A recruiter finds, screens, and helps hire people for open jobs. Your real work is matching what a hiring manager needs with what a candidate can do, and doing it fairly, legally, and quickly. You will spend your days writing job posts, searching for candidates, running phone screens, coordinating interviews, explaining pay and benefits, and keeping clean records in an applicant tracking system (ATS). Most US recruiters have a bachelor's degree, but the degree can be in almost any field, and many people enter through recruiting coordinator, HR assistant, or staffing agency roles. This roadmap
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Every stage from beginner to expert, with lessons, practice drills, projects, interview questions and free resources. Free with a Rolearch account.
Stage 1 of 4 · about 8 weeks
Understand the hiring lifecycle (requisition, sourcing, screen, interview, offer, onboarding) and the basic laws: Title VII, ADA, ADEA, EEOC guidelines, and at-will employment. Practice clear writing and active listening. Drill: rewrite 5 real job postings so they list must-haves versus nice-to-haves and use inclusive wording. Role-play a 15-minute phone screen with a friend and write a short summary of the candidate afterward.
The hiring lifecycle
Every recruiting task you will ever do sits somewhere in one process. If you know the whole map, you will understand why a vague job request in step one causes a painful offer in step five.
Employment law basics: Title VII, ADA, ADEA, EEOC, at-will
Recruiters make decisions that the law watches closely. One careless question in a screen can create legal risk for the company and unfairness for the candidate. Knowing the basics early builds good habits.
Writing clear, inclusive job postings
The posting is often the first thing a candidate sees. Clear writing attracts the right people, and biased or bloated wording quietly shrinks your pool and raises legal risk.
Active listening and the phone screen
A screen is a short conversation where you learn the most. Listening well gets you honest answers, makes candidates feel respected, and gives managers accurate summaries rather than gut feelings.
Then 3 more stages (about 60 weeks in all) with lessons, drills, projects, 10 interview questions with strong answers and free resources.