The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Associate Talent Sourcer (L1)
1.5 - 2.5 yearsSkills to master
- Mastering Boolean search, effective candidate engagement via InMail/email, basic ATS usage, understanding role requirements, building diverse top-of-funnel pipelines.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently hitting sourcing targets for qualified leads.
- Receiving positive feedback on candidate engagement and communication.
- Demonstrating a solid understanding of different role types and their required skills.
- Proactively taking on more complex sourcing assignments.
- 2
Agency Recruiter (Specialist)
2 - 4 yearsSkills to master
- Full-cycle recruitment, client management, offer negotiation, market mapping, building strong candidate relationships, working under pressure to hit targets.
You're ready to move on when
- Proven track record of successful placements in a similar industry (e.g., tech, SaaS).
- Strong understanding of the full recruitment lifecycle, not just sourcing.
- Ability to manage client (hiring manager) expectations and build trust.
- Desire to transition to an in-house environment and focus on one company's culture.
- 3
HR Coordinator / Generalist (with Recruitment Focus)
2 - 3 yearsSkills to master
- Understanding of HR processes, basic recruitment administration, candidate experience management, exposure to different departments and their needs, foundational knowledge of employment law.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully managed recruitment administration for a significant volume of hires.
- Demonstrated strong organisational skills and attention to detail in HR processes.
- Expressed a clear passion and aptitude for specialising in talent acquisition.
- Proactively taken on more candidate-facing or sourcing-related tasks.