info@operam-education.co.uk 
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You don’t need experience in education recruitment to build a successful career within Operam Education Group.
If you have already worked in recruitment, the skills you have developed, building relationships, managing a busy desk, winning business, sourcing candidates and delivering against targets, are highly transferable. We provide the sector knowledge, training and ongoing support you need to apply those skills confidently within education recruitment.
We spoke to one of our consultants who joined Operam Education Group after seven years in industrial recruitment to find out what changing sectors was really like.
What did you do before joining education recruitment?
Before joining Operam Education Group, I spent seven years recruiting within the industrial sector. It was fast-paced, target-driven and often transactional: fill the shift, hit the numbers and move on to the next requirement. I was good at it, consistently achieved my targets and gained experience that I still use every day.
However, I reached a point where I wanted to use those skills in a sector where I could see a different kind of impact. In education recruitment, every successful placement helps a school maintain learning, supports an existing team and gives pupils access to the people they need in the classroom.
That gave the role a sense of purpose I had been missing. I knew very little about education recruitment when I first considered the move. I assumed it would simply be recruitment, but with schools. The core skills were transferable, but I quickly discovered that the relationships, responsibilities and impact made it a very different environment.
Did you need education recruitment experience?
No, and that was made clear from my first conversation with the OEG Talent team. They were interested in the recruitment experience I already had: managing clients, developing candidate relationships, working under pressure, meeting targets and building a successful desk.
Rather than expecting me to arrive with detailed knowledge of schools, they explained how the business would help me develop it. They walked me through the role, the training available and what my first few months would look like. I understood who I would be working with, how I would learn the sector and what success would look like while I found my feet.
That support continued throughout the interview process, during my notice period and after I joined. I never felt as though I was entering a new sector without guidance.
What was your first day like?
I had built it up in my head: a new sector, a new team and a completely new set of terminology. Those nerves disappeared quickly. The team made me feel welcome from the moment I arrived, and the onboarding process was structured around helping me understand the education sector properly. I wasn’t handed a phone and expected to work everything out for myself.
I received training on how schools operate, the structure of multi-academy trusts, different types of supply and long-term bookings, safeguarding and the terminology used by teachers and school leaders. I also shadowed experienced colleagues before making calls independently. That gave me the chance to hear how they spoke to schools, asked questions and developed relationships before I began having those conversations myself.
Which skills transferred from your previous recruitment sector?
More than I initially realised. The ability to build trust, listen to clients, understand what motivates candidates and manage multiple priorities is valuable in every recruitment market.
My previous experience had already taught me how to:
- Develop new business and manage client relationships
- Source, qualify and support candidates
- Work effectively in a fast-paced environment
- Manage competing vacancies and deadlines
- Negotiate and overcome objections
- Take accountability for targets and results
- Remain resilient when plans change
I didn’t have to relearn how to be a recruiter. I needed to understand a new market and adapt the skills I had already developed. The training and support at OEG helped me do that.
Do you remember your first call with a school?
Vividly. Even after shadowing experienced colleagues, being the person leading the conversation felt different. I was still used to the pace of industrial recruitment: take the requirement, end the call and start filling the shift. The conversation with the headteacher was much more detailed. She spoke about her school, the existing team, the pupils and the kind of person who would fit into the environment.
I found myself listening more than pitching. That was when I understood that education recruitment is not simply about matching a CV to a vacancy. It is about understanding a school and identifying someone who can make a positive contribution from the moment they arrive. It was the beginning of a relationship that needed to be developed and looked after, rather than a transaction that needed to be closed.
How did your first education placement feel?
Landing your first placement in a new sector is a huge moment. Despite having several years of recruitment experience, there was still a part of me wondering whether I could apply that experience successfully within education. Seeing my first placement on the board gave me that reassurance, but the feedback afterwards meant even more.
The candidate said they felt listened to rather than pushed towards a role simply because it needed filling. The school said the process felt straightforward and personal because we had taken the time to understand what they needed. That was when the importance of relationships in education recruitment really clicked. It was not just something discussed during my training. It was central to doing the job well.
Did the team celebrate your first placement?
They did, and their reaction said a lot about the culture at OEG. I joined as an experienced recruiter with several years of billing and target achievement behind me. I was not new to making placements. However, this was my first placement in education, and the team celebrated it as a genuine milestone. There was no sense of, “You’ve done this before.” They understood that I had entered a new sector and recognised the work involved in achieving that first success.
Would you recommend moving into education recruitment?
Without hesitation. Changing sectors does not mean starting your recruitment career again. The experience, commercial awareness and relationship-building skills you have developed remain valuable. You are learning a new market, not abandoning everything you already know.
Education recruitment gives you the opportunity to build long-term relationships with schools and candidates while contributing to something that extends beyond the placement itself. The people you recruit help schools remain fully staffed, support existing teams and create learning capacity in the classroom. For me, it provided the challenge of a new sector without losing the skills and experience I had already worked hard to build.
Could Your Recruitment Experience Transfer into Education?
At Operam Education Group, we welcome applications from experienced recruiters across all sectors. You do not need previous education recruitment experience. We will provide the sector training, structured onboarding and ongoing support you need to understand the market and build a successful desk. What matters is your ability to develop relationships, deliver an excellent service, manage a recruitment desk and achieve results.
Ready to explore a career in education recruitment?
Contact our dedicated Talent team for a confidential conversation about opportunities across Operam Education Group at careers@operam-education.co.uk
Operam Education Group consists of the following brands:
Provide Education
Key Stage Teacher Supply
Bridge Education
The Education Specialists
First For Education
Teachers UK
Horizon Teachers
Choice Teachers