Graduate Recruitment Consultant - AI, IT, Technology in Solihull

Come and build Ikuto with us. If you're looking for a list of responsibilities, KPIs and buzzwords about a "fast-paced environment", this probably isn't the job for you. Instead, I want to tell you why Josh and I built Ikuto, where we've come from, where we're going, and why I think this could be one of the most exciting opportunities in recruitment today.

A bit about me... I graduated with a Maths degree in 2008 and, if I'm honest, recruitment wasn't part of the plan. It was a job. A small recruitment business took a chance on me, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. I loved it. Not just the work, but the people. The culture was incredible. We worked ridiculously hard, celebrated wins together, learned from each other and genuinely enjoyed coming to work every day. I was surrounded by people who backed me, challenged me and gave me the freedom to grow. Over the next thirteen years I built relationships I'll have for life, managed brilliant people, became a shareholder and learned what a great recruitment business looks like.

Eventually, ambition got the better of me. Maybe it was confidence. Maybe it was arrogance. I wanted to see if I could build something of my own. So Josh and I took the leap. The first five years weren't glamorous. If you've ever spoken to a founder who tells you every year has been incredible, they're probably leaving bits out. We grew quickly. Then we hit a wall. We made mistakes. We chased things we shouldn't have chased. We tried to grow too fast. Eventually we made a difficult decision. Instead of pretending everything was fine, we stripped the business right back, kept the parts we believed in and rebuilt it with everything we'd learned. Looking back, it was probably the best thing that could have happened. Because the business we're building today is infinitely better than the one we started.

So what is Ikuto? We're a specialist recruitment business working with some of the most exciting technology companies in the UK and the United States. Some are established Microsoft and Cisco partners helping enterprise customers transform the way they work. Others are AI startups building products that didn't exist two years ago. The common thread? Every client is trying to grow. And they trust us to find the people who make that growth possible. Sometimes that's a Sales Director. Sometimes it's a Solutions Engineer. Sometimes it's a Forward Deployed Engineer helping customers adopt cutting-edge AI. We sit right at the intersection of commercial and technical talent. It's a fascinating place to be.

We don't want to become another recruitment agency. There are plenty of those already. Our clients don't work with us because we send lots of CVs. They work with us because we become part of their hiring team. We spend time understanding their business, their culture, their technology and the type of people who genuinely succeed there. That's why many of our customers retain us before we even begin searching. It's a huge privilege. It's also a huge responsibility.

The exciting bit... We're now at a point where we have more work than we can comfortably deliver. Not because we're trying to grow at all costs. Because we've earned the trust of some incredible customers. We've recently signed a major partnership that gives us consistent demand, particularly across the United States. That's why I'm writing this. I'm not looking for someone to replace anybody. I'm looking for someone to help us build the next chapter.

What would you actually do? You'll recruit. But probably not in the way you're imagining. One day you'll be speaking to a founder in New York who's just raised millions to build an AI company. The next you'll be interviewing a candidate who's spent years helping enterprise customers adopt Microsoft technology. You'll spend time understanding people. Preparing candidates for life-changing opportunities. Helping founders make the biggest hiring decisions they'll face. You'll become an expert in one of the fastest-moving technology markets on the planet. America is a huge part of our future. Because of the clients we work with, a lot of our recruitment happens across US time zones. That means our working hours aren't always traditional. Think 11am-7pm. 12pm-8pm. Sometimes 1pm-9pm. That isn't for everyone. But if the idea of speaking with founders in New York and San Francisco while most people are winding down excites you, you'll love it.

Who are we looking for? Honestly? I'm much more interested in the person than the CV. If you've worked in technology recruitment before, brilliant. If you haven't, that's absolutely fine too. We can teach recruitment. We can teach technology. What we can't teach is attitude. The three things we look for are simple: Work hard. Be intelligent. Build brilliant relationships. That's it. If you're naturally curious, ask good questions, genuinely care about people and enjoy learning, you'll probably do very well here.

One thing that helps... You should genuinely enjoy technology. You don't need to be a software engineer, bonus points if you have a Computer Science degree. But if you're already playing around with ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini because you're fascinated by what AI can do, you'll fit right in. We spend a lot of time talking about where technology is heading because our customers live on the cutting edge.

What can you expect in return? We'll invest heavily in you. We'll teach you everything we've learned over nearly twenty years in recruitment. You'll work directly with the founders. You'll have autonomy. You'll be trusted. And if you perform, you'll earn exceptionally well. This isn't a business where your earnings are capped because somebody says so. Based on delivery targets—not sales targets— we'd expect someone in this role to earn around £60,000 in year one and over £120,000 in year two. The opportunity is there. The work is already here.

What about culture? This matters enormously to me. The culture I experienced at the start of my career shaped who I became. I want to recreate that feeling. We'll work hard. We'll celebrate together. We'll support each other. We'll challenge each other. Initially we'll be based around Solihull with hybrid working. Longer term, the plan is to build our home in Birmingham city centre as the team grows. I don't want people who simply come to work. I want people who help build the business.

Finally... Recruitment isn't easy. Some days you'll question yourself. Some weeks everything goes wrong. This job will test your resilience. But when you help someone land the role they've dreamed about, or help a founder build the team that changes their business, there's nothing quite like it. Josh and I aren't trying to build the biggest recruitment company. We're trying to build one of the best. If that excites you... If you'd rather build something than inherit it... If you want to work with some of the most exciting technology businesses in the world... And if you think you're the sort of person who could help us create a culture people genuinely love being part of... I'd love to hear from you.

Dave Co-founder, Ikuto