Robert Hukshorn

Client: Robert Hukshorn was interim general manager for a Dutch innovator of diagnostic and analytical tools for the beauty industry.

Industry: High Tech, Beauty, Packaging

Function: Management

Challenge: Robert got the rug pulled out from under him when the pandemic cancelled the short-term contract he had lined up after his interim job ended.

Process: With help from TCD, Robert learned to love LinkedIn and build up his network of business contacts. He also learned how to reframe his career in a more positive light.

Landing: Robert Hukshorn was interim General Manager for a Dutch innovator for the beauty industry.

When his interim position ended, Robert sought a new job, but Covid had changed the job market, and he knew he had to learn to job search differently.

“I didn’t consider my next move before I left the company because I needed to clear my head. In February 2020 I did what I always had; I lined up some interviews. Then Covid happened. One day I had three or four opportunities cooking; the next day they all stopped,” said Robert.

„Then I found The Career Doctor (TCD) and thought: This is it! They are doing something different!

“I asked a few people I knew in the recruitment world if they’d heard of TCD. Only a few had, but none had worked with them. I filled in the form and within a few days I was talking to a company representative. Obviously, I asked for a reference. I feel that I got a really honest portrait of what the process entails. There is no magic wand and you get a dream job. You need to do the work,” said Robert. “In the end, I took a leap of faith because it was a method I’d never tried before.”

Robert’s first “Aha!” moment came during the Clarity Program.

“It was really good – way better than I expected!” said Robert. “I expected everything to be focused on the career path, but you also focus on personal goals, like work-life balance, health and fitness, and 5-year targets.”

The greatest benefit Robert got from Clarity (including the motivation to lose 25 kilos) was that it became very clear that a position of general manager, impressive though the title may be, was not for him.

“The next step of the program is totally different from Clarity – it’s business!” said Robert. “Working with Greg Emslie, I really came to understand how the job market works.” said Robert. “It’s a sales funnel! When you understand what influences a company to hire you, you can consciously take steps to increase your chances of success,”

With his newfound education, though, he created a spreadsheet of his new contacts and wrote each one requesting a 15-minute conversation to get to know them. This turned out to be the key to his landing success.

“I saw a position for Segment Director petfood of a packaging company.” He noticed that one of his new contacts had recently worked at the company. Before long, he had the private phone number of the hiring manager. “He told me that he knew in the first 30 minutes that I was the guy for the job,” said Robert.

„Greg was someone I can brainstorm with and has been an extremely good sparring partner for me. It’s absolutely fantastic! I wake up with a big smile in the morning and I go to work singing.”

Robert’s job search yielded results in less than six months. Through networking alone, he had offers from two companies, one of which was a great fit – a packaging company in the Netherlands at the forefront of innovation, where Robert is now segment director of petfood.

„TCD helped me build a strong network, and that network delivered. Both companies I got offers from came to me through my network,” said Robert.

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