Recruitment assistants provide a variety of support services to recruitment managers and specialists. The recruitment department works to find qualified candidates for job openings, and often screens prospective employees before sending them on interviews. Recruitment assistants are entry-level members of the department, and their duties range from general administrative work to more specific recruitment activities. By learning about the recruitment process on the job, many recruitment assistants are able to advance to recruitment manager or specialist positions once they have the necessary skills and experience.

Recruiting, Records and Events

Recruitment assistants aid department managers in updating recruitment policies, and write memos, emails and other correspondence in response to queries and requests. They may draft job descriptions and company profiles for distribution as well. Recruitment assistants post job openings to both internal and external job search websites. They may also keep records of candidate interviews and give status reports to managers. Recruitment assistants also attend recruitment events, such as job fairs and campus meetings. In addition, they perform general administrative duties for the recruiting department as well, such as sorting mail, making copies and answering phones.

Tailor Your Education

Most recruitment assistants have a bachelor’s degree, though it is not necessarily a requirement for the job. Though most colleges and universities do not offer human resources or personnel administration programs until the graduate level, students are able to take courses and concentrate in subjects like human resources administration or human resources management. Many who go into the recruiting field pursue degrees in behavioral sciences, business or social sciences. Recruitment assistants who plan to go into specific fields, such as engineering, science, finance or law, may major in one of those subjects. Since recruitment assistant positions are usually entry-level, many of the necessary skills are learned on the job. By working with experienced recruiters, they learn to classify jobs, identify promising candidates and interview applicants.

It's an Office Job

Recruitment assistants usually work in offices, though they may be required to travel to job fairs and college campuses on occasion. They generally work a standard 40-hour week, but overtime may be required if there are crucial job openings to fill. In addition, recruitment assistants must deal with many different personality types on a daily basis, which can sometimes be stressful.

Money Matters

The BLS reports the average annual salary for human resource specialist, including recruitment specialists, was $61,560 in 2013. Those who worked in employment services earned slightly less at $58,030 The best-paying industry was in securities and commodity contract intermediation and brokerage, where the average salary was $88,170.

Looking Toward the Future

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employment for human resources specialists, including recruitment assistants, should grow 7 percent between 2012 and 2022, which is a much slower rate than the average for all occupations. Those in the recruitment field should see better opportunities as efforts to recruit and retain employees increase. Recruitment assistants with college degrees will enjoy the best job prospects because employers generally see them as more qualified. Professional experience will also improve employment opportunities, so recruitment assistants who have completed human resources internships will generally see better prospects.