Recruiters: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of recruiters about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for recruiters to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of recruiters expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for recruiters.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Recruiters?
Do recruiters need a degree? What kind of experience do recruiters typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for recruiters to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Recruiters
Jobs Postings for Recruiters By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 141,173 (48%)
- No Education Listed: 82,641 (28%)
- High School or GED: 45,407 (16%)
- Master's degree: 18,093 (6%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 3,939 (1%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of recruiters. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 48% of positions. In 28% of job listings no education level was listed and in 16% of postings a High School diploma or GED was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Recruiters
Jobs Postings for Recruiters By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 36,245 (22%)
- 2-3 Years: 81,961 (50%)
- 4-6 Years: 37,271 (23%)
- 7-9 Years: 5,208 (3%)
- 10+ Years: 3,663 (2%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for recruiters. In 50% of job postings for Recruiters, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 23% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience, while 0-1 years of experience was sought in 22% of job postings for recruiters.
What Kind of Degree Do Recruiters Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for recruiters, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 16 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective recruiters, and in 2023 a total of 1,014,841 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective recruiters.
Top Degree Programs for Recruiters
Top 5 Degree Programs for Recruiters (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 335,156 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 333,999 |
| Psychology, General. | 143,660 |
| General Studies. | 123,192 |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management. | 29,623 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 335,156 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 333,999 |
| Psychology, General. | 143,660 |
| General Studies. | 123,192 |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management. | 29,623 |
| Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General. | 16,602 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other. | 13,002 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General. | 9,274 |
| Organizational Behavior Studies. | 3,438 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other. | 1,994 |
| Human Resources Development. | 1,731 |
| Human Resources Management and Services, Other. | 1,117 |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution. | 1,067 |
| Bioethics/Medical Ethics. | 723 |
| Applied and Professional Ethics. | 173 |
| Executive/Career Coaching. | 90 |
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What Skills Do Recruiters Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by recruiters to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for recruiters, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Recruiters
Based on 263,588 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Recruiters
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Information System (HRIS) | 45,921 | 17% |
| Applicant Tracking Systems | 34,800 | 13% |
| Employee Relations | 31,787 | 12% |
| Auditing | 27,403 | 10% |
| Full-Cycle Recruitment | 22,690 | 9% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Recruiters
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 118,852 | 45% |
| Management | 81,999 | 31% |
| Customer Service | 65,937 | 25% |
| Detail Oriented | 59,600 | 23% |
| Microsoft Office | 58,946 | 22% |
Based on 263,588 job postings related to recruiters, human resources information system (hris) was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 17% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for applicant tracking systems, employee relations, auditing, full-cycle recruitment and talent management were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for recruiters, followed by management, customer service, detail oriented, microsoft office and writing.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Information System (HRIS) | 45,921 | 17% |
| Applicant Tracking Systems | 34,800 | 13% |
| Employee Relations | 31,787 | 12% |
| Auditing | 27,403 | 10% |
| Full-Cycle Recruitment | 22,690 | 9% |
| Talent Management | 22,562 | 9% |
| Talent Sourcing | 21,646 | 8% |
| Project Management | 21,018 | 8% |
| Recruitment Strategies | 20,416 | 8% |
| Employee Onboarding | 20,356 | 8% |
| Performance Management | 19,496 | 7% |
| Talent Acquisition | 19,483 | 7% |
| Human Resource Management | 19,024 | 7% |
| Marketing | 18,488 | 7% |
| Labor Law | 17,434 | 7% |
| Data Analysis | 15,081 | 6% |
| Process Improvement | 15,036 | 6% |
| Data Entry | 14,102 | 5% |
| Administrative Support | 13,722 | 5% |
| Finance | 11,977 | 5% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 118,852 | 45% |
| Management | 81,999 | 31% |
| Customer Service | 65,937 | 25% |
| Detail Oriented | 59,600 | 23% |
| Microsoft Office | 58,946 | 22% |
| Writing | 53,981 | 20% |
| Microsoft Excel | 51,764 | 20% |
| Leadership | 51,458 | 20% |
| Problem Solving | 47,824 | 18% |
| Operations | 42,208 | 16% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 40,319 | 15% |
| Organizational Skills | 40,231 | 15% |
| Time Management | 35,064 | 13% |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 33,396 | 13% |
| Research | 33,235 | 13% |
| Coordinating | 31,414 | 12% |
| Multitasking | 31,187 | 12% |
| Planning | 30,643 | 12% |
| Scheduling | 29,939 | 11% |
| Microsoft Outlook | 26,896 | 10% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about recruiters? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for recruiters.
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.