My Food Job Rocks!

Forbes named him 30 Under 30. Zagat did the same. UC Davis wrote an article about him. HIC The Useful Tool and The Culinologist interviewed him. He gave two TED talks and is about to roll out a book. He will now be interviewed for this podcast. His name is Bouzari, Ali Bouzari. He is a Culinary Scientist at Pilot R + D, holding a doctoracte in food biochemistry and having served as a research chef for the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. His interview with Adam Yee not only inspires many food industry members to strive for a better tasting and more creative food product, but also brings to light humble beginnings of how a man, a dream and a passion can make the world a better place to cook, eat and understand the impact science has on both. For culinary science! About Ali Bouzari As an Iranian Texan, Ali Bouzari grew up with exposure to different cuisines, but most notably, beef over an open flame. His affinity for food and science lead him to become the guy where all the top chefs call him for help on the science of food. After waking up from a nightmare, he googled on his phone, “food chemistry PhD” and found himself at the University of California, Davis for Food Biochemistry. Strategically located near Napa and Sonoma’s food scene and San Francisco’s thriving entrepreneurial food and tech hub, Davis was his master plan to be the guy where chefs call him. Between being an instructor for the Culinary Institute of America and a graduate student at Davis, he juggled being a freelance consultant for chefs, tapping into the new market of research chefs. Later, he co-founded a consulting firm with top research chefs and a stealthy food lawyer to help make his dream of becoming the go to people for solving food problems. Pilot R + D The genesis of Pilot R + D came through by recognizing collaboration between chefs with diverse research and development backgrounds is much better than independent work. As a special operations delta force, the band of chefs, Kyle Connaughton, Ali Bouzari, Dan Felder and Dana Peck (part lawyer and part chef), became the founding members of an innovation and development firm. Who you gonna call when you’re in need of help as a food and tech entrepreneur? Pilot R + D. Who acts as the hotline during the 11th hour as a fast casual service advisor? Pilot R + D. Research starts with eating a load of good food as a business expense. That’s a job worthwhile where one gets paid to eat food because of science and research! Aside from research, Ali and his colleagues solve problems with a hybrid ideology of product development/food science and culinary/chef mindset. With the approach of flavor being important and ingredient functionality in the context of the whole food, the team tries to figure out their limitations on each project to develop to their clients’ expectations. At times, they think about how pragmatic some projects are and aren’t afraid to admit the impractical demand of the project. That is not to say they are highly selective with their clients. They equally accept any range of proposals. To learn more about Pilot R + D, you can find more information here. Key Takeaways (this episode only) Read Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking Culinary Science Food ingredients in the context of chefs is to look at the whole ingredient, not the purified form What we talk about (this episode only) TED Talk Culinary Science Harold McGee UC Davis Biochemistry PhD Culinary Institute of America French Laundry Alton Brown Good Eats Pilot R&D Kyle Connaughton (Fat Duck) Dan Felder (Momofuku) Dana (Morrison Foerster) Grassroots consultancy for chefs Chef scientist Trend forecasting Ingredient Functionality Advice: Learn how to say I can’t do that or it can’t be done Flavor and Taste Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we have Philip Saneski, an inspiring, young, proactive, dude who has recently been working hard to build up the Research Chefs Association Student section. Philip works in an innovative consulting company in San Francisco as an intern, has experience as a pastry chef and, as a student, during the school year, he is involved quite heavily in the Research Chef’s Association (RCA). You might remember the Research Chefs Association or Culinology program in episode 12, where Kim Schaub talks about her experiences. Her podcast features culinologists from the RCA. Enjoy the interview! Phil really shines a light on everything the RCA has to offer. About Philip Saneski Philip has culinary experience working in San Francisco Chronicle's 'Top 100 Bay Area restaurants', and Michelin star kitchens as a line cook on multiple stations, as a Pastry Chef for an upscale hotel, at AQ Restaurant, a James Beard Award finalist for 'Best New Restaurant in the Country' and most recently Bob's Well Bread Bakery, named one of the 'Top 15 Small Town Bakeries in the Country' by Travel & Leisure magazine. In addition to being a certified wine sommelier, Philip has expanded his palate by working for award-winning chefs in Portland and Austin. As President and Co-Founder of the Research Chefs Association Student Committee, he is passionate about providing long-term food industry careers to talented students who are able to combine food science and culinary arts - what he calls 'extending the shelf life of chefs'. Interested students can find out more about these R&D opportunities through his Student Committee team's student-run blog The Culinologist: Creating the Future of Food. Philip's extensive pastry experience and volunteer involvement for non-profit organizations led to a coveted internship at a San Francisco Bay Area-based food science product development consultancy, A LA Carte Connections, LLC. During his time as an intern, he became even more enthralled with developing future food products. From gluten-free baked goods to no-bake energy bars, from plant-based proteins to cricket flour. He says that representing innovative start-ups as well as established global corporations is (thankfully) never the same. Whether Philip's balancing school with early mornings as a Pastry Chef or in R&D, everyday his Food Job Rocks! He wants all food interested students to feel the same enthusiasm by making them aware of the numerous career paths available beyond the restaurant kitchen. In March 2016, Philip was given the Research Chefs Association President's Award, the first student ever in the association's 20 year history. About the RCA The Research Chefs Association is the leading professional community for food research and development. Its members are the pioneers of the discipline of Culinology® - the blending of culinary arts and the science of food. Key Takeaways More insight about the world of RCA/Culinology Phil’s awesome tagline and love of crazy desserts How you might benefit if you join the RCA Student Association What We Talk About Rachel Zemsher Pastry Chef A La Carte Connections The Village Pub AQ Restaurant and Bar Allan Hancock Granada Bistro Bob’s Well Bread Research Chefs Association RCA Conference Gochujang Sous Vide RCA President, Catherine Proper Culinology Magazine Chocolate Beet Cake Phil in 5 Years: Somewhere Innovative Kite Hill What Phil Looks for in a Job: Opportunity Mark Crowell, CuliNex RCA Student Committiee Favorite Kitchen Item: Quenelle Spoons Thomas Keller Advice: Work Backwards Peas on Moss Download Episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we have a really cool food job. Julie Miguel can be described as a woman who wears many hats and you’ll see in this episode how much she’s involved in. She’s a food stylist, food media expert, recipe developer, has been on TV multiple times on different stations, and her most important job; being a mother. So this is a very fun interview and you’ll get a lot of really cool, practical tips for how to improve your food photography and recipe development skills. The most important thing in this interview is to really listen to Julie’s advice on achieving your goals. About Julie Miguel Julie Miguel is a digital content producer with a specialization in food media as well as an active food blogger.  The focus of her blog, Daily Tiramisu, is to empower home cooks to be fearless in the kitchen. She does this by taking traditionally difficult recipes and making them easier to execute. Cooking is something that Julie has always been fiercely passionate about. She began cooking after the tragic passing of her mother at age 15.  She is not a trained chef, however, she is a home cook with a lot of real life experience who has trained with many well-known chefs. Julie continues to broaden her culinary experience through her work.  In May of 2016, Julie completed a culinary training and Chinese culture program in Suzhou, China. Julie’s food media career began after she placed 7th on the inaugural season of CTV’s MasterChef in Canada.  Since then, she started her blog and has made numerous appearances on The Marilyn Denis Show and other national and local television channels.  Julie continues to make regular appearances as a cooking segment presenter on television as well as hosting live events.  She has partnered with many nationally recognized food and lifestyle brands and is the co-founder of Mami Umami, a program aimed at teaching youth, life skills in the kitchen.  She has grown a significant social media following through her diverse work and continues to find innovative ways to engage her fans. When she’s not developing recipes for her clients, Julie sits on the Program Advisory Council at Centennial College in Canada where she acts as an industry adviser for their Food Media program.  She is also the Blog Award Chair for the Taste Canada Awards where she administers the Blog Award and also acts as the webmaster and Taste Canada Cooks the Books, Stage Assistant. Her favorite thing to do, besides cooking, is spending time with her husband and two young boys. Key Takeaways What makes a good food photograph How Master Chef Canada inspired and launched her food career Why you should have a personal website What We Talk About Daily Tiramisu Food Photography Organizing Your Week Lady York Foods in Toronto MasterChef Canada Merylyn Denis Segments - #1 Talkshow in Canada Local Rogers JulieMiguel.com Food Technology: 30 second food videos - For example, Tasty Snapchat Centennial College Inspiration: The production crew for Master Chef Kitchen Item: Meat Cleaver from China Mario Batali Squid Ink Favorite Food: Pizza (Thin crust) Quebec Pizza Advice to be a Food Stylist: Put yourself out there and sometimes, training doesn’t matter Something Inspiring: Look at someone inspiring, and aspire to do the things they do             Download Episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I promise, this is the last Cal Poly alumni episode for a while (at least until episode 25)! But I gotta tell you about Katie Lanfranki. Katie is currently a Research & Development Technologist at South Coast Baking, Co. She is one of the most supportive, proactive people I’ve ever met. Katie’s a very inspiring person and she is super knowledgeable. In this interview, you’re going to see just how passionate and excited she is in her job. One of the most valuable pieces of information I’ve found in this interview is about the choice to choose between Graduate School or working in the industry (around 30 minutes in). Katie has helped me in product development competitions, with lots of extracurricular activities and she has been extremely supportive in almost everything I do. She was one of my friends to whom I showed this podcast and she has been extremely helpful, before we even launched. As the podcast picked up momentum, she wanted to help out the FoodGrads cause, like I did. Together we’re working on some really cool campaigns that will launch in the coming months. She was all ready to go to graduate school, and then, decided not too. And she brings some amazing insight on doing this. If you would like to listen to more of our episodes, make sure to check out our iTunes link. If you like them, we would love it if you could rate, review and tell your friends! Thanks! About Katie Lanfranki Beginning her undergraduate education as a Mathematics major at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Katie quickly discovered she sought a major that allowed for more creativity and innovation. Taking a leap of faith, she transferred majors to Food Science due to her love of food and understanding that the necessity of eating would likely promise job security. She quickly discovered the multidisciplinary major was a perfect match, as it allowed her to dip her toe into numerous subjects while constantly getting to try new foods and feed her inner foodie. In her current role, she develops, as well as maintains, the development of new and improved products. With a love for learning and passion for food, Katie loves to dive into all facets of the food industry. About South Coast Baking South Coast Baking is a wholesale manufacturing company in the frozen dough industry. The company does everything from co-manufactured, custom formula cookies, to innovative panning systems. South Coast Baking sets the standard for delivering the highest quality and lowest possible cost in the frozen cookie dough industry. South Coast Baking’s mission is to produce the highest quality product at the lowest cost. Their philosophy will always be to take care of its customers’ needs – one cookie at a time.  Key Takeaways Why you will never get bored in the food industry Why we talk about In-and-Out So much How important it is to get Involved in College Why Katie decided to choose a job first over graduate school What We Talk About Frozen Cookie Pucks Triangle Tests Networking! Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Episode 5 Wellness Conference Important Skill: Patience and a Passion for Learning Gluten-Free The Recession Open-Door Policy 3D Printing Packaging Minor Favorite Kitchen Item: Rubber Spatula Altonbrowncast Serial Undisclosed Stuff You Should Know How Umami Works How Caffeine Works America Test Kitchen Milk Street Kitchen Favorite Food: Ketchup with French Fries Well-done In-and-Out fries In and Out That’s what a hamburger is all about Advice for students: Get Involved IFTSA Chapters Continental Mills Download Episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you remember episode 2 and episode 11? Both Trevor Fast and Andrea Zeng took this dude’s chocolate class and were even promoted to work in chocolate production on campus. Today, we’re interviewing a man who has been enamoured with food all his life. He was our professor at Cal Poly, he owned and owns bakeries and chocolate shops, and he spends his time donating chocolate-making equipment to Africa. This man is the one and only: Dr. Tom Neuhaus. If you would like to listen to more of our episodes, make sure to check out our itunes link. If you like them, we would love it if you could rate and review. Thanks! About Dr. Tom Neuhaus Rich. That’s one word that comes to mind when we listen to this episode. Retired professor, business owner and philanthropist, Dr. Tom Neuhaus is rich with stories, experiences, knowledge and, well, chocolate! After an adventurous life baking and cooking across the world and teaching at some of the most well known academic food universities, we have decided that Dr. Nehaus is the epitome of food and science. After training as a chef and baker in Europe, mainly in France and Austria, Dr. Neuhaus found himself eager to open his own restaurant.  Leaving his first restaurant, Sweetish Hill Bakery and Restaurant in Austin, Texas, Dr. Neuhaus found his way to New York City and later Washington D.C. as an Executive Chef at restaurants like Quo Vadis and Fifty States. Following a myriad of prestigious chef positions he entered the world of academia; writing columns for The Washington Post as well as teaching at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration (where he earned his PhD). Most recently he taught at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo teaching Sensory Science, Food and Culture, as well as his famous Chocolate Classes! Mama Ganache In 2004, Dr. Neuhaus opened Mama Ganache, a small chocolate business in San Luis Obispo. Mama Ganache makes high quality, ethically sourced and produced chocolates that are both Fair Trade and Organic Certified. Through his business, Dr. Neuhaus has begun making directly sourced chocolates that are not only quality treats but also bring awareness to fair trade and small cocoa farmers in West Africa. Project Hope and Fairness (PHF), founded by Dr. Neuhaus, helps cocoa farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire) with their cocoa production, manufacturing, sales and trade. PHF grounds itself in three platforms- directly supporting cocoa farmers, educating consumers about the cocoa market and encouraging larger chocolate producers to see the importance in adopting Fair Trade policies. We fully believe Dr. Neuhaus hit the nail on the head with his philosophy on being creative, fully inspired and excited by food. We hope you enjoy this high-energy episode with a wonderful and passionate Food Scientist.  Hey Oprah! Are you listening?!? Tom's Ventures To learn more about Project Hope and Fairness and all of Dr. Neuhaus’s amazing work in the Ivory Coast and Ghana please visit http://projecthopeandfairness.org/ Small businesses are making a big difference! To eat some of Mama Ganaches’ delicious treats, find them in San Luis Obispo on Monterey Street or have some delivered right to your door. If you want to read snippets of Dr. Neuhaus’s (yet-to-be-published) autobiography, see what’s tempering in the Mama Ganache kitchen or to see some pictures of his recent adventures to Ghana head over to his blog at https://tomsfoodworld.com/ Key takeaways When you go into food, you are driven by it Why you should invest in small businesses, even if they are in other countries Why finding your muse will set you for life What we talk about Malcolm Gladwell Howard Moskowitz Cal Poly Chocolates Mama Ganache artisan chocolate Project hope and fairness Shoes stuffed with cigarettes German chocolate Lindt chocolate Favorite Food: Anchovies First Venue: Bakery in Texas Cornell University Eco-hotels in Africa Jacques Torres Technical skill: Curiosity Anthony Bourdain- kitchen confidential Bedford Stuyvesant Fair trade Organic Pine needle beverage Favorite Kitchen Item: Melanger Cement manufacturing Calcium carbonate Fine chocolate industry association Bean to bar association Single origin Favorite Food: Eggs, Fresh tuna, Uni Favorite Quote: Voltaire – I personally don’t like religion but my valet does so he doesn’t steal my spoon Best Advice: Culture and language, Language and food Oprah Depa is the first country in Africa to make their own chocolate Paul Farmer   Download Episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So this interview was from a deal I made with Taryn Yee. I interview her… and then she would interview me. Ideally, I should have made this episode number 5, right? Why should I wait for episode 13? Well, my birthday is January 13th, a baker’s dozen has 13 of something, 13 is an unlucky number? Whichever explanation your prefer, I’ve decided to use my interview for episode 13. Here’s my point of view from my perspective. Taryn Yee asks some pretty funny questions in this one. If you would like to listen to more of our episodes, make sure to check out our itunes link. If you like them, we would love it if you could rate and review. Thanks! About Adam Yee I really don't like writing my own bio. Here's a bit on my linkedin: Food Science Professional who loves to learn all aspects of a business. Likes to get involved in multiple projects, never afraid to help out, and has a huge passion for food. Other activities include involvement in the cultural and food scene in Phoenix including: - Creating a meetup for Asian transplants in Arizona - Joining Asian focused non-profits to better understand community in Phoenix - Offering services to non-profit organizations to help local food buisnesses - Help multiple startups with innovative projects If you need any advice on the food industry or just want to talk, just message me! About Isagenix Isagenix International LLC is a Direct Sales company that markets dietary supplements and personal care products. The company, based in Gilbert, Arizona, was founded in 2002 by John Anderson, Jim Coover, and Kathy Coover. As of 2013 the company reported having over 200,000 active sales associates. In 2012, the company reported revenues of approximately $335 million. The majority of Isagenix's sales come from the United States. Key takeaways - What happens when you go all in when you choose a major in college - Using Science to improve creativity - Why we should invest in food education What we talk about Wednesday lunches with Adam Yee Jambalaya Takoyaki Disney competition Extrusion Phoenix Arizona Food startups Coffee We should focus on: Food education Favorite Quote: Everybody is a Genius. But If You Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree, It Will Live Its Whole Life Believing that It is Stupid Second Favorite Quote: Butter makes everything better Onion cutting goggles Favorite Book: Steve jobs autobiography Favorite Kitchen Item: Cast iron pan In and out Plant based Burger 4 People You'd Like Dinner With Alton Brown Andrew Zimmerman Anthony Bourdain (why I don't want him) Nigella Lawson Mark Zuckerberg  --> in hindsight, I'd choose Elon Musk   <!-- START 2014 Download Link --> Download Episode <!-- END 2014 Download Link --> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So last week, I interviewed Andrea, a Food Technologist working for Lundberg Family Farm, and today, I’m interviewing someone from there too - her boss, a Product Developer and Research Chef at Lundberg! What are the odds? And the meeting between her and I was a completely different scenario as well. It started when I joined Podcaster’s Paradise to jumpstart my Podcasting experience and I saw a poster who looked familiar. I might have seen her on Linkedin actually. I clicked and she worked for Lundberg. I asked Andrea about her and what do you know, it’s her boss. Yes, Kimberly King Schuab was in the same podcast course as I was, and we connected instantly. We realized we had a lot in common so we agreed to collaborate and interview each other. Her episode can be found in the show notes. About Kimberly Schaub Kimberly Schaub is a nutritionist, turned chef, turned product developer, working for Lundberg Family Farms in Richvale, CA. A former Air Force officer, Kimberly has explored a multitude of ways to use her nutritional science training, from running dining facilities to teaching college classes and even food writing. When she's not in the test kitchen or running a sensory panel, Kimberly hosts the PeasOnMoss and The Culinologist Podcasts, volunteers for the Research Chef Association and Institute of Food Technologists, trains for the Rock n Roll Half Marathon, and rock climbs in picturesque Northern California. About Lundberg Family Farms Lundberg Family Farms, based in Richvale, California, in the United States, produces rice, chips, packages, and markets organic foods. It is family owned and has been a pioneer in organic farming, especially rice products. It was the first business to produce and market a brand of organic rice in the United States. Today it is one of the United States' top brands of organic products, with 14,000 acres (57 km2) under management. Key Takeaways The magic behind Modernist Cuisine Communicating between you and your co-packer Why you can start something and others should follow The art of being a product developer What we talk about Podcaster's Paradise The airforce Research Chef Association Labels Graham Kerr Seattle Culinary Academy Modernist Cuisine Lundberg Family Farm Beecher's Handmade Cheese (artisan food) Most Important Skill: Mental Math and Excel spreadsheets CoPacker Granola Bars Northwest Naturals Cactus IFT Culinology Program offered at a few industries A Book called Culinology Peas on Moss Peas on Moss Podcast Vegetarian Meats Substitutes Acid Rain Andrea Zeng The Galloping Gourmet Favorite Quote: Maya Angelou – “Eating is so intimate"  Favorite Kitchen Item: Global knife Full Tang blade Favorite Food: Thai Food – Pad Thai, Curry, Mango Sticky Rice Best Advice: Always ask questions first Culinologist Podcast CFS – Certified Food Scientist       Download Episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I interview Andrea Zeng, long time friend, some time rivals. This is a great episode about choosing between culinary school and a degree in food science. Note that you can always have both (as you will find out in a future episode!). We're going to be talking about a lot of cool food science terms like enzymes and retro-gradation. Hang on!! If you would like to listen to more of our episodes, make sure to check us out on iTunes. If you like them, we'd appreciate it if you could rate and review them. Thanks! About Andrea Andrea is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science and a minor in Packaging. She currently works as a Food Technologist at Lundberg Family Farms, developing new consumer packaged goods within the natural and organic category. During her time at Cal Poly, Andrea was a Student Lead Product Developer at Cal Poly Chocolates. With Cal Poly Chocolates, a student run business through the Food Science Department, Andrea was able to turn ideas into new products and ultimately onto shelves of stores in the local community. By working in a student run business Andrea helped with order fulfillment, inventory management, student management and special events. Currently located in Richvale, California, Andrea works with products ranging from chips, to rice cakes, rice and risottos. Using her experience with quality at Earthbound Farms, her practice in the lab at university and innovation with chocolate, Andrea has been able to create new (and I might say "yummy"!) rice entrees, rice cakes and puffed snacks.  Outside of the test kitchen Andrea also works with sensory testing and food styling and recipe suggestions for the Lundberg website (how cool is that!?). Check out some of Andrea’s creations at most major grocery stores! About Lundberg Family Farms Lundberg Family Farms, based in Richvale, California, in the United States, produces rice, chips, packages, and markets organic foods. It is family owned and has been a pioneer in organic farming, especially rice products. It was the first business to produce and market a brand of organic rice in the United States. Today it is one of the United States' top brands of organic products, with 14,000 acres (57 km2) under management. Key Takeaways Why Andrea (and I guess, me) chose majoring in Food Science over Culinary School How Food Science might enhance your cooking skills The frustration of targeting timelines and waiting for product success What we talk about Lundberg Family Farms IFT16 Ridgeview California Heat and Eat Cal Poly Peach Cobbler Enzymes Denature Food Chemistry Retrogradation Vending Machine Restaurants Food Network Giada DeLaurentiss Ina Gartner Alton Brown Victorian Nox Chef’s Knife Zoodle thing Box Grater Quest Noodles Savory Granola Bars Vietnamese Spring Rolls Just Do It Download Episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we are going to talk about my experience getting a job in the food industry as a senior in college. Everyone has a different experience, but mine might relate to yours. (Yes, the picture is photoshopped) If you would like to listen to more of our episodes, make sure to check out our itunes link. If you like them, we would love it if you could rate and review. Thanks! Key Takeaways Best techniques and resources for resume/CV writing One of the best types of advice I received is to focus on the job description Why it might be beneficial moving to a new city What we talk about Waco Texas Career Centers Carl's Jr Foodgrads' top 3 tips for landing your first job What color shirt should you wear for job interviews? Cactus Section IFT (for example) Transcript For some background information, I was very involved in my department in Cal Poly and in my junior year, I received my first internship offer in Fall quarter. So about this internship, all I can tell you is that it was a very well-known company but it was one of those well-known companies which own EVERYTHING. So lucky me, I got the internship, was super excited and then I was sent to Waco Texas for a job…at a slaughter house. As much as I like seeing turkeys getting beheaded and getting half off on deli meat, I found the work a bit unsatisfying and the town unenjoyable. I guess I did the work well enough that I got a job offer, but I had to decline due to the fact that I really didn’t like the location. I came back to college to start a new. So with this background, I thought I would get a job pretty easily. Given that I got my first internship in the Fall. I was wrong, but I didn't give up. Of course I didn’t give up, I needed a job! I started to apply to jobs seriously on January giving me a 6 month time bomb before I graduated. Getting a job before graduating is a good goal everyone should attain and my advice is to actually start at Fall. But the main reason you should start at Fall is to review and renovate your resume. Your resume is your written sales infographic that lets you convince people you are great. The best part of a resume is that you can tell in a black and white fashion if it's working or not. If you get hits, your resume is working. If you're not, then you need some help. Once I realized I wasn't getting hits in late-Fall, I went to some FREE resume seminars offered at our career center and signed up to get my resume looked at. The improvements were tremendous and I would highly suggest doing this first if you are serious about getting a job...which you should be. During this, I busted out 2 resumes: a 1 page resume which explains a quick, basic rundown on skills that show I'm a valuable person and a 2 page resume (front and back) where I listed a run down and on the back, posted project summaries if they were more interested. The career center lady justified that it was ok to have a 2 pager just because I was involved in a lot of stuff. So there are two types of resumes people look at. If you're in a supervisory role, people judge your ability to be a leader and how to be proactive. This is in general a very important skill but should be highlighted when you apply to leadership type of positions such as a supervisor The second 2 page resume was highly technical and talked about amazing projects such as product development competitions and microbiological labs. I found this resume to be very effective with product development and R and D roles. Both of these got amazing hits and next thing I knew, the next 6 months were literally traveling 4 hours each way to interview with companies of all shapes and sizes. Almost every month, I had 2 in-house interviews that caused me to travel far. This is also where I learned the magic of reaching out and sleeping at old friend's couches and catching up for the weekend from family members to old high school friends, I thank them so much for letting me stay over just for a job interview. I think phone interviews and in-house are relatively the same and you need to learn to say digestible and relate-able experiences to your manager. The only difference is that youa re in person and they visualize you as a good fit for the company don’t judge you based off of words alone. My advice is that every time you need to answer a question, you need to answer with a story of why what you did is relatable. Remember to keep it decently short and always end with a loop around in which answers the question. I think it's wise (or should I say, inevitable) that your job search is going to be very specific and if you keep on not getting jobs, your horizons will be broader and broader. I started with specifically product developer jobs and I didn't get very many hits. After a month or so, I had some anxiety about the situation and started to tenaciously apply to jobs outside of my scope, but stayed in the realm of the food industry. There were certain barriers I wanted to not touch, namely it can't be in a rural town (unless it's close to people I know like my grandparents) and it had to be food related (duh! I got my degree for a reason!). I think it's good to have some standards no matter what when applying for jobs. So you really need to ask first: what's important to you? So let's see, in the course of 6 months, I traveled a lot. From my comfy San Luis Obispo home, and traveled everywhere from San Francisco, the whole Bay Area, Los Angeles, Carpenteria, Fresno, other rural towns, and of course, Arizona. In some weekends, I had to plan an interview Friday and Monday so I slept over at a friend's house for the weekend. Fun stuff. And these companies were big and small. Off the top of my head, they ranged from all sorts of jobs in all sorts of industries. Production, Quality, Research and Development mainly and in such industries as meat, bread, cheese, spices, coffee, and other things like that. One of my favorite interviews that I really was devastated I missed was a job at Carl's Jr's headquarters near the beach at Carpenteria California. I crushed the interview and was a shoe in to become a food technologist and make fast food all day. I had a lead with a technologist to whom I sent in my resume and got an interview with the Vice President of R and D. Unfortunately, I lost out to a more experienced candidate. That set me back emotionally for a while. My least favorite interview was a noodle factory in Los Angeles where the interviewers made rude, snarky comments about my intelligence. It looked like a dump anyways. The more jobs I interviewed, the more depressed, the more irritable I became. My self-worth was crushed but I had to keep going or else my pride would be shattered, right? I cared so much about my reputation and comparing myself to my peers what I became very paranoid and looking back at it, I was stupid. Everyone who gets a job has this problem but in reality, I have to say, no one cares if you don't get a job, but people will care when you do. And that's something positive. I think the pivot happened in how things were going when I talked to my mentor/ department head about why I didn't have a job yet and he said something that I took into action: 100% of the focus in the interview needs to be tailored to them. And in hindsight, this was the reason I didn't get the job. I wasn't focused 100% on what they wanted, I focused on what I wanted and why I should be chosen. I had two more interviews next week. One in California and one in Arizona. The  first one was in California for a Quality Supervisor role, the one interviewing me was a tough guy and really grilled me. He told me to memorize the 5 commandments of the company which I had to memorize on the 3 hour car ride over. I did it, and he was very impressed. The interview was very tough as well, his questions were extremely specific and his stare down was intense. After a tour of the factory, we went to the quality department and talked about how he treated his team like family. That is where I realized... I probably got the job. The next was a flight to Arizona to a granola bar factory which hadn't even been built yet. I interviewed with the Vice President of Innovation and we really got into talking with the spirit of innovation. I think my personality won him over more than anything. And maybe its because I fit the bill. The position was for a Food Processing Technologist, a type of in-house research and development position that was open to a lot of possibilities because it was a brand new plant. I got both of them. And had to choose which one to choose. By now, maybe you know which one. Or not. So now this was also really hard. I could either stay close to my friends if I lived in California, or go to a place where I knew absolutely no one. Actually, let me list out the advantages and disadvantages of each: The quality job had better pay, it was in California in between San Luis Obispo and my grandparent's place in Fresno, I could see my friends often and my family as well. However, the job wasn't what I wanted: an R&D job, it was in the middle of nowhere, and I realized if the salary I was offered was worth working 6 days a week for 10 hours in the summer. The job in Arizona was more of a gamble, because I was letting go of being comfortable to land to somewhere uncomfortable. People kept on telling me that it was super conservative and super hot, which scared me. It's tough, people are always scared of the unknown. But the job was a foot in the door for something bigger potentially. It was labeled as a Research and Development job. And though it wasn't a comfy corporate job, it was something that could potentially be greater. After hundreds of conversations with pretty much everyone, I chose the job in Arizona. I think there were three key factors that made me chose Arizona over California: For one, the job was an R and D job which most of my friends said that at the end of the day, it’s a better field to be in. Another was the fact that this was turning over a new leaf for me and this was a potential chance to grow where I could never grow before.   The biggest reason, and I think the most important thing that mattered to me was the local community I would belong to. I suffered living in a town like Hanford, California at my internship in Texas and I knew I'd have a hard time adjusting. A city might be easier. I chose Phoenix because it was full of mystery and a bustling city with 6 million people. I was still young, and I needed to learn to grow up. Also, what's nice about simultaneously being offered 2 jobs is you can leverage pay. So I ended up equalizing the pay of the R&D job to the Quality job.   I could give you hours’ worth of reasons why it's a good idea to move where you absolutely know no one but I won’t. All I can tell you is that I have never been happier moving to this city because I’ve learned to take charge and grow myself. If I hadn’t moved to Phoenix, honestly, I don't think I would have had the courage to start this podcast. So let’s take some time to ruminate on some actionable items. Nicole and Juliette have this wonderful article about how people in the food industry recruit people and to be honest, most of my experiences are very relatable for what they’ve posted in their research article: Food Employers’ Top 3 Tips To Landing Your First Job.I’ll name their top three tips and add my two cents. I find this article extremely useful and I do honestly wish I had this information in hindsight. Their top three tips: Make sure you want the position. It may sound obvious, but interviewers can tell the difference between someone with a genuine motivation for a chosen field and someone that just wants a job. Interest is also tied to effort.  Being late, or an untidy appearance demonstrate interest levels that are lacking. If you are looking for a job, remember your goal but also remember your scope. My goal was an R and D job, but my scope was the food industry. Even if I didn’t get an R and D job, as long as I would be in the food industry, I not only would have a chance in an R and D job, but the experience of manufacturing, or document control, would actually make me more valuable to the next employer. There was a point in time where I was obsessed with the color of my dress shirt. I tested blue, green, and red. Coincidentally, my green shirt always got me job offers so now I call it my lucky green shirt. I even used this short when I applied to my current job and got in. 2 Research the company. Arriving unprepared without any idea of what the company produces or who their customers are, will seal your fate. You won’t get asked back. Tailor your “mindset” to the job description. In every job interview you do, it’s wise to read the job description hours before interviewing and direct most of your answers to the job description. This will show much more directly why you are the best fit for the job. Always remember: the point of a job is to help THEM with something. Their job isn’t supposed to solely improve you, it’s supposed to help them earn money so they can invest in you. Network. Get to know the industry and the players within it. Join associations, ask lots of questions and you will have the upper hand now, and in the future, as you move forward in your career. Making connections is just increasing your chance to luck. I admit: I exhausted my connections in college and still could not get a job from them. Connections are nice and I highly recommend hustling to get them, but they will never guarantee you a job. Funny story on this one: My second job transition, I knew two guys who interviewed me because I’ve hustled and networked a bunch in Phoenix. That’s another story. Also remember that it’s more about how strong your connections, in terms of your relationship to them and how well they know your name, than how many connections you have. Don’t forget to use industry specific recruitment websites like FoodGrads.com to find your job. There are so many industry specific websites out here. To find more, just google them. Literally food and job will work too. And it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get a job by graduation. In fact, some people would recommend taking a year off to do something totally unrelated. In hindsight, I kind of wish I did something like that but the race to get a job and not tarnish my reputation went to my head. It really depends on what you want and in what financial situation you’re in. You probably shouldn’t Eurotrip when you’re 5 figures in debt, but I’m also not your mother. Again, this is one example of a job hunt and I wanted to share it with you because this is something I would have loved to have been told about when I was looking for jobs. I want you to succeed.   Download Episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we eat and chat with Kyle Failia. As a Sales Manager with Glanbia (a global company supplying dairy isolates and functional ingredients), Kyle has found a perfect fit for his passion!   About Kyle  Originally a Nutrition student, Kyle's interest in functional ingredients and physical activity crossed paths at his sales position with Nutrishop. Through his interactions with customers and his curiosity for ingredients, Kyle became interested in the creative side of nutrition. However, knowing that he did not want to become a dietitian, he stumbled upon Food Science and became an undergraduate in the Food Science program at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. It is then that Kyle knew he had found the perfect fit.     As a result of product development competitions at Cal Poly and his involvement as a board member at IFTSA (Institute of Food Technologist Student Association) Kyle landed a job with Glanbia on their graduate program. It is here that he was able to experience every aspect of the business from marketing to R&D and production. Most recently, Kyle has become an account manager with Glanbia. In this role, mainly focused on the west coast, he helps clients solve functional problems with their products. Find Kyle on LinkedIn to learn more about his thoughts on Protein and Processed Food!   About Glanbia Glanbia is a global, performance nutrition and ingredients group with operations in 32 countries and 5,200 employees. It has leading market positions in sports nutrition, cheese, dairy ingredients, speciality non-dairy ingredients and vitamin and mineral premixes. Glanbia products are sold or distributed in over 130 countries. While Europe and the USA represent the organization's biggest markets, Glanbia is also expanding in to markets in the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Glanbia Group has four segments; Global Ingredients, Performance Nutrition, Dairy Ireland and Joint Ventures & Associates.   Key Takeaways How a book covered in a cereal box convinced Kyle to go into food science Why sales might be the career for you Why you should take advantage of the extra-curricular opportunities available to you in College What we talk about: Otaku (this is a restaurant) Ireland Whey Protein Premix Acquisitions Optimum Nutrition ISOPure Think Thin Bar “Just add Glanbia” Fresno, California NutriShop Cal Poly IFT Expo New Orleans IFTSA (Board Member) Product Development Teams Sales as a Career 3D Printing Nutrient Timing (this is a book) Cooked (this is also a book) Chef’s Table (this is a documentary) Pizza Download Episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices