Graduate Scheme Launch: Recruitment, Sales & Partnerships

ARK Recruitment is launching a new graduate scheme in Exeter (Devon) designed to identify future recruitment, sales and partnerships talent based on attitude, ambition and coachability – not just previous job titles or educational milestones.

The first intake will begin with two hires in Exeter as part of the ARK Academy – Class of 2026, with the ambition to grow the programme over time.

Why ARK is launching a graduate scheme now

This launch is about more than filling two roles. It’s a statement about how talent should be identified and developed. At a moment when many young people are struggling to get a foothold, and when graduate roles are drawing record competition, employers have a real opportunity to think differently about what “entry level” should mean (ise.org.uk ons.gov.uk).

In the UK jobs market, an estimated 13.5% of 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK – around 1.01 million young people – were not in education, employment or training in January to March 2026 (ons.gov.uk commonslibrary.parliament.uk).

The challenge is just as visible within active job-seeking. There were 739,000 unemployed 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK in April to June 2026, with a youth unemployment rate of 16.2%, up from 14.3% a year earlier (commonslibrary.parliament.uk).

For graduates, competition remains intense. The Institute of Student Employers reported more than 1.2 million applications to just under 17,000 graduate vacancies, underlining how crowded entry-level hiring has become (ise.org.uk).

Against that backdrop, ARK’s view is simple: businesses should be creating more credible entry points into strong careers, not fewer.

Instead of focusing only on growing our team with people who have recruitment experience, we want to open doors for people who have the right mindset and that we can teach from the ground up.

A scheme built around potential, not just graduates

Although the programme is being positioned as a graduate scheme, ARK is deliberately keeping its lens wider than university-only hiring.

As a veteran-owned business, ARK has been built on the belief that someone’s previous title does not define what they are capable of becoming. That principle now sits at the heart of the Academy: find the right people, invest properly, and give them a real route to build a career.

The business is open to ambitious people from graduate, ex-military, hospitality, sport, retail, events, sales and other commercially minded backgrounds who can demonstrate the right behaviours and appetite to learn. Previous recruitment experience is not required.

What matters more is the ability to communicate well, build relationships, learn quickly, handle setbacks and perform in an environment where individual effort directly influences results.

ARK is also clear that recruitment is still a relationship-first, phone-first profession. This is a scheme for people who are comfortable speaking to others, building trust and developing commercial confidence – not hiding behind messages and emails.

What the first Ark Academy cohort will do

The first cohort will join ARK’s Exeter team and receive structured exposure to the full recruitment lifecycle, including:
– Candidate sourcing and headhunting
– Interviewing and candidate management
– Account management and client meetings
– Business development and negotiation
– Winning and eventually managing their own accounts

Clear progression across three career pathways

The aim is not to create short-term employment. It’s to develop future high performers and leaders inside the business. That ambition is reflected in the progression routes available.

ARK has mapped out three progression channels so Academy hires can build a career around their strengths:

Talent Consulting

Talent Consultant > Senior Talent Consultant > Talent Manager > Talent Director

Business Development

Business Development Executive > Senior Business Development Executive > Business Development Manager > Senior Business Development Manager > Sales Director

Partnership Management

Partnership Consultant > Senior Partnership Consultant > Principle Partnership Consultant > Partnership Manager > Partnership Director

In a difficult hiring market, many early-career candidates are not just looking for a job – they are looking for proof that hard work can lead somewhere meaningful.

What ARK is looking for

ARK’s values sit at the centre of the scheme:

Ambitious – Someone who wants progression, responsibility and strong earning potential, and sets high standards for themselves.

Resilient – Someone who can handle rejection, learn from setbacks and keep moving forward.

Kind – Someone who understands that being commercially driven and treating people well are not opposites.

Alongside those values, ARK is looking for people who show coachability, competitiveness, curiosity, confidence, emotional intelligence, accountability and work ethic.

What successful graduate scheme applicants can expect

The package includes a starting salary of £25,000-£27,000 plus commission, depending on experience, alongside structured recruitment and sales training, direct coaching from experienced recruiters and leadership, exposure to clients early in the journey, and access to the same tools and technology used across the wider business.

The package also includes:
– 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays
– Hybrid working once established
– Work-from-anywhere allowance
– Monthly incentives
– Winner trips
– Health insurance and gym membership (post-probation)

Apply to the ARK Academy Graduate Scheme – Class of 2026

If you’re ambitious, resilient, commercially minded and excited by the idea of building a career in recruitment, sales or partnerships, this could be your opportunity to join a business that backs potential from day one.

Applications for the ARK Academy – Class of 2026 are now open. Apply via LinkedIn here or email: info@ark-recruitment.com