Trainee Recruitment Consultant

SmithCorp; Exeter; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading education recruitment firm in the UK seeks recent graduates for a trainee recruitment role. You'll receive extensive training and be part of a meritocratic team where everyone has started as a trainee. Candidates should possess strong communication skills and resilience to thrive in a competitive environment. The office culture celebrates achievements with perks such as reward trips and daily breakfast.

Benefits

Reward trips including Las Vegas

High performance and promotion meals

Free breakfast provided every day

Hot desking

Great office Spotify playlist

Qualifications

• Recent graduate with a 2:1 or above in any subject.
• Experience in hospitality or non-recruitment sales is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support through a 26-week training program.
• Build meaningful relationships with clients and candidates.
• Carve out your market in a competitive education sector.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Resilience

Positive attitude

Education

2:1 or above in any subject

Job description

We are the fastest growing education recruitment company in the UK, and the 6th fastest growing of any sector. Impressive enough, but even more so when you consider we established over 20 years ago, in 2004.

We are able to maintain that level of growth and progress because of the quality of our consultants - and as we grow again in 2026 we are looking for our next intake of trainees.

You’ll be…

• …in good company as we are a true meritocracy; every single member of our team (including all of the Directors) started with us as a trainee, with no prior recruitment experience. Unlike companies who parachute in senior staff, you will be able to relate to every single person around you - knowing they have been exactly where you are.
• …supported through a 26 week training programme, guiding you through every stage of the recruitment process.
• …in an office of high achievers where in the last financial year over 25% of the sales team earned more than 100k.

Recruitment is just relationships, and so we are looking for people with great verbal and written communication skills, and the positive attitude and personality to build rapport and meaningful business partnerships with our clients and candidates.

Relationships are not built overnight, and the trainee role is a demanding one - it requires resilience and persistence to carve out your market and client space in what is a highly competitive and challenging education sector. You need to be willing to learn, open to new ideas, and demonstrate the characteristic sweet spot of a precocious impatience to progress your career, allied with the patient realism to understand that nothing worth having comes easily.

The rewards are not just financial - it's a stimulating, vibrant sales office, and you would be part of a sociable team who understand that hard work should be celebrated and rewarded. Perks include:

• …reward trips; recently including Las Vegas, The BRIT Awards, and Royal Ascot
• …high performance and promotion meals at the best restaurants across Devon and Cornwall
• …free breakfast provided each day
• …hot desking, sitting around different people to learn from and network with
• …arguably the best office Spotify playlist ever heard

If you are a recent graduate with a 2:1 or above in any subject, or have experience in a hospitality or non-recruitment sales role, we would love to hear from you.

Send us your CV with a covering letter detailing why you are considering a career in recruitment, and let's arrange a call.