Branden is a senior Culinary Science and Product Development major at Johnson & Wales. This summer he worked in the Research and Development department rotating with different Technical Advisors learning the many aspects of baking.
1. How did you find out about this internship, and what motivated you to apply for it?
"I found out the internship through my internship advisor at Johnson & Wales University. I was motivated to apply for it because internships that relate to Culinary Science and specifically baking in that field rarely show up, and that is exactly what I want to do."
2. How has this internship contributed to your understanding of the food industry?
"I have a much better understanding of industrial breads and supply chain now. For as much as I have wanted to do industrial breads, school was not the best at explaining how it worked, however after actually working with a scale machine here, I have a much better understanding of how it works."
3. What advice would you give to other students or individuals considering the same internship or a similar role?
"Ask questions. This is one of your best chances to learn things in a low stakes way."
4. What areas did you grow in during your internship?
"Confidence, I went from day 1 of know knowing much and not really doing anything without instruction to doing my whole own project."
5. Could you describe a typical day as an intern in this role?
"For a typical day for me I am usually in the lab working on whatever I am baking that day for about 6 hours of my 8 hour shift."
6. Did you participate in any activities related to your professional growth during your internship?
"I have been semi-regularly meeting with one of the HR staff members to improve my resume and linked in profile."
7. What projects or tasks did you work on during your internship, and which one was the most challenging or rewarding for you?
"My general task is just to learn as much as I can about how and when to use the various products we make. The most rewarding task for me was when I made a recipe of Kifli I found off the internet, and then was able to use Puratos products including sapores and improvers to make an overall better product."
8. How valuable was the guidance/mentorship you received during your internship?
"The mentorship from the Technical Advisor team has been invaluable. I feel like I have grown and learned more in the 3 months here than I did at college."
9. How would you describe the company culture?
"The culture is very open and inclusive. I can talk to almost anyone here, including I had casual conversations with various VP's and the President during my 1st week before I knew who they were."
10. What was your favorite memory from the internship?
"Working on the Kifli project I mentioned earlier."
11. What is your favorite Puratos product/ finished good you’ve had during your time here?
"Sapore Tosca."
