensure it will bring the results you want, keep developing your knowledge online and through client and candidate conversation and plan to ensure your success.

What Next?

There you are, an introduction to the importance of choosing your market within recruitment. If you have any questions on this, don’t hesitate to contact us.

If you think you’d like to work for ASC, find out more about working here and if the markets we recruit for would be of interest to you.

If you have any questions about this, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Find out more about working here and if the markets we recruit for would be of interest to you.

Rebecca Crowther is a Marketing Executive for ASC Connections. Her love for writing started when she was young. In her current role, she loves creating content to support candidates on their career journey and help clients hire talented individuals.