Recruitment Consultant Review

I really enjoyed my placement year. I thought it was very insightful and I got a good taste for the proper working life. I work in an office, in the Centre of Manchester alongside a brilliant team who are there to assist with every question I have. I would definitely recommend this placement year to any student looking to get a feel for an office environment.

I felt very valued by my colleagues and they were able to assist with any questions I have. Because we sit so closely, any questions are answered pretty much immediately and help is always on hand. I am treated as one of the team, and not as an intern and I am able to join in on all the team activities.

Me and my supervisor have regular monthly meetings to discuss my progress and my targets for the next month. We are able to chat about what went well and what didn't so that I can take a proactive approach to the next months' work. There is a strong management team who are always willing to guide and assist me on the placement year.

Busyness varied on a daily basis. Some days there aren't many jobs to recruit for, however I spent my days doing personal admin and getting to grips with my immediately available candidates and catching up with clients. However, most days were very busy and I would have to priorities tasks to make sure I used my time effectively.

I was given very high levels of responsibility. I have to meet candidates and clients alone and I am classed as a fee earner. I have as much responsibility as all the other members of the team and we do the same duties in the role, regardless of me being an intern. I am allowed to go and meet clients alone and fill jobs accordingly.

I have developed excellent communication skills and have become more confident on the phone speaking to people. Enhanced communication skills will help me at University during group presentations and I will be more confident speaking with people I'm not familiar with. I have also gained professional skills from working in a professional environment - these will help in future employment.

The general atmosphere was good! There is always a constant buzz about the office as people are always on the phone. It is never quiet. There is also a very good social life as well and people love to go out after work. There is a strong 'work hard play hard' vibe in the office.

The internship was very well structured and organised. There was constant training on offer and I could get involved with any training programmes on offer to the perm consultants here. I was introduced to more and more responsibility as the year progressed to eventually making my own placements and adding to the team fees each month.

The company has definitely invested a lot of their time into training me. I have gone from not even knowing what recruitment is, to fully understanding the process and placing people into jobs. They allow you to go on a week training program in London/Birmingham which is fully expensed which I believe is an excellent opportunity as an Intern.

Very appealing. They present a returner bonus for if we join after University and fast-track to recruitment consultant which is coupled with better bonuses and commission. They encourage us to come back to work for them and will accommodate for any requirements that we have. We are also able to work part time during our third year as well.

Yes. All the interns were very close and would regularly go out after work hours. I had my lunch most days with the two other girls on placement and have realised they go to University in the same City as me. As a result, we will hopefully continue to see each other and go out post-placement.

With the placement being based in the centre of Manchester (Piccadilly Gardens), prices are as you'd expect. There are lots of express shops which are standard prices and many other options you can get lunch from. Living costs depend on the area you live in. My salary comfortably covers living costs and I don't struggle to afford things.

With the Placement being based in the Centre of Manchester, the night life is incredible. Plenty of bars, restaurants and clubs in the area suiting for a range of types of nights. The Northern Quarter and Spinningfields are just around the corner and it is good to get recommendations from the people who work at Hays who may know the area better than you.

If you organised activites yourself then yes, people tended to be up for doing things. In terms of work organised activities, there wasn't much really going on. We have the Christmas social which is really good fun. However, with working until 6pm, there isn't much organised for after work and at weekends. I'm not sure what I would want/wouldn't want them to organise.