Candidate Success Story 5 – Karim, Digital Marketing Manager

Congratulations to our candidate K. for his new position as Digital Marketing Manager for a hotel group. Martin Semrau, Senior Consultant in Hospitality at LHC International, supported and advised him throughout the recruitment process.

In this Candidate Success Story 5, K. explains the process and how the cooperation with Martin was.

K.’s background:

• French living in Berlin
• Studied for a master’s in Paris in translation and intercultural communication
• Last year of masters in Wien, Austria
• Moved to Berlin in 2015 and started working in content translation, production, and management in the food industry.
• 2019, decided to follow his passion and started working in different pastry shops in Berlin
• Since October 2022, he is Digital Marketing Manager for a hotel group

How did the contact between Martin and you happen?

Margaux Sauvage, a friend of mine sent my resume to Martin who was looking for a digital marketing profile. We had a call, and we scheduled a meeting in the LHC offices in Berlin.

I was very interested in doing content on different channels professionally, and Hôtellerie was something new for me which seemed quite challenging. But as I wished to get into this field, it was a great opportunity.

How went the recruitment process with your new company?

This was the smoother recruitment I have ever done!

As soon as I accepted to send my profile to the company, the process went very quickly. The interview was scheduled with the head and the director of marketing.

It was a 45-minute interview where they asked me questions and explained the job more in detail. They were very interested in my creative side, which is great as I am a very creative person.

2 days after the interview, they called me back to offer me the job.

I have never got a job so quickly!

What did Martin do to help you?

I have an untypical resume which is not a straight line, but Martin really assured me that it was a strength in a way. Thanks to him, I really didn’t feel scared of anything, and he had great guidance.

He advised me to make a portfolio to present my work to the company and to update a few things in my resume. But I was confident going to the interviews.

He knew exactly that my profile was good and that’s why the process went so quickly. His expertise in terms of recruiting is there.

He had one job offer, one profile and it was a match.

He understood who I am, why I took these professional decisions, and my “weird” or not straight career path without any judgment. He took that and said, “ok, let’s do something with it”. Without asking about the gaps or short experiences. It was very refreshing

What convinced you to take the job?

From the beginning, I could see that they trusted me and my judgement. It made me feel like whatever this job is, even if I may lack some knowledge, they will trust me knowing what to do. That made the whole interview process very freeing.

The second reason is that I need to express my creativity and I also need it in my jobs. And I felt that this company was one where I could be creative.

It was also super interesting to work for so many different hotels from different categories. It is not just one single brand, but several ones.

This job would also give me financial security, which is an important part. Mostly after covid and working in pastry during this time. It was very uncertain for me and financially complicated.

The last reason is that I also needed to have time for myself and my social life. Having an office job would let me have my weekends free and have a normal schedule.

Can you explain about your new job and your new company?

Your career path is not a straight line, can you explain it to us?

As explained previously, I started working in marketing right after my studies. But after a few years, I decided to follow my passion and became a pâtissier. I worked in pastry shops for 3 years.

The pastry field is very difficult in the sense of having complicated hours and schedules. Even if the job is very passionate and fun, at some point, my level of energy was not matching for that kind of job. 2022 I decided to take a break and think about what I wanted to do.

I wanted to have an office job but coming back to the office labour market is not easy and I knew this job would help me through this process.

I always worked in branches linked to food & beverage, this is an industry that I love, but never in the Hôtellerie directly.

This industry is so interesting as it regroups all kinds of jobs: F&B, chefs, cooks, pâtissier… I could keep working close to my passion, in a different way.

For me, it felt like adding knowledge to what I knew about industries that I could be confronted with in the future. It means adding knowledge.

What are your career goals? 

I would like to learn as much as I can and gather knowledge in the different fields linked to food & beverage. Hôtellerie being part of it, will bring me new insights after working in pastry and marketing for food companies.

I would love to be my own boss one day. I want to continue working in the gastronomy and/or hospitality industries but I don’t know what yet. There are so many opportunities in these fields and so many things you can do.

My job as a Digital Marketing Manager can help me gather knowledge in marketing and digital marketing and in the Hôtellerie.

Until I have done that, working for several years in marketing, I cannot say more clearly what is my goal. I just know that I will stay in that industry.

The Success Story – K., Digital Marketing Manager was led by Margaux Sauvage, Marketing Manager at LHC International.

How can we support you?

Did you like our Digital Marketing Manager Story? Since 2013, LHC International has been providing tailored support on both the client and candidate sides.

We don’t place CVs – we place personalities. Contact us.

You can read more Success Stories here.