Hey there, I’m Balázs Kőhidi, and you’re about to embark on a rollercoaster ride through my life and career.
But, before we dive in, let me share something personal and my major achievement in life – I’m not just a driven professional, I’m also a ridiculously happy and immensely proud father of two boys who are as full of energy as I am about life.
My delightful odyssey into the world of employment began at a spry age of 15, slinging burgers in a fast-food joint. I was like a pint-sized whirlwind of enthusiasm, working after school and on weekends. Believe it or not, by the time I hit the ripe old age of 17, I'd achieved my first managerial role. Who thought the guy flipping fries would one day flip the script on his career?
But I wasn't just a burger-flipper extraordinaire; I was a man of academic pursuits too. In between my culinary escapades, I managed to squeeze in some lectures in the University of Law and IT management studies at the University of Economics, all while keeping my career dreams alive and kicking.
Over nearly two decades, I've had the privilege of working in the corporate world. I've worn many hats, and each one has left its mark, just like a chef's hat leaves a mark on your hair after a long day in the kitchen. But I digress.
My professional adventure kicked off at IBM as a business analyst and researcher. I was all about crunching numbers and researching like a pro. Later, I found myself on international escapades, working on rollout projects, in Vienna and Bratislava. These projects taught me the ropes and helped me become adaptable to any challenge, like a chameleon changing colors.
Then, Shell Oil entered the scene, and I took on a role as a project manager and oversaw various web-based projects, including a massive overhaul of the biggest, customer-facing Shell Loyalty application. It was like orchestrating a massive opera in 15 countries and 21 languages - with a dash of petrol
Next, I found my way to Citibank, where I was dealing with infrastructure and massive security projects. Eventually, I climbed the ladder to become a program manager for OneCiti, where I had the esteemed task of shifting and migrating 600 applications to a new headquarters with moving and migrating a whopping 600 applications.
In between all this corporate mayhem, I also moonlighted as a Citi Parents program volunteer and snagged top performer awards as earlier at IBM and Shell, also at Citibank. I guess you could say I'm pretty good at juggling work and play. In this extremely calm and relaxing era both of my boys were born.
Then came the game-changer. I was recruited to lead the Digital Team at the Hungarian subsidiary of Delaware Consulting. It was like they handed me the keys to the candy store! I built a team from the ground up and watched it grow from two to a whopping 60 people. It was like building a sandcastle, only much more complex.
Looking back at my eccentric career journey, from the humble beginnings at a fast-food joint to the labyrinth of the corporate world, I found myself in a spot to shape HR policies, bonus systems, personal development plans, recruitment processes, and technology assessments. But the crème de la crème was getting the chance to build my dream team from scratch. Talk about living the dream! In the midst of all this, I cultivated a treasure trove of knowledge in the art of recruitment. My guiding principle has always been to seek not just professionals who meet the job's criteria but also folks with whom I'd gladly spend 75% of my waking hours. After all, life is too short for dull company.
But wait, there's more. After a smashing four years, I decided to roll the dice and start my very own IT consultancy firm with a really good friend of mine. Together, we plunged headfirst into digital transformation projects and even set up an examination center for one of Hungary's largest universities. It's like we set up our very own lemonade stand in the IT world.
And let's not forget, I also pursued my dream of becoming an HR consultant, focusing on the recruitment side of things at Hatamoto.
When working with our clients, the challenge is to unravel their real needs, beyond the mundane job descriptions, and connect them with the best candidates who not only tick the professional boxes but also sync up with the company's culture, vibes. It's like we're matchmakers, but for businesses and candidates.
Beyond my circus of professional endeavors, I've dabbled in Taekwondo and earned myself a black belt, an enthusiastic cook (discovered the world outside of burgers), a globe-trotter, a sports and sailing enthusiast, practiced the fine art of meditation, and lent a helping hand as a volunteer. Oh, almost forgot: I produce my own leather weekender bags from scratch. You could say I'm the Swiss Army knife of interests.
So, my story is not just about corporate climbing and recruitment wizardry. It's about finding joy in the unpredictable twists and turns of life's rollercoaster, and realizing that the most delightful and extraordinary adventures often begin in the most ordinary places.
