December 2023. Behind me — a few months of searching, a pile of interviews, a couple of failed attempts to land in “that right place,” and a clear understanding: I want to go where that drive is. The vibe I’d been missing since my KYOCERA days.
And then — Manpower. A major player in the HR services market, an international group of companies, with responsibility for 4 countries right off the bat (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan). It sounded like a challenge. Turned out to be fate.
The interview process was quite the quest. Multiple stages, meetings with future colleagues, managers, the HR function itself. Every time, I had to prove that a marketer with 20 years of experience in IT and game development could not only understand HR but turn it upside down. The HR market was a dark forest to me back then. I knew how to promote printers, software, and games, but “selling” vacancies and an employer? A completely different lens.
But — I made it. And in January 2024, I started at the new place.
And you know what? I found that vibe.
Colleagues who genuinely have your back. Processes that are clear and transparent. Management that actually listens. And a company that lets you do not just “work,” but real international-scale projects. The most unusual, interesting, bold ideas don’t get shot down at the door; they ask: “What do you need to make them happen?”
Yes, I had to rebuild myself. After almost 10 years in IT and technology, diving into HR was like jumping into ice-cold water. A new language, a new audience, new pains. But this is exactly where my old skills took on a new light. I started a deep transformation of the marketing function within the company, and it turned out to be even more interesting than I expected.
And the fact that I’m responsible for 4 countries kept the interest at a “goosebumps” level. Because this is exactly what I love, know, and practice — building complex systems, managing multitasking, and seeing results in the numbers.
Now, looking back, I understand: sometimes you need to jump into the unknown to find what you’ve been missing. At Manpower, I didn’t just find a job. I found an environment where you want to grow, experiment, and not be afraid to make mistakes.
And yes, HR marketing is no longer a dark forest. It’s a new challenge that I absolutely love.
P.S. Colleagues, thank you for welcoming me. I’m here to stay. 😉