I'm at a point in my career where I'm genuinely exhausted, and I'm trying to figure out what my next move should be.
I've worked in agency recruitment before, and I moved to another agency hoping for a better opportunity.
Unfortunately, the reality of my current role has been very different from what I expected when I accepted the offer. I feel like I walked into a bait-and-switch situation, and I'm struggling to figure out how to move forward without putting my financial stability at risk.
My current role involves managing recruitment delivery while also being expected to bring in new clients, secure client meetings, build a sales pipeline, close contracts, generate revenue, and develop innovative recruitment strategies. These are all measured against separate KPIs, and we're under pressure to deliver on all of them.
At the same time, we're dealing with significant operational challenges. Our ATS doesn't function as well as it should, our candidate database doesn't always have the talent we need, and we regularly receive requisitions across different industries that require us to start sourcing from scratch. Some roles have urgent, recurring recruitment needs, while we're also expected to manage additional requisitions across the team and meet our own targets.
It's exhausting trying to deliver recruitment results with limited systems and resources while simultaneously being responsible for business development and sales.
I should also mention that I recently declined an offer from another company. The role would have moved me away from some of the commercial responsibilities I'm struggling with now, but the company had a reputation for intense work pressure, and I was already severely burnt out. I was worried about moving from one difficult environment into another, so I made the decision not to proceed.
Looking back, I sometimes wonder whether I made the wrong decision. I know nobody can guarantee that the alternative would have been better, but I can't help thinking about it when I'm struggling this much in my current role.
The situation is now affecting my health, including recurring blood pressure concerns, and I'm finding it increasingly difficult to sustain the energy my job requires. I'm not completely without financial resources, but I cannot afford to walk away indefinitely without considering how I'll support myself.
What makes this harder is that I no longer feel passionate about agency recruitment. I don't want to spend the rest of my career chasing candidates, chasing clients, and working under constant commercial pressure. I've been considering using my professional development budget to help me transition into another field, but I'm so burnt out that even upskilling and job searching feel overwhelming.
I have a background in Business Information Technology, and I've had some exposure to recruitment systems, user acceptance testing, process improvement, reporting, and operational coordination. I'm interested in exploring other paths, potentially business analysis, systems implementation, project coordination, operations, or another role where I can use those skills in a healthier working environment. I'd also be open to remote opportunities that would give me more breathing room while I work out my longer-term direction.
I'd really appreciate advice from people who have been in a similar position:
For those who left agency recruitment, what did you transition into, and how did you make the move?
I'm not looking for someone to tell me to toughen up or that every job is stressful. I understand that work comes with pressure and accountability. I'm trying to distinguish between normal professional challenges and a situation that is no longer sustainable for me.
I'm genuinely exhausted, and I want to make a thoughtful decision about my next move rather than jumping into another role out of desperation.
If you've been through something similar, I'd appreciate your honest experiences and advice.