Recruitment Consultant Review

Really challenging but hugely rewarding with regards to the training / person development this job gives you. I would definitely recommend a recruitment placement to any one who is looking to work hard and develop themselves both personally and professionally. It's certainly not for the feint hearted!

My team is amazing; I don't feel like an intern here but a valued member in the teams. Everyone makes a conscious effort to make you feel welcome and comfortable straight away. Definitely the best thing about working at Hays is the support that is given from both your colleagues and your managers, there's a very tangible positive ethos in the office.

Every day is a challenge but it's made more achievable by the strong level of support given across the board. You literally sit right next to your line manager who is always there to coach you and let you know how to improve. My manager has made a real effort to develop me as much as possible. Sometimes this can feel quite daunting because you have to learn to be very honest and constructive with yourself when things go wrong, but if you're looking for a placement year that will bring out the best in you - this is it.

Every day is super busy and I have stayed later than working hours on more than one occasion to make sure I've got everything sorted for the next day. This can upset your work life balance sometimes but personally I think the purpose of a placement year is to challenge you and teach you to work hard. Busy days also make the days go quicker which is great and learning to navigate a fast-paced role puts you in a good position to get a good job later on.

They give you loads of responsibility straight away, but your manager is always there to keep you on the straight and narrow is why I gave a 9 rather than a 10. You are essentially doing the same job as all the other consultants who work there in a permanent capacity. You have your own bank of candidates who you work with on a daily basis and you a responsible for your business developments calls, compliance process, and aftercare. You will learn a great deal of management skills in this role.

The days here and long and challenging so I've definitely developed a much stronger work ethic than I had previously. University can make you very lethargic and quite lazy which is why I'd definitely recommend a placement year to everyone because it gets you out of that rut. I am now in a far better position to move into a successful career earlier than some of my friends who didn't do a placement year. Definitely go for it, you'll regret it if you don't!

Really fast-paced and competitive, but friendly competition. We have Blitz Days where we play games and have loads of cake / snacks to encourage everyone to really go for it and bill as much as possible. There's loads of team incentives, we've recently been to Bounce, bowling, comedy nights, and dinners out. We also get free drinks at the pub whenever we hit target and that's always great fun. Everyone's super close and knows how to function as a team and that's really encouraging.

Hays has been running internships for a while now so they know what they're doing. It's very clearly structured with regular reviews with your manager, an intense training scheme and clear targets for you to hit each period. I was very happy with the level of communication I received running up to my start date - not too much that I felt badgered but enough so that I didn't feel lost.

Hays designed the internship programme with the expectation that those who complete it successfully will likely come back to work here permanently. As such, they invest a lot in your training and development to put you in the best position to do so. You are running your own desk here, which is like your own business within a business, so they need to train you properly to make sure you can handle it. It's definitely one of the best features here.

Very appealing, Hays has a vey fast career progression and huge financial rewards for those who work hard enough so that's always a bonus! I'm really going to miss my team when I leave so it would be good knowing I could come into my graduate role surrounded by a team who I am already very comfortable with. This year has flown by, it's a great internship and I currently work with other consultants who have gone through the internship as well and come back.

Amazing social scene here. The work / life balance can be somewhat difficult here sometimes because it is a challenging role, but you can be sure that whenever you want / need a stiff beverage at the end of a long day, there will always be someone else who needs on too! I've spent loads of time going out with colleagues here as well as meeting up with other interns. It's certainly a work hard - play hard culture here!

Very expensive, it's London Victoria. But it's worth it. The social life here is ten times what you get at university, but I would recommend putting some money aside from your part / time summer job to give you a little boost. In any case there's always happy hours and deals you can explore, and Time Out magazine always let's you know the free things going on in London every week.

Nothing compares, I love the social life here. You can hop on the tube and go anywhere you fancy, and the night tube has made that a lot easier too. There's such an eclectic mix in London, you meet so many different people within on bar it's amazing. Don't go for a placement year in any other city than this one; London is Open, come join!

We have team incentives and social evenings quite a lot. I've already mentioned bowling, Bounce and comedy evenings. We've also had our fair share of lunches / dinners out which is really great. Recently we went to a pub quiz and gave a shocking performance but had a lot of laughs doing it. I'm rarely home in time for tea, there's always something to do!