A recruiter finds people for open jobs, checks if they fit, and guides them through interviews until they accept an offer. Companies also call this job "talent acquisition". It suits people who like talking to strangers, can handle a lot of rejection, and can keep many tasks in order at the same time.

What employers ask for

Recruiting is a large part of all People & HR jobs. Most open recruiting jobs are in the United States, and the UK, Germany, India and Canada also have many. Senior jobs are more common than entry jobs, but entry jobs exist. Remote, hybrid and onsite jobs are all common, and many postings do not say which one they are.

The skills that appear most often are applicant tracking (ATS), full-cycle recruiting and candidate sourcing. LinkedIn Recruiter, Greenhouse, employer branding and stakeholder management are also common. Certifications such as SHRM and CIPD are rare in job ads.

For pay, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics gives a median of $75,940 a year for HR specialists in May 2025 (checked October 2026). That group includes recruiters, but also many other HR roles. In job ads that show a salary, pay grows clearly from entry to senior and manager level.

Step-by-step: how to get in

1. Choose your path: agency or in-house. An agency recruiter works for many client companies. The work is close to sales: you find clients and candidates, and you are often measured on placements. An in-house recruiter works for one company and its hiring managers. Agency jobs are often easier to get without experience. In-house jobs often pay a steady salary and give you more time per role.

1. Learn the full cycle. "Full-cycle recruiting" is one of the most common requirements in recruiting jobs. It means you own every step: you agree the job brief with the hiring manager, write the ad, source and screen candidates, run the interview process, make the offer and close it. Learn each step and be ready to explain it in an interview.

1. Learn one ATS well. An applicant tracking system (ATS) stores candidates and moves them through the hiring stages. Applicant tracking is among the skills employers name most often. Greenhouse and Ashby are names you see often. If you already work in a company that uses an ATS, ask for access.

1. Practise sourcing. Sourcing means finding people who have not applied. You search LinkedIn, GitHub, professional groups and old candidate lists. Many jobs ask for LinkedIn Recruiter. Practise writing short, personal first messages. Track how many people answer you. Good numbers here make a strong interview story.

1. Get a first role. Common entry titles are Recruiting Coordinator, Talent Acquisition Coordinator, Sourcer, Associate Recruiter and Talent Acquisition Specialist. Students in Germany can look for "Werkstudent Recruiting" jobs, which are part-time jobs for students. Some companies also hire interns in talent acquisition. Coordinator jobs schedule interviews and handle candidate admin. They teach you the process before you own roles.

1. Add a certification if your market values it. This step is optional. In the US, the SHRM-CP is for people in operational HR roles. The exam has 134 questions (24 of them do not count to the score) and 220 minutes of testing time at a Prometric test centre. The fees are $350 (early bird) or $399 (standard) for SHRM members and $450 or $499 for non-members. Students pay $150–$299 (checked October 2026). The early bird price includes a $50 non-refundable application fee, and the standard price also includes a $49 non-refundable standard deadline fee. In the UK, CIPD offers qualifications at three levels: the Foundation Certificate (level 3), the Associate Diploma in People Management (level 5) and the Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management (level 7).

1. Build a short record of results. For your first job search, keep a one-page list. Write down how many roles you helped fill, how many candidates you screened, and what changed because of your work. Recruiting managers hire on results they can check.

Entry level

At entry level you support other recruiters or own easy, high-volume roles. You schedule interviews, screen CVs, make first phone calls and keep the ATS clean.

What employers ask for at this level: good written English, fast and careful admin, knowledge of one ATS, and basic Excel. Next, learn to take a job brief from a hiring manager and to source candidates yourself. These two skills move you to a full recruiter role.

Mid level

At mid level you own full-cycle recruiting for a set of roles. You talk to hiring managers directly, push back when the brief is not realistic, and close offers. Some mid-level jobs pay by the hour instead of a yearly salary.

Many mid-level recruiters choose a field. Technical recruiting (software and engineering roles) is a common one, and "Technical Recruiter" is a frequent job title. To recruit engineers, you need to understand the main job types, the tools they use and how they talk about their work. You do not need to code. Next, learn stakeholder management and how to use hiring data: how many people pass each stage, where you lose them, and why.

Senior level

Senior recruiters own hard roles, such as senior engineers, executives, or roles that nobody could fill. They also advise leaders on the hiring plan. Senior jobs are the largest group of recruiting jobs by level.

What changes: employers now ask for workforce planning and employer branding. Workforce planning means helping leaders decide how many people to hire, in which teams and when. Employer branding means how the company presents itself to candidates, for example the careers page and job ads.

Above senior level are staff, lead and manager roles, such as "Recruiting Manager" or "Head of Talent Acquisition". These roles pay the most. Managers hire and train recruiters, choose tools such as the ATS and HRIS (an HR information system, for example Workday), and report hiring results to company leaders.

Differences by country

United States. Most recruiting jobs are in the US. Certification is usually voluntary, but some employers prefer or require it, and SHRM is the name that appears in job ads. The BLS expects HR specialist jobs to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 73,700 openings each year.

United Kingdom. CIPD is the common HR qualification. If you join an agency, know the basic rules. An agency cannot charge work-seekers a fee for finding them work. It must give workers a key information document and its terms before it starts to look for work for them. UK law also treats an "employment agency" (it introduces people to employers) and an "employment business" (it employs temporary workers and supplies them to clients) as two different models. The body that checks these rules, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, has been replaced by the Fair Work Agency.

Germany. Many German recruiting jobs are written in German, and student jobs use the "Werkstudent" title. Check the language of the ad before you apply.

Common mistakes

• Learning theory but no ATS. Applicant tracking is one of the most common requirements in recruiting jobs. A candidate who has worked in Greenhouse, Ashby or Workday can start faster.
• Sending the same message to every candidate. Many jobs ask for sourcing, and employers check the quality of your outreach. A message that names the person's real work gets more answers.
• Calling yourself "full-cycle" when you only screened CVs. Interviewers will ask about a hard offer you closed or a brief you changed. Be clear about which steps you owned.
• Only applying for "Recruiter" titles. Coordinator, sourcer and talent acquisition specialist jobs are common ways in. Search for all of them.
• Paying for an exam the employer does not ask for. Few job ads mention SHRM or CIPD. Get a certification when your target employers or your country value it.
• Ignoring the hiring manager. Many jobs ask for stakeholder management. A recruiter who agrees the brief early fills roles faster than one who only sends CVs.

FAQ

Do I need a degree to become a recruiter? In the US, the BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry path for HR specialists, the group that includes recruiters. Many agency and coordinator jobs focus more on communication and sales skills, so a degree helps but is not the only way in.

Do I need a certification to work as a recruiter? Usually not. Certification for HR specialists is usually voluntary, but some employers prefer or require it. Only a small share of open recruiting jobs mention SHRM or CIPD.

How much do recruiters earn? The BLS gives a median of $75,940 a year for HR specialists in May 2025 (checked October 2026). That group includes recruiters and other HR roles. Pay grows clearly with level, and senior and manager roles pay much more than entry roles.

Can a recruiter work remotely? Often, yes. Remote, hybrid and onsite recruiting jobs are all common. Many postings do not state the workplace type, so check each ad.

What is the difference between agency and in-house recruiting? An agency recruiter fills roles for many client companies and is often paid partly on placements. An in-house recruiter works for one employer and fills its own roles. In the UK, an agency cannot charge the job seeker a fee for finding them work.

What software should a new recruiter learn? An applicant tracking system first. Open jobs often name Greenhouse, LinkedIn Recruiter and Ashby, plus Excel and Workday.