Maria is studying for a BSc Food Marketing Management and as part of her studies she undertook a sandwich placement with Pizza Hut.

‘The university helped me hugely in securing my year-long placement. My placement counsellor helped me with my CV and cover letter, and I had a mock interview with the job application team.  

‘I have always wanted to work for a large company like Pizza Hut, because you can learn so much from their success.  

‘My placement was closely related to what I learned on my course, which allowed me to merge my theoretical understanding of a given topic with its practical implementation. My course focuses on marketing, so it was great to learn about Pizza Hut’s marketing techniques. 

‘I worked with the chief leaders of Pizza Hut’s head office and the marketing team. I also joined practical sessions with the product developers, helping in the kitchen to see my colleagues’ opinions on products I helped develop, which was extremely interesting. 

‘This placement has helped me build connections, not only with people at Pizza Hut but with suppliers from the food industry at large. I have learnt many different roles in the food industry which has helped me widen my knowledge and understand the path I want to take in the future. 

‘I have grown so much as a person. You really do get to understand what the working world is like. It was one of the best learning experiences in my life and I loved every minute of it.’