Trainee/Graduate Recruitment Consultant - Preston

PRESTON

Launch Your Recruitment Career with Tradewind Recruitment in Preston

Are you a trainee or graduate ready to step into a fast-paced, high-pressure, high-reward career with uncapped earning potential? If you're ambitious, resilient, and motivated by success, Tradewind Recruitment Preston is offering the perfect opportunity to begin your career through our industry-leading Impact Academy.

Join a business where your effort directly impacts your earnings, progression, and long-term success.

Discover Tradewind Recruitment

Tradewind Recruitment is not just another recruitment agency-we are a market leader in education recruitment, recognised as a Sunday Times Top 100 company five times. With nearly 30 years of success, offices across the UK and internationally, and a reputation for developing top-performing consultants, we are committed to investing in the next generation of talent.

Our Preston office is growing, and we are looking for driven graduates ready to build a career in recruitment, sales, and business development.

Why Choose Tradewind?

As part of our Preston team, you'll benefit from:

• Competitive starting salary: £28,000-£30,000
  * Realistic first-year earnings: £35,000-£40,000 OTE
  * Uncapped commission from day one - your performance drives your earnings
  * 35 days annual leave + reduced working hours during school holidays (4.5-hour days)
  * All-expenses-paid international trips and company-wide incentives
  * Regular team socials, Friday drinks, and free breakfast
  * A strong focus on employee wellbeing and development
  * Clear progression pathway - many of our Managers and Directors started as graduates

Introducing the Impact Academy

Our Impact Academy is a structured, hands-on graduate training programme designed to take you from entry-level to high-performing Recruitment Consultant.

You'll gain real experience from day one, supported by expert training and mentorship, learning everything from candidate management to sales and business development.

Your Role

In your first year, you will:

• Source, screen, and interview candidates for temporary and permanent education roles
  * Create high-quality CV profiles to present candidates to clients
  * Build strong relationships with schools and education professionals
  * Work closely with the sales team to increase candidate placements
  * Consistently meet and exceed weekly KPIs and targets
  * Begin earning commission as you progress through key milestones

This is a sales-focused recruitment role, where success comes from your ability to build relationships, manage your pipeline, and proactively win business.

Ongoing Support and Mentorship

You will receive continuous support from:

• Your dedicated team manager
  * A structured training programme delivered by our in-house experts
  * A mentor to guide your development
  * Top-performing consultants with years of experience

We provide a collaborative, high-performance environment where you can learn quickly and grow your career.

Advancement and Career Progression

After successfully completing your first year, you will move onto a dedicated Sales Desk.

At this stage, you'll receive advanced training in:

• Business Development and client acquisition
  * Negotiation and margin management
  * Visit Impact Training
  * Safeguarding and compliance
  * Managing difficult conversations
  * Customer service and time management

We promote from within, meaning your progression is based entirely on your performance-not time served.

What We're Looking For

We are specifically targeting graduates who meet the following criteria:

• Worked throughout their studies (non-negotiable)
  * Hold a UK driving licence or are currently learning with a test booked
  * If graduated in 2025 or earlier - must have been working since graduating
  * If graduating in 2026 - must have consistent work experience alongside studies
  * Have transferable experience such as:

• Sales roles
• Hospitality
• Teaching or coaching
• Target-driven or fast-paced environments

The Reality of the Role

This is not an easy job - it is a high-pressure, target-driven sales environment.

To succeed, you must be:

• Highly resilient and able to handle rejection
  * Comfortable with business development and cold outreach - opportunities will not come to you
  * Ambitious and financially motivated
  * Confident, proactive, and competitive
  * Driven by success and progression
  * Passionate about helping others and making a real impact

The rewards are significant - but they are earned through hard work, consistency, and determination.

Your Path to Success

At Tradewind Recruitment, we understand the challenges of recruitment. That's why we've built one of the most comprehensive graduate development programmes in the industry.

Many of our previous graduates have gone on to become top billers within their first year in sales, with some progressing into leadership roles in a short space of time.