Graduate college and earn six figures: Is it possible or just a pipe dream, the stuff of career-fair legend?
“I did it. It can definitely happen, but it does take a lot of work and you have to earn it,” explains Catherine.
Who is this mysterious Catherine and how did she achieve that lofty goal?
Simple: After graduating college she joined Apex, one of the country’s premier technical recruiting firms. While she wasn’t familiar with the field at the time, a friend’s recommendation ultimately prompted her to do her homework. She quickly learned that Recruiters can earn a ton of money—fast, too—and that your background matters less than your drive. She had the latter for sure. “I had student loans and I was money-hungry. I was constantly working roles on the side during college like waiting tables, bartending, and working at golf courses,” Catherine says.
So, when she got the offer from Apex—despite knowing little about the technical recruiting industry—she decided to go for it. “I really had nothing to lose, I was living with my parents at the time so my goal was to get my own apartment,” she says.
Here’s how Catherine hit that goal (and so many others) by diving headfirst into a recruiting role at Apex.
What It Takes To Be A High-Performing Recruiter—And How Catherine Got There
Recruiting isn’t an industry with which most people are familiar. Nobody majors in it in college (in fact, Apex hires all types of majors). Most people don’t even know what the staffing and recruiting industry is.
So, when Catherine came in, she had a lot to learn. This, however, was not going to discourage her.
“I knew that if I worked hard and learned as much as I could in the first few weeks that I had a big opportunity in front of me,” she says.
And she was given the opportunity to work hard right away in Apex’s intensive training program.
“The training was typical classroom style, followed by shadowing, and then my first start around week four which was extremely exciting for me,” Catherine explains. And while she makes it sound easy, she had to learn about the role of a Recruiter (placing skilled talent into difficult-to-fill roles for Apex’s clients), different sales and recruiting methodologies, and the many industry-specific terms and tricks necessary to excel.
However, even with all the training, Catherine learned the way most hard workers do: “Personally, I learned the most through working side by side with my peers through asking questions, practicing, role play, and comparing sales styles so that I could figure out what mine was.”
Once she started with working clients and matching professionals with the right positions for them, she saw her hard work pay off. Not only was she breaking company records, she was also helping so many people find success in their new roles.
“I got an all-time high for my first 12 months of recruiting,” Catherine says. “And the paychecks were very rewarding.”
How It All Adds Up: Bonuses, Goals, And Uncapped Commission
So, how does compensation work out so favorably for high performers?
The base salary (the primary source of income for most people) is just the beginning for Recruiters.
There’s also the ability to make uncapped commission. Apex’s Recruiters are rewarded for having fruitful relationships with both the talent and their clients. When you make a match and get a contract signed, you get a commission based on that—and on the continued success of the professional you’ve placed in that role. And if you’re working to make sure both your clients and your contracted professionals are happy, then you’re going to see a lot more contracts getting signed.
There are also a ton of other money-based incentives at Apex. There are personal performance-based bonuses and team bonuses. The latter comes from a group effort by your team to hit a certain number in total value. This creates a great spirit of camaraderie and a reason for the whole group to celebrate wins. Once you all collectively hit your goal, everyone on the team gets a bonus.
Finally, there are some non-monetary (but still valuable) incentives, like the Apex President’s Club trip—a vacation awarded to top performers in the company who hit their goals throughout the year. Even though Catherine and her teammates are all money-motivated, this is still one of the biggest driving factors when it comes to putting in the extra work and hours required to hit your goal.
Six Figures Two Years After Graduation: Is It Really Possible?
Catherine isn’t the only Apex Recruiter to hit the $100k mark within her first two years—but it does, as Catherine tells us, take serious dedication to learning the craft and putting in the hours.
But, if you’re like Catherine and most of the Apex team, then learning as much as you can about a new industry and working hard to hit a goal is probably already in your DNA. In fact, the ability to succeed both on a team and independently is one of the things Catherine and her peers love most about the job.
“I love the fact that it’s ambition-driven because it’s almost like you run your own business and you are headquartered at Apex,” she says. But unlike having your own business, Apex provides you all the training and resources you need to crush your goals.
“Apex gives you the tools to succeed and if you follow the steps and connect the dots you can be incredibly successful and make your ten-year career here,” Catherine explains.
Want to start your own path to six-figures? Check out open roles at Apex on WayUp!
