Arpad Szakal

The High Flyer's Secret Weapon.

Inspiring, championing and challenging professionals to show up more fully, stand up for what matters, and step up to make the biggest difference they can in the world.

Take Off Now

Hi, I’m Arpad.

Whether you’re looking for more meaning and wellbeing in your career and work life, or you are a leader desiring to develop your own authentic leadership style, my mission is to support you to thrive at work.

I work with individuals globally to support them in achieving their professional goals; and with organisations and their leaders, to ensure that their employees are both engaged and thriving within their working environment.

What my clients say

I have professionally discovered Arpad thanks to some shared connections on LinkedIn and decided to take on board his experience and skills to have support in reviewing and relaunch my career path in Aviation, during these difficult times following the Covid19 pandemic. Arpad has been instrumental in helping to question and challenge my beliefs and ideas when it came to present my skills set and resume to potential new employers. Arpad’s attention to his clients is genuine and he is always ready to out in place a robust 2 ways process to extract the best value and obtain the best possible outcome for his client’s careers and development. Great guy and professional!

E. Zangrilli, Airport Executive, Italy

I first came into contact with Arpad when he gave a very engaging career talk to the Royal Aeronautical Society. I engaged him to coach me for a career transition and I find him a very efficient coach, highly skilled in giving specific guidance suited to each individual situation. His analysis of my future work interests was to the point and his advice for my job applications tailored exactly to my needs, while also giving me some out-of-the-box ideas for my next career step. He is a straight-forward communicator and excellent at giving constructive criticism. My first job application following our coaching sessions resulted in an invitation to a job interview at a very prestigious organisation within the sector of my interest.

Susanne S., Six Sigma Black Belt Practitioner, France

By asking thought-provoking questions, I particularly liked Arpad’s approach from the very first session. Since I was seeking to improve my personal branding documents, he made me realize I was much more than what I had described myself on paper, which boosted my confidence. As a professional, I found him easy to communicate with and appreciated his candor at all times. Will certainly be using his experience as I progress onto more advanced stages in the recruitment process. I would definitely recommend him as a coach to individuals looking to improve their pitch as a jobseekers.

Mohit C., Commercial Pilot, Spain

Arpad is a ‘top advisor’ within his field. He offers honest, straightforward and thoughtful ideas which work. He applies his experience to reshaping preconceptions and provides insights into the workings of the employment industry and the mechanics required to change mindsets. Arpad is very approachable, has a detailed understanding of the ‘Job Search’ and ‘Career Change’ process and would be my recommended ‘go-to’ (first port of call) for anyone looking for (A). independent advice, (B). considering changing sectors or (C). repositioning themselves within their current sector.

T. Mockett, Director of Infrastructure & Capital Planning, Belgium

If you are looking for an expert who will dedicate himself to guiding you through uncharted waters, look no further! When faced with the need for a career change, Arpad has helped me open up my mind to so many possibilities I didn’t see before. His intuition and knowledge about transferrable skills is unlimited. In his coaching, he is honest and to the point. He doesn’t waste time and never fails to add positivity to every session. His encouraging style provides room for personal growth and confidence to explore new territory. Thanks to Arpad I am now actively networking every day with professionals all over the world. I very much enjoyed my sessions with Arpad and I highly recommend him to anyone looking for guidance in their professional development.

Bénédicte V., Aviation Psychologist, Belgium

Arpad has an inquisitive and curious nature, leading him to ask interesting and challenging questions as a coach. Working with Arpad challenged my thinking and helped me to explore new perspectives, reframe my thinking and gain new insights!

Tori J., International Conservation Specialist, UK

When being coached by Arpad, I benefitted hugely from his genuine and obvious curiosity about my goals. His very sharp logical reasoning created insightful questions that helped me focus my thinking and enabled me to take action myself following our conversations. His framing created a great invitation for me to think further than I would have been otherwise able.

C. Martin, Director of Talent, UK

Arpad is an impressive coach, not only he’s warm and approachable, he is also passionate and genuine in helping me to transition from my Airline career. From our first two sessions, he could already identify swiftly and accurately my strengths & weaknesses.  His experience enables him to work with a broad range of individuals in a solution focused and effective way. He is sharp, fast, responsive and diligent and was able to cover lots of topics in our short sessions. I can’t believe that we managed to make such a significant improvement to my professional writing skills in such a short period of time. Thank you so much, Arpad for making this possible! I would highly recommend him to any individual, professional or business. 

M. Agustin, Client Relationship Manager, Singapore

Arpad is a great mix of calm, control and powerful questioning. He creates the space for conversations to be fully explored. His knowledge of career growth and transition is second to none and his ability to remain impartial and non judgemental is a perfect setting for coaching.

Emy R-M., Group HR People & Culture Lead, UK

I recently worked with Arpad giving me the valuable chance to be coached by him towards my new career goals and opportunities. Arpad expertly helped me clarify achievable and meaningful targets to strive for and after each session we committed to tangible actions I could take to make real progress. Throughout our coaching relationship, Arpad utilised a variety of tools and techniques to get me to think in new ways beyond the surface of the challenges I presented. Arpad is warm, sensitive and approachable coach with an innate ability to deliver our sessions in the right tone to make them hugely effective for me. I highly recommend him to anyone who is considering hiring a business coach.

Sam F., International Media Executive, UK

My Thought Leadership

6 Effective Strategies to Help You Get Spotted by Talent Brokers

There are countless articles on the web on how make your LinkedIn profile stand out and optimize for better visibility. It is easy to find tips on all aspects of your profile from the perfect headshot to advice on how to respond to InMail messages.

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How to Think About Your Transferable Skills as Cabin Crew?

It’s no secret that many employers favour candidates who have relevant industry-specific experience. However, from my experience, some organisations recognise the value of hiring cross-sector. A candidate with an “outside view” can potentially bring a competitive advantage to a business.

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How to Tell a Concise & Compelling Career Story as an Aviation Pro

In my discussions around career reorientation with friends and contacts in the aerospace & aviation industries, I’ve witnessed many people struggling to explain what they want to do next and why a change makes sense. Many in aviation are in the midst of significant transitions and the ability to craft a good career story can make a real difference in effectively managing a change in career direction.

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