Guide To A Successful Talent Acquisition Specialist Career Path

A company's success depends largely on its people. So it is very important to get the right people to get the job done. But companies differ in size, structure, and culture. Therefore, that means a variety of staffing needs in different areas and levels. And that is where talent acquisition specialists come in. Interested in pursuing this career? Find out what it takes to achieve success in a talent acquisition specialist's career path.

What does a talent acquisition specialist do?

Talent acquisition specialists are responsible for sourcing, hiring, and training the right talents. Moreover, they do that for all available positions in a company. 

As such, they play an important role in the growth and development of a company. Hence, it is vital for them to have a thorough knowledge of the company's mission, vision and purpose. And with that, they can find the right talent to achieve their goals.

Furthermore, for this job you need to be familiar with the following:

• Company branding and culture
• All job openings in the company
• How to work with HR and department managers to
  • • understand their specific needs 
    • determine the standard for each job opening 
    • establish must-have qualifications for each position
    • identify stackable credentials for applicants 
• What the company has to offer to the talents it wants to attract

In addition, these human resource specialists are also tasked to:

• Develop strategies for sourcing and recruiting talents 
• Ensure that plans are aligned with company goals
• Work with hiring managers to know staffing needs in various areas 
• Coordinate with managers to come up with the standard for choosing applicants
• List down job descriptions 
• Create job postings
• Plan interview and selection procedures
• Conduct screening calls and interviews 
• Assess talents' information, resumes and references
• Identify the best talent from available applicants
• Orient new hires 
• Ensure the proper filing of forms for new employees 
• Attend and organize recruitment events and job fairs 
• Set up a strong talent pool 
• Build a relationship with possible employees

Salary Range

The average annual salary for a talent acquisition specialist in the Philippines is Php 289,675 or around Php 24k a month.

However, it also depends on where you are in your career path in human resources. Wages may go lower or higher depending on the size of the company. Moreover, other factors include location, years of experience, skills, and education. 

The Talent Acquisition Specialist Career Path

Junior Level (1-3 years experience)

• Talent Acquisition Specialist, Recruitment Specialist

Mid Level (4-8 years experience) 

• Human Resources Generalist

Senior level (8 years or more) 

• Human Resources Manager

Requirements for a successful Talent Acquisition Specialist career path 

Being a talent acquisition specialist requires a special set of knowledge and skills. And usually, these are developed through years of training and experience. Here below are some of them. 

Interpersonal Skills

A talent acquisition specialist must have very good interpersonal skills. This is because they have to work with different types of people. These include jobseekers, company managers, and department heads.

Verbal/Written Communication Skills

It is a must to be able to effectively convey what the company is looking for. At the same time, one should also be able to communicate what the company can offer to the best candidates. As such, this requires very good verbal/written skills.

Organizational Skills

Moving up in one's career path will mean taking on greater responsibilities. So, in this work you need to have very good organizational skills. You need to know which tasks to do first. Moreover, you should know how to manage the stages of recruitment.

Knowledge of Applicant Tracking Systems

Many companies use applicant tracking systems. They use them to collect information, organize prospects, and filter candidates. Hence, knowledge of this is an important skill for this line of work.

Thorough knowledge of hiring platforms

In this job, one has to be familiar with all means for finding talent. Therefore, you need to know your way around social media, resume databases, and job search platforms. 

Educational background

To become a talent acquisition specialist, you need to have a Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources Management. BS Human Resources Management is a four-year course that teaches students the knowledge and skills needed to manage people in a company. It trains students in recruiting, hiring, and training employees. 

Some companies may also hire you if you have a bachelor's degree in related fields like business, finance, or communication.

Opportunities for Continuous Education

You can further your career path in this line of work by taking a Master's Degree in Human Resources Management. You can also take graduate studies in any similar field. Think about enrolling in short certificate courses in HR training, recruitment and selection. 

You can also boost your tech-related skills with these courses from Luna Academy in collaboration with JobStreet.

How to write a talent acquisition specialist resume?

One of the important things that can help you get the job is a strong professional resume. Firstly, start with your career summary.  Briefly present what you have done. Include the tasks you are capable of. Secondly, feature your key strengths and skills. Thirdly, give your detailed work history. Use this to support your initial career summary. State the name of the company you worked for. Give the dates when you worked there.  Name your position or title. In a nutshell, describe what you did. Bring out important things you were able to do. And lastly, present a section on your education and training. Mention the activities you joined outside academics. Include the certificate courses you finished. You can also add any work or event that helped develop your transferable skills. 

Download this Talent Acquisition resume HERE.

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