Can you make the move from high street to niche?
Most consultants who start their career in one of the more visible high street sectors do not carry out sufficient research into the varied opportunities recruitment can offer. Subsequently, many leave the industry or stay within a high street agency for the duration of their careers.
Why go from generalist to niche?
There are many reasons why a generalist high street recruiter would feel the need to move into a specialist niche recruiter. These tend to be:
1. Dealing with a high volume of vacancies on low fees.
The sheer volume of vacancies that high street consultants have to manage during an average day can be treble that of a niche consultant. This also means that a high street consultant can do a lot of work for very little return, as fees are lowered to compete in a competitive market.
2. High street consultants work in shop fronted offices to attract candidates that walk in from the high street.
In this environment, a consultant does not have enough hours in the day to deal with the volume of walk-in candidates, as well as everything else they have to fulfill to hit their targets.
What can a niche company offer a high street consultant?
A niche company can offer the chance to become a specialist in one market sector, to be able to work on more senior roles and have excellent mentors.
What a niche company looks for
Companies are always looking for ambitious individuals with a desire to succeed. The consultant should have genuine reasons for wanting to leave high street recruitment, as well as a passion for the chosen niche sector. These qualities will set you apart from other candidates.
How to choose the right niche company
It is important that you choose a sector you are interested in and have a desire to learn about. Talking to a rec-to-rec consultant will help you to decide. They will need to know what you enjoy about recruitment, your future goals and be able to advise on the environment and niche sector that could suit you.
You may want to explore more than one niche market before making a final choice.
Cheryl Wing