NFSC Students Grow Their Professional Networks at 2017 Resume Critique Night

November 27, 2017

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Edited by Heather Dolan

On November 9th, 2017, University of Maryland’s Food Science Club hosted its third annual Resume Critique Night at the Hornbake Career Center. Sixty students enjoyed a welcome reception before listening intently to the professionals’ introductions and career advice. Afterwards, the group broke into one-on-one resume critique sessions.

Nineteen professionals, including 9 alumni, shared career insight and personalized resume advice to undergraduate and graduate students. Professionals attending the event included quality assurance specialists and product development scientists from Elite Spice, TIC Gums, Medifast, AUI Fine Foods, and Eight O’Clock Coffee. Also invited were research scientists and a policy analyst from the FDA, USDA, and the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

“We purposefully invited a variety of professionals to give students a broad perspective of possible careers within the food industry, whether it be quality assurance, food safety, or sensory,” explained Senior Food Science Club Co-President and event organizer, Kristi Kan.

Elite Spice quality assurance manager Stefanie Corbin (‘09) was one of the alum invited back for this event. A former member of Food Science Club, she recalled, “When I was a student, the Food Science Club did coordinate for alumni to come in and speak about their experiences in the work force, but not to the magnitude that Resume Critique Night offered. I remember feeling both excitement and comfort when hearing about the myriad career paths available in the food industry.” She added, “It was great interacting with the students and narrowing in on what they were truly looking for in their next chapter. Each student I met with had quite unique experiences and great character.  It was very rewarding to help them convey all of that appeal on their resumes.” Noting strong alumni involvement, Food Science Club advisor Dr. Abani Pradhan remarked, “We are happy to see many of our own graduates come back to help our current students to expand their professional network.”

This was also the first year that Food Science Club partnered with Food and Nutrition Club. Food and Nutrition Club President Emma Slattery appreciated the collaboration between the clubs: “Resume Critique Night gave me the opportunity to listen to a variety of food science professionals which helped me to better understand the field and its implications within the field of nutrition.” Another FAN Club member, senior Dietetics major Ashley Statter commented, “It was awesome connecting with local dieticians and learning more about career opportunities.”

Food Science students were also excited about the event building momentum. Senior David Shaya, a second time attendee, felt that compared to last year there were more professionals and greater student turnout.“It [...] seemed like more people were recruiting,” he said. And, he was even was offered an opportunity for a winter internship.

At the conclusion of the event, guest professionals received an AGNR notebook and a small Harper Macaw chocolate bar as a thank-you gift. Kristi said, “We are so grateful for the support of Elite Spice and Harper Macaw. This event would not be the same without them.” Dr. Pradhan anticipates continued success of Resume Critique Night. “I am really excited and cannot wait to see this event grow in future years,” he said.