I was fresh out of college and ready to change the world. I was a Political Science major and applying for everything and anything related to that field. But I wasn't having much luck. I branched out to other entry-level jobs in the mortgage industry, banking, insurance, anything. OK...some job offers but not all that exciting and the money was just above poverty level.

Maybe a Recruiter can help me? I call in to a firm and the Recruiter profiles me and asks if I ever thought about doing what they did. Nope, I never had, I answer. An interview, an offer of a commission-based job, and away I go to never look back again. I'm a Recruiter. I had no idea what that meant.

17 years later and I own a successful Search Firm with a team of Recruiters. I have seen my share of Recruiters come and go from the industry. Its an extremely tough job but it also can be very rewarding. So, when someone tells me they want to be a Recruiter this is what I tell them:

THE GOOD

*  Truly unlimited income potential. The spectrum ranges from the Recruiters that make $40,000/year (or less) to a handful (50+ nationwide) that bill a million bucks a year. 

*  You are paid for results. Unlike other jobs, if the guy sitting next to you is skating by, slacking, or simply not as good as you at the job it will reflect in the paychecks.

*  You are challenged every day; I have been doing this 17 years and am still surprised at some of the problems that arise on a daily basis. Its what makes this job fun and interesting. I love the surprise and challenge of coming up with solutions.

*  Flexibility. Eventually this job allows you to work your own hours and from where you want. As long as you are actually still working the job. I know Recruiters that work out of RV's while traveling the country, or work from tropical destinations like Belize or Costa Rica, or from vacation homes in Florida. Put in the time and effort and you can get there.

*  Placements! There is no better feeling than closing a huge deal that you spent the last month working on. The combination of the feeling of accomplishment & success, along with helping an individual & a client, combined with a nice fat commission check is awesome and addictive.

THE BAD

*  Long hours. Especially the first year. You have to earn your keep and work harder for less reward than the experienced Recruiters. We all had to do it. Your learning a new skill, new industry jargon, building a network, and all at a lower commission scale.

*  It takes a lot of phone calls to have a little success. 100+ calls/day and most are voicemails and "NO's". It will get frustrating, it will beat you down, and it will get better (eventually).

THE UGLY

*  1,000 calls to get the new Client and new, workable Job Order. 50+ call/day for 2 weeks to find 3 qualified candidates. A month of interview process. An offer and acceptance. A huge commission!! And then the phone call we all dread: "Roy, I just got a counter-offer I can't refuse. Thanks for all you have done but I have to rescind my acceptance". It's worse than a punch to the stomach. And, it will happen to you if you become a Recruiter.

So, there it is. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. So, you want to become a Recruiter?