Applying to a recruitment agency: how it works, from the first chat to your offer.

If you apply to a recruitment agency, you’re sitting across from people who size people up all day long. That sounds intimidating, but it also works in your favour: they look beyond your CV. What counts is who you are and what you want.

With us, there are four steps. Below you’ll find what happens at each step, what we look for and how to prepare.

How it works

01A chat on the phone

It starts with a phone call. We get to know each other and see together whether the job suits you. It’s no coincidence that this first conversation is on the phone: in this job, you spend much of your day calling. No need for a rehearsed pitch, just be yourself.

02An interview at the office

If it clicks, you come into the office. We get to know each other better, we show you how we work and we ask what drives you: why recruitment, why now, and what do you expect from us? Your salary and commission go on the table too. You get what we expect from you and what you can earn in black and white, so you know what you’re getting into.

03The Experience Day

If you’re still keen, and so are we, we invite you to the Experience Day. You spend a day on the floor, alongside a senior consultant. You do a few assignments, you listen in on calls and you ask all the questions you want. That way you see what a day is really like, and we see how you go about it.

04Your offer

If we both have a good feeling about it, you get an offer straight away, and you can sign straight away too. When we believe in someone, we don’t hang about.

What we look for

We don’t need a CV full of recruitment experience. We look at who you are:

• Your appetite. Do you really want this, or is it a job like any other?
• Your drive. Do you want to win, and what have you already done to achieve something, in your studies, your sport or your job?
• How you deal with people. Do you listen, do you ask good questions, and do people feel at ease with you?
• Your languages. Fluent French or Dutch, and you also get by in English.

To find out whether that’s you, read Is recruitment right for you?

Questions you can expect

• Why recruitment, and why now? An honest answer works better than a rehearsed one.
• Why sales? Show that you like persuading people and winning, with an example.
• Tell us about a time you persuaded someone. A customer, a coach or a teacher: it’s the story that counts, not how big it was.
• How do you deal with a no? You’ll hear plenty of them. Tell us what you do then.
• Where do you want to be in three years? Ambition is welcome. If you know where you’re heading, you’ll stick at it longer.
• What do you expect from us? Think about what you need to grow.

Questions you should ask

A job application is a two-⁠way conversation. These are the questions to ask every agency:

• What does the training look like? How long does it last, who gives it, and how are you supported on the floor?
• Who is your coach? Has your manager done the job themselves, and how much time do they have for you?
• How does the commission work? From what threshold, at what percentage, and when is it paid out? Those three matter more than your fixed salary. Also read What does a recruiter earn in Belgium?
• What does the career path look like? What do you need to achieve for each step, and what changes then?
• How many calls do your colleagues make? Then you know straight away what’s expected of you.
• And after a few years? Can you work your way up to partner, or carry on as an independent?

Making the most of your Experience Day

• Come prepared. Know the sector of the team you’re joining for the day, whether that’s construction, finance or engineering.
• Join in. Listen in on calls and don’t be afraid to tackle an assignment yourself. Nobody expects you to know how yet.
• Ask questions. Put them to the senior consultant next to you: what’s hard, what gives them energy, and what does a bad week look like?
• Ask yourself. Can you see yourself sitting here every day? That’s the question that counts.

Let’s not be naive about it

Not everyone gets an offer, and that’s good for both sides. Anyone who starts invests two to three years in the trade, and we invest in them: training, a coach and a place on the floor. So we both want to be sure.

Those years are worth it. With us, a career unfolds in three steps: first you learn the trade, then you invest until you can do it with your eyes closed, and then you capitalise. You can do that as a partner with your own office or team, with a stake in what you build, or as an independent at Shortlist, where you keep up to 75% of what you bill. That’s why you do it.

Ready to apply? Take a look at the sales consultant vacancies in construction, finance and engineering, or have a chat with us.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a CV to apply?

Not for a first chat. Just tell us where you are today and where you want to go.

How long does it take?

That mostly depends on your diary and ours. One thing is certain: if it clicks after the Experience Day, you get an offer straight away.

Can you come by first?

Yes. Feel free to come and see us on the floor, ideally by appointment.

What if you have no experience in recruitment?

Then you’re in good company: we teach you the trade. Read Becoming a recruiter without experience.

You’ll find all the steps at a glance in our guide Becoming a recruiter in Belgium.