HR Mini-Series Part 1 Talent Acquisition Manager: Career Insights with Nicolas Pretorius | That’s a Food Job! #125
About Nicolas Pretorius
Nicolas Pretorius leads the talent acquisition efforts at Highliner Foods, a major North American processor and marketer of frozen seafood. With a diverse background in HR and talent management, he focuses on aligning recruitment strategies with business objectives to ensure operational success.
What We Cover in This Episode
Nicolas walks through the full hiring process from a talent acquisition leader’s perspective – from what makes a resume stand out to how companies really assess culture fit. He explains the difference between listing responsibilities and showing impact, why soft skills consistently separate candidates more than technical ones, and how students can build credibility even without direct industry experience. He also shares honest advice on networking, interview prep, and staying competitive when the job market is tough.
Key Take-aways
- Show impact, not just responsibilities. Hiring managers at the entry level want to see results – reduced processing times, night shifts alongside a full course load, led something, improved something, solved something. Adjectives like “hardworking” don’t cut it.
- Soft skills and mindset separate candidates more than technical skills. Coachability, communication, flexibility, and the ability to take feedback without becoming defensive are what hiring managers consistently struggle to find.
- Proximity beats perfection when you can’t find a job. Take contract roles, adjacent roles, warehouse or retail work. Staying close to the industry builds language, relationships, and credibility that matters when the right role opens up.
- “Culture fit” can mask bias – look for values and competency alignment instead. Ask what success looks like in the first 90 days, how the company supports employees who are struggling, and how accessible leadership actually is.
- Copy and save every job description the moment you apply. Use it to generate behavioral interview questions with an AI tool, then prepare two or three real examples per question from your own experience.
Sponsor
De Lacy Executive Recruitment offers professional recruitment services for employers and candidates in agriculture and food. As a candidate, De Lacy will provide career development advice, career consulting, as well as preparation for interview success. Open communication, confidentiality, and complete transparency are a priority for De Lacy consultants — check out De Lacy Executive Recruitment for more information on exciting opportunities!
Watch the Episode Below
[YouTube URL]
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Resources
Timestamps
- 00:00 – Intro
- 00:59 – Nicolas’s Role at Highliner
- 02:37 – Long-Term Talent Planning
- 04:43 – Highliner’s Facilities
- 05:55 – Nicolas’s Career Path
- 08:06 – Embrace Unexpected Opportunities
- 09:47 – Casting Nets to the Future
- 14:45 – What Stands Out on a Resume
- 17:04 – The Skill Bucket Resume Format
- 20:41 – Technical vs. Soft Skills
- 24:42 – Interview Prep Tips
- 26:05 – What to Wear to an Interview
- 27:34 – Researching the Company
- 28:59 – From Co-op to Full-Time
- 30:49 – Culture Fit vs. Values Alignment
- 32:50 – Assessing Culture as a Candidate
- 36:24 – Behavioral Interview Questions
- 41:35 – Advice for Students Job Hunting Now
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