Choose a market you can understand
Course overview · 8 min reading + 5 min practice, estimated
Be specific about the problem
A useful specialism combines a buyer, a hiring problem and a market you can research. For example: leadership hiring for regulated manufacturers expanding a UK site. This tells you more than recruiting everyone in engineering. Validate the market through conversations and evidence rather than assuming it will be profitable.
Explain why an agency helps
Consider why a client would engage a specialist recruiter: a scarce skill, a confidential replacement, seniority, a constrained location or limited internal capacity. Your contribution should be more specific than access to a database. Show how you understand the relevant candidate market and search challenge.
Write a client hypothesis
Describe the organisation, the likely buyer, the trigger for a conversation and the outcome you could help deliver. Keep these as hypotheses until confirmed. A company fitting a profile is not automatically a qualified opportunity.
Put it into practice
Write a one-paragraph ideal client hypothesis. Include a specialist hiring problem and the reason external recruitment support could be useful.
Use fictional information and keep your work in your own notes.
Sources and further reading
Original Academy teaching and fictional examples. These references provide context, not endorsement. Edition 2026.09; updated 2026-09-24.
- CIPD: Recruitment
Professional context for the recruitment lifecycle.
- GOV.UK: Set up a business
UK starting point. Business structure and obligations depend on the circumstances.