I'm reasonably new to the game (level 9 male Breton mage) and I want to recruit a follower. In doing the wiki reading, I find that if I do some quests and become a Companion, several of the Companions in Jorrvaskr become available as followers, specifically Athis and Kia. I am now a Companion, but when I talk to either of those, I get the normal dialog, but no chance to get them as followers.

How does one recruit? It there a level requirement, a racial or class requirement vs specific NPC's, etc? Another hailing method?

I've avoided trying others that still have some prerequisit quests to qualify as potential followers and I understand there will be other opportunities in the future, but think that if I don't at least understand the recruiting mechanic now, on NPC's that in theory I can already recruit, the only thing that will happen as I'll expand the pool of unrecruitables.

TIA.

Glen

You must COMPLETE the Companions questline to secure Companion followers.

In the meantime, there are some good alternatives. Several mercs can be had for 500 gold, most notably Marcurio in Riften.

As I mentioned in the OP, I am a Companion. I've done the quests and had the ceremony.

After that, still can't get a companion from the eligible Companions, which is why I wrote the OP.

You sure you beat the entire questline?

Ah, that may be it.

I interpreted the wiki to mean once I became a companion (which I had). I'll complete the questline anyway, since I intended to, and see what happens. I thought I could get a companion for another quest after becoming a Companion myself.

There are quite a few very competent followers who can be recruited fairly easily. A few of them you just need to fist fight. And there's a woman in Winterhold, you just need to let her turn you into a cow.