As a well-known recruitment to recruitment company, consultants often come to us for advice about becoming a sector or niche specific consultant. The choice really is yours and it is well worth asking yourself some questions first to see if you are a fit and a match for this area. If you are, the world could well be your oyster. A focus on one area that you become the 'go to' desk for will bring many rewards and not just financial.

1. Rec 2 Rec London

2. Why Thought Leadership Is Important For Recruitment
Consultants
If you had told me ten years ago I would be writing about thought leadership and how to be an exceptional biller on
the same website I would have thought you were barking mad!
Yet that is exactly what I am doing as we focus on establishing ourselves as thought leaders in our own industry.
Confused? Wondering what the heck I am talking about? Let me explain.
Our industry; the recruitment industry, is changing. Like many other businesses in the new economy, if you want to
stand out from the noisy crowd you have to do just that; stand out.
The easiest way is to become the recognised expert in your field. As the famous marketing genius Seth Godin says
we all want 'leadership' demonstrating your expertise is a great way to get the ball rolling. Thought leadership is
important in any environment and especially when it comes to B2B ( business to business) 'selling'.
To put it an easy way, Thought Leadership is simply about becoming an authority on relevant topics that your
audience needs answers to. In other words their problems and issues. For instance let's say you are a retail recruiter.
Who do you want to stand out to and how? I would suggest both your candidates and clients. Demonstrating your
knowledge of the current retail environment and what is happening brands you as an expert. Sharing ideas and
suggestions on influence and personal branding makes you the friend of every nervous candidate.
Let me share an example for you of how this can work. One candidate I know who excels in this sector subscribes to
all the latest retail industry blogs and newsletters. She even knows what the current retail sales training trends are.
Do you think she has a thriving desk? Correct. She is seen as the go to person in that environment and over 60% of
candidates get referred into her. By the way, she has achieved this in less than two years and all she started with was
a bucket load of enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Stop press! Just in case you have forgotten this one, clients
seem to have a six sense about which consultants have access to the best candidates. So cultivating; Thought
Leadership will make a difference for you at so many levels.
One of the reasons Thought Leadership is the buzz word of the moment is because the internet makes it easy.
Today's world is all about engagement and speaking out. With social networking being an easy channel to use and
with many recruiter's having access to a company blog page means it doesn't take much effort to stand out with some
consistent action-hint most people give up after a few weeks.
So how does it work? Well it is all about giving away your knowledge; tweeting, commenting, getting in on the
conversation and talking to people-without expecting an immediate return.

3. Do this consistently and you will start to become visible. Remember, though the movies might try and persuade us
otherwise there is no such thing as an overnight sensation. It could take months to establish yourself as the 'go to'
person in your sector. Be patient because it is so worth the wait. Think of it like training for a marathon or learning a
new skill. It will take time.
Cheryl Wing is the innovative MD of the award winning rec to rec company GSR2R. Cheryl and her team provide
help advice, guidance and jobs! to top London recruiters. To find out more contact gsr2r at http://www.gsr2r.com

4. 4 Ways to Know You Were Born To Be a Niche Recruiter
As a well-known recruitment to recruitment company, consultants often come to us for advice about becoming a
sector or niche specific consultant. The choice really is yours and it is well worth asking yourself some questions first
to see if you are a fit and a match for this area. If you are, the world could well be your oyster. A focus on one area
that you become the 'go to' desk for will bring many rewards and not just financial.
Recruiting in niche markets can offer a whole range of challenges and opportunities that you don't get in more
general recruitment roles. Niche recruiting puts you in the interesting and unique position of being an extension of the
industry you recruit for, letting you be part of that world. Here are four ways to know that you are built to be a niche
recruiter:
1. You Love Recruiting, but You Feel Connected to another Industry
You really enjoy the daily work of a recruitment consultant especially solving challenges that come your way and
dealing with lots of different people. You can't really see yourself ever wanting to do anything else. However, you are
consciously or subconsciously drawn to another industry sector. Whether it is medicine, technology, law, engineering,
hospitality or just about anything else, you read about it, talk about it, and know all about how it works. This is a big
sign you should focus your recruitment career on that niche, and combine your interests!
2. You Know All About Your Industry, But Want to Do Something Different
The opposite side of the coin is the scenario where you have been working in an industry for a long time and you are
incredibly knowledgeable about it, but you want to do a different job. You have thought about recruitment yet you
have never explored what was involved. You perhaps want a career where you get to engage with more people, or
where you have the opportunity to use selling skills and earn commission, but you don't want to feel that the time you
spent in your current industry has been wasted.
This could be a sign that you could successfully make the move into niche recruitment for your old industry, because
you have such a strong understanding of the kind of jobs and people there as well as a good network behind you.
3. You Find It Easy To Empathize With Other People's Work Challenges
When you talk to friends, clients, or even strangers about their jobs, you find it really easy to put yourself in their place
and understand the challenges facing them in their roles and industries.
A niche recruiter has to be able to know the business they recruit for inside out, and really identify with the type of
people who would be able to meet the needs that business has. If you naturally empathize with other people when

5. they talk about work that you have never actually done yourself, you'll be able to think like a part of the niche industry
you recruit in.The ability to connect like this with people is a real skill and one that is rewarded well in recruitment.
4. You Are Most Comfortable When You Know All the Details
Some people are good at ad libbing, or thinking at the high level where specifics and details aren't important. If this
isn't you, and you feel most confident and comfortable when you know everything about what you are dealing with,
then niche recruiting will suit you better than a broader recruitment role.
Niche recruiters get to know the kind of roles they recruit for at a close level, and can talk to candidates and clients in
detail about specific qualifications, skills and responsibilities relating to those roles with almost as much
understanding as the candidates themselves will be expected to have.
Cheryl Wing is the innovative MD of the award winning rec to rec company GSR2R. Cheryl and her team provide
help advice, guidance and jobs to top London recruiters. To find out more contact gsr2r at http://www.gsr2r.com