MSc Food Consumer Marketing and Product Development student Fanny worked on placement at International Flavours and Fragrances (IFF), where she gained technical experience of sensory application related to her degree. 

‘Having a technical undergraduate background in food technology, I found that I had weak understanding about the commercial side of developing food products which is equally important.’ 

‘Luckily, Sheffield Hallam provided a course where I could get both the technical and commercial understanding of the food industry, which I couldn’t find anywhere else.’ 

Fanny was also attracted to this course as it offered a placement year, something that she could not find in any other related masters courses at other universities. 

‘I found my placement through a listing on the careers centre website. Before I applied for the role, I attended several CV, cover letter, and interview practice 1:1 sessions with my employability advisers.’ 

Fanny also used the careers centre’s online resources such as the CV builder and attended one of the practice assessment centres that are regularly run for students. 

‘As an international student I found all these resources extremely useful, they helped me feel very prepared and informed about securing a placement.’ 

On placement, Fanny was responsible for conducting and analysing sensory testing with up to 30 subjects in order to collate sensory and consumer insight reports to present internally.   

‘Working on placement in a flavour house company like IFF has given me a holistic view of the commerical food industry as the food categories are diverse. Given the nature of IFF as a multinational company, I could grasp food trends not only within the UK, but also globally.’ 

Fanny says going back to university after a couple of years working in the industry helped to sharpen her critical thinking and data analysis skills so she could provide actionable insights and best practices. 

‘Working towards product development projects gave me a hands on learning experience about developing food products through real business cases, and gave me a chance to network with people from the industry.’ 

‘What is even more exciting is we get to visit the factory, so I could see the process of food product development from product concept, to kitchen-scale development, up until the mass production stage.’ 

‘This placement helped me to prepare for life after university – it provided me with invaluable experience and showed me how could I solve problems with theoretical and technical skills I’ve gained from university.’ 

‘I am fortunate enough that I have the opportunity to continue my journey in IFF. I am looking forward to increasing my knowledge and skills in food science and help provide a better livelihoods through food consumption.’