how I became a recruiter (without planning to)

I became a recruiter because I never felt comfortable in interviews.

It wasn’t exactly the plan after my master’s—back in Switzerland, I worked in comms and branding, and partnered with startups to make the world a little more inclusive.

But when I moved to Amsterdam, finding the right role was hard. Maybe it was my missing Dutch, maybe it was a city full of native English speakers—either way, I wasn’t anyone’s first choice for a comms job.

So I went through way too many interview rounds, got rejected, ghosted—all of it.

At some point, I got curious about what was happening on the other side and started looking up recruiter roles.

As an introvert who was mildly terrified of phone calls with strangers, it seemed like the perfect fit (sarcasm off).

But a week and a half later, ironically after the shortest application process ever, I had a job as a recruiter at a fast-growing tech startup.

And suddenly, I was having the kinds of conversations I wished I’d had as a candidate—while also learning all the struggles recruiters need to deal with.

I’m so grateful for this experience. I learned how companies actually work, what people worry about and care about, and how to help them make better decisions.

Not every career move needs to be super strategic or deeply meaningful. Sometimes, it's just about being curious and up for a little challenge.

about the author:

Hi there! I'm Silja, the founder of the wholesome growth club, an inclusive hub for career coaching with a soft spot for introverts and perfectionists. I’m an Amsterdam-based expat, but I love connecting with people worldwide. With a background in recruiting, I know the struggle of crafting a career path that feels truly yours. At the wholesome growth club, we're all about fostering sustainable growth, meaningful engagement, and authentic connections. Our blog is dedicated to making coaching accessible and sharing insights to approach work and life with an extra dose of confidence, slow productivity, and self-compassion. If you are curious to make things happen for yourself, get in touch—we offer personalized coaching journeys that will get you closer to your (dreamy) goals in no time.