This is part two of FoodGrads' three-part HR miniseries, built for students entering the food and beverage industry with support from De Lacy Executive Recruitment.

In this episode, we get into what hiring managers actually do when they open your resume - and what happens in those first five to seven seconds that determines whether you make the pile or not.

Steve McIntyre is the Vice President of People and Culture at Fine Choice Foods, a Richmond, BC-based manufacturer of spring rolls, gyoza, bao buns, and other premium dim sum products.

Steve started his career as a maintenance electrician.

He did not plan to end up in HR - but food manufacturing has a way of creating lateral opportunities for people who stay curious, and that is exactly what happened to him.

In this conversation, Steve shares what hiring managers are really looking for, why your education section is not doing the work you think it is, and how to make yourself visible in a market where four hundred people are applying for the same role.

If you are a student or new grad trying to figure out your next move, this one is worth your time.

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Shownotes

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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!

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro
01:30 - Steve's Role at Fine Choice Foods
04:00 - About Fine Choice Foods
07:30 - Steve's Path into HR
13:00 - How Students Get Hired
17:00 - Reading Entry-Level Resumes
22:00 - Personal Summaries That Stand Out
26:00 - Are Cover Letters Worth It?
29:00 - Extracurriculars on Your Resume
32:00 - Showing Technical Skills
34:00 - What Impresses in an Interview
38:00 - Managing Interview Nerves
41:00 - Common Interview Mistakes
44:00 - How to Research Company Culture
48:00 - What Hiring Managers Actually Ask
52:00 - Job Searching in a Tough Market
56:00 - Final Advice for Students

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📙 Career Guides
💭 Career Advice

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CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Steve McIntyre LinkedIn

💼 Fine Choice Foods LinkedIn
🌐 Fine Choice Foods Website

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In episode one of our HR-Miniseries we are talking about what hiring managers actually look for, how to approach resumes and interviews, and realistic ways that students can build experience and momentum as they start their careers.

Nicolas Pretorius is Talent Acquisition Manager at Highliner Foods, one of North America's leading processors of frozen, added-value seafood.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

• What hiring managers actually look for on an entry-level resume
• Why soft skills often separate candidates more than technical ones
• How to use the skill bucket resume format with limited experience
• What "culture fit" really means and better questions to ask instead

You might think getting hired is about having the right degree or the right experience.

As Nicolas will show you today, it's really about how you tell your story and the soft skills that most candidates overlook.

If you're a student or new grad figuring out your next move, this one is worth your time.

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Shownotes

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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!

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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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📙 Career Guides
💭 Career Advice

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CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Nicolas Pretorius LinkedIn

💼 Highliner Foods LinkedIn
🌐 Highliner Foods Website

CONNECT WITH US
📸 Instagram
🎵 TikTok
💼 LinkedIn

Enea Lelaj is a Confectionery Specialist at Tilray Brands, working at the intersection of food science, product development, and one of Canada's fastest‑changing industries.

In this episode of That's a Food Job!, Enea shares how his path into food science was anything but planned. Starting in chemistry at Toronto Metropolitan University, he followed curiosity into a food research lab and discovered a field that combined science, creativity, and real‑world impact.

Today, Enea develops gummies, chocolates, and tablets infused with active cannabinoids. He talks candidly about what real R&D looks like beyond textbooks — balancing regulation, rapid iteration, and problem‑solving in a fast‑moving, highly regulated space. The conversation explores why creativity matters just as much as technical skill, how graduate school prepared him to tackle unsolved problems, and why staying open to unexpected opportunities can lead to surprisingly cool careers.

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ShowNotes

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CareersNOW! is Food and Beverage Ontario's multi‑year workforce development initiative that is connecting students and job seekers with employers in Ontario's food and beverage processing industry for exciting career opportunities. Check out CareersNOW.ca for more information on jobs, career pathways, industry mentors, and professional development opportunities.

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📙 Career Guides
💭 Career Advice

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CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Enea Lelaj LinkedIn

🌐 Tilray Brands

CONNECT WITH US
📸 Instagram
🎵 TikTok
💼 LinkedIn