Graduate Recruitment Consultant – Graduate Scheme 2026 | London

£30,000–£35,000 Basic + Uncapped Commission | Up to £80,000+ OTE

Graduate Recruitment Consultant | Trainee Recruitment Consultant | Graduate Sales | London

Graduating in 2026 and looking for a commercial career with strong training, clear progression and genuine earning potential?

Edmund & Evans partner with a select group of established recruitment and executive search firms across London. We’re currently hiring ambitious graduates for 2026 Graduate Recruitment Consultant and Trainee Recruitment Consultant opportunities across a range of specialist markets.

These are not generic graduate schemes. You’ll join a professional recruitment business, receive structured training and develop the commercial skills needed to build a long-term career.

What’s in it for you?

Depending on the business and role, packages can include:

• £30,000–£35,000 starting salary
• Uncapped commission
• Up to £80,000+ first-year OTE
• Structured graduate training programmes
• One-to-one mentoring from experienced consultants
• Clear promotion targets and regular progression reviews
• Hybrid working opportunities
• Company holidays and incentive trips
• Lunch clubs and performance incentives
• Gym and wellness benefits
• Pension scheme
• Modern London offices
• Regular team events and socials
• Leadership and management opportunities as you progress

The opportunity

As a Graduate Recruitment Consultant, you’ll be trained to become a specialist within your chosen market.

Recruitment combines sales, business development, relationship management, negotiation and market knowledge. Rather than following a fixed corporate graduate programme, your progression is largely based on your development and performance.

You’ll work with experienced recruiters, managers and directors who will teach you how to build relationships with candidates and clients, develop your own market and eventually manage recruitment processes from start to finish.

For ambitious graduates, this can provide a clear route from trainee level into senior consulting, management and leadership positions.

What will you be doing?

You’ll be trained to:

• Source and engage high-quality candidates
• Build relationships with clients and hiring managers
• Interview and assess candidates
• Understand businesses and their hiring requirements
• Manage recruitment processes from start to finish
• Negotiate salaries, fees and job offers
• Develop new client relationships
• Build your own professional network
• Become a specialist within your chosen market

You won’t be expected to know how to do this on day one. Our partner businesses invest heavily in training and development, giving graduates the support needed to learn the role properly.

Specialist markets

Opportunities are available across a range of established and high-growth sectors, including:

• Technology
• Financial Services
• Executive Search
• Hedge Funds & Investment Management
• Legal
• Life Sciences
• Construction
• Renewable Energy
• Professional Services

Depending on the market, recruitment fees can range from £10,000 to £100,000+ per placement, which is one of the reasons specialist recruitment can offer significant long-term earning potential.

Training and development

Graduate training varies between our partner firms but can include:

• Structured onboarding and graduate training
• One-to-one mentoring
• Sales and negotiation training
• Candidate sourcing and headhunting
• Business development coaching
• Market and sector training
• Client relationship management
• Regular progression reviews
• Leadership development as you progress

No previous recruitment experience is required.

What are we looking for?

These opportunities are best suited to graduates who are ambitious, commercially minded and comfortable working in a performance-led environment.

You’ll ideally have:

• A degree or be graduating in 2026
• Strong communication skills
• A competitive mindset
• Good work ethic
• Commercial awareness
• Confidence speaking with new people
• Resilience and determination
• A willingness to learn and take feedback
• Motivation to progress and increase your earnings

Previous experience in sales, hospitality, customer service, sport, fundraising, business development or positions of responsibility can be useful, but it isn’t essential.

Why recruitment?

Recruitment offers something many traditional graduate careers cannot: a clear connection between your performance, progression and earnings.

Successful consultants can progress quickly, take ownership of major client relationships and build valuable expertise within sectors such as technology, financial services and executive search.

Across our partner firms, realistic earning potential can grow significantly as you become established. Some consultants progress to six-figure earnings within the first few years, although individual earnings will always depend on performance, market and commission structure.

About Edmund & Evans

Edmund & Evans specialise in placing graduates and early-career professionals into carefully selected recruitment businesses.

In 2025, we placed 56 graduates and trainee recruitment consultants, with 95% still employed and progressing within the industry today.

We are selective about the businesses we represent. We look for firms that offer genuine training, supportive leadership, strong markets and clear opportunities for long-term career progression.

Our role is to understand what you’re looking for and introduce you to opportunities where we believe there is a genuine fit.

Apply today

If you’re graduating in 2026 and considering Graduate Recruitment Consultant jobs in London, Trainee Recruitment Consultant roles, Graduate Sales jobs, Graduate Executive Search opportunities or entry-level recruitment jobs, apply today.

Edmund & Evans will speak with shortlisted applicants about the different opportunities available across our London partner firms and help you understand which type of recruitment business and market could suit you best.