Recruitment Consultant Review

I have really enjoyed my placement. I was treated like a permanent member of staff from the moment I walked through my door on my first day with talk of a future career with Hays once I have graduated.

I always felt valued by my colleagues throughout my placement year. I was never treated differently to the other, permanent members of staff in my office, with some colleagues not even realizing I was an intern until I told them. I built up a good rapport with colleagues in other offices as well as my own through travelling to different offices in the local area

I was given a good level of support and guidance by all of the management staff in my office as well as my supervisor. During the beginning of my placement, I was given a lot of guidance but once I was confident in what I was doing, I was able to get on with running my desk myself, with my supervisor and other members of my team available for support as when it was needed

No one day is the same at Hays. My days varied depending on the market conditions but typically I would be making Business Development calls to secure jobs, calling existing candidates to catch up with regards to their job search, meeting and registering new candidates and meeting both new and existing clients

Throughout my placement I was given the responsibility of running my own desk but I was also given various projects to work on, which related to my sector, which I really enjoyed.

Hays have helped me develop a lot of my skills but in particular, organisation. Because no one day is ever the same at Hays, you have to be able to keep on top of everything that is going on. I recruited into the NHS, which meant I also had a lot of admin to keep on top of and ensure that everything was done on time. Learning to stay organised and on top of everything in a very fast paced role is going to help me be able to juggle all of my coursework when I go back to university

Throughout my placement I had the opportunity to work in two offices, one slightly larger and one which was quite a small team with only three specialisms. In both offices, everyone was always busy and you would be able to hear people on the phone. There were quiet periods such as Christmas when a lot of people were off but overall it was a generally busy atmosphere. There was a lot of camaraderie within both offices, which helped contribute to a positive atmosphere in the office

The organisation of my overall internship was good. From the moment I was offered the position, I knew which desk I would be working on and who my manager would be. When I started, one of the managers in my office went through the training manual and explained what would happen over my first 12 weeks so nothing was a surprise

Hays invest a lot in their staff and interns are no different, with not only on the job training but dedicated training sessions with experts. In my 6th week at Hays, I went to London for a 3 day intensive training course with other interns, which really helped me to feel confident in the job I was doing

There are really good employment prospects within Hays. Hays have a culture where hard work is rewarded and you don't have to wait for someone to leave to be promoted. Instead you will work with your manager and be given realistic promotional targets to reach within a certain time.

There was a big range of social events at Hays, from drinks with the office after a good period and spontaneous team drinks to the annual summer and Christmas parties, where all of the offices in the East of England come together.

I was lucky enough to live at home during my placement year so my cost of living was relatively low

There were plenty of bars etc. within walking distance of the office

There was often something going on