Career switch success stories: from psychology to recruitment

In today’s fast-paced work environment, career paths are no longer linear. More and more professionals are switching industries, pursuing new passions and challenging themselves in roles that make the most of their talents. Recruitment is one such field, attracting individuals from a variety of professional backgrounds. 

In our Career Switch Success Stories, we highlight the inspiring stories of IQ Staffing colleagues who have made the transition from another industry, each bringing a unique set of skills and perspectives to the world of talent acquisition. In this first story, we’ll look at Katerina’s move from psychology to recruitment. We’ll explore what inspired her change, the challenges she faced and how her previous experiences shaped her success in recruitment.

Discovering her ‘why’

At the end of her master’s in clinical psychology, Katerina realized that working in a clinical setting wasn’t her calling. “What initially drew me to psychology was helping people make positive changes in their lives and understanding how their personalities are shaped,” she says. “But I realized that I could do that in other ways too.”

Feeling more aligned with the business world, Katerina began to explore human resources and talent acquisition. She started working for a logistics company, where she was responsible for the entire internal recruitment process, and quickly discovered that her skills were more transferable than she expected.

Transferable skills

Katerina’s first weeks in her new job were full of training and case studies. ‘’One of the most educational challenges was one where I had to study candidates and applications and figure out which ones were actually placed in the organization and what position they were matched to.’’

Her background in psychology proved invaluable. ‘’In psychology, I learned to assess people’s personalities thoroughly. As a recruiter, this helped me determine if a candidate’s skills and personality fit not only the role but also the team and work environment. I also learned the importance of team dynamics, understanding which complementary personalities create strong, collaborative teams.’’

Transitioning into agency recruitment

After gaining experience as an internal recruiter, Katerina joined IQ Staffing. “I thought I had plenty of experience, but soon found out that agency recruitment is a completely different game. There’s more pressure and more stakeholders to manage,” she recalls.

Thanks to extensive training and guidance from senior colleagues, Katerina adapted quickly. As well as learning recruitment strategies, she immersed herself in the world of finance and IT and the complexities of relocation. ‘’To do my job well, I needed to understand the business of our clients and the details of the IT roles I was recruiting for. As we relocate a lot of professionals from abroad, it was also important for me to receive training from our specialist relocation agent.’’

”Recruitment has taught me many valuable soft skills, such as resilience.”

Handling pressure

‘’Recruitment has taught me many valuable soft skills, such as resilience,” says Katerina. ‘’You hear a lot of no’s and you have to deal with a lot of setbacks. Despite these setbacks, you have to learn how to keep yourself motivated.’’

She recounts the story of helping an IT professional from Turkey relocate to the Netherlands. After his initial job was cut due to budget issues, Katerina worked quickly to secure him another position without a pay gap. “Cases like this show the complexity of recruitment: circumstances can change quickly, and people can always change their minds. My job is about balancing the needs of the company and the candidate, often under intense time pressure,” she notes.

Making a difference

Katerina’s background in psychology fuels her drive to help others. “It motivates me to go the extra mile, but it can also be a pitfall. I’ve learned not to take things personally. In recruitment, decisions are professional, not personal,” she says. ‘’Looking back, I would advise others entering recruitment not to be too hard on themselves.’’

As for her future, Katerina isn’t looking back. While clinical psychology is off the table, she’s interested in organizational psychology or even training and mentoring future recruiters. “I love helping people realize their potential and would love to lead a team,” she says.

Considering a career switch?

Katerina’s advice: “If you get a chance to try something new, take the risk! It might turn into something incredible.” If you’re considering a similar leap, remember that your existing skills can help you thrive in new ways. Want to learn more about recruitment? Reach out to Katerina or another IQ Staffing team member.

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