Trainee Recruitment Consultant

Trainee Recruitment Consultant | £27,000 basic, OTE £50,000 | London/hybrid
We’ll be straight with you. This role isn’t for everyone, and that’s exactly the point.
The Role
You’ll learn the full recruitment process end-to-end, supported by experienced consultants and a structured training plan. As you develop, you’ll take on greater autonomy and your own client relationships.
* Sourcing and screening candidates across your specialist sector
* Proactive business development - calls, LinkedIn, and client meetings
* Managing live vacancies from briefing through to offer
* Building long-term relationships with both clients and candidates
* Working to clear KPIs with a progression pathway tied to results
* Delivering a quality, consultative service that keeps clients coming back
Who We’re Looking For
We don’t hire on experience. We hire on attitude. Graduates, career-changers, people leaving retail, hospitality or sport, if you’re wired for sales and ready to outwork the room, we want to talk.
* Competitive and motivated by financial reward
* A self-starter - you create your own momentum
* Resilient: you take rejection as fuel, not a reason to slow down
* Coachable - confident enough to back yourself, humble enough to keep learning
* Strong communicator, both on the phone and in writing
* Any previous sales, sport, customer-facing or target-driven background is a bonus
What You Get
* £27,000 base salary with OTE of £50,000 in year one
* Uncapped commission - senior consultants at Cento earn £70,000–90,000+
* Structured training programme and a dedicated mentor from day one
* Clear promotion pathway: Trainee → Consultant → Senior → Principal → Management
* Hybrid working once you’re established
* Incentives: lunch clubs, early Friday finishes, team events and performance bonuses
* Exposure to international operations as we grow across the US and beyond
Why Cento?
We’re a specialist business with a serious reputation in niche markets. You won’t be one of 300 consultants on a generic desk. You’ll have direct access to leadership, a team that genuinely invests in you, and the chance to build something that’s yours.
The people who build careers here are the ones who show up ready to work, take feedback seriously, and don’t wait for permission to go after results. If that’s you, the earning potential and career trajectory at Cento is hard to match.
Cento is a specialist recruiter operating across Fire & Security, M&E, HVAC, BMS, and Lifts & Escalators, with operations in the UK, US (through our SCW Consulting brand) and a delivery hub in Cape Town. We’re a commercially sharp, high-performance team and we’re looking for a Trainee Recruitment Consultant who is ready to back themselves.
Why Recruitment?
Recruitment is one of the best-paid sales careers you can enter without prior experience. The ceiling is genuinely high. But the floor requires hard work, resilience and a refusal to coast. If that sounds like you, read on