Product Development Review

My role is product development and this quite literally involves every single stage of the development process. First we start with the raw materials and develop recipes, based on trial and error initially, but then based on consumer feedback and team tastings. For example, increasing or decreasing the sugar in the product to control the sweetness or nutritional properties. I work with the marketing team to discuss market trends and how we can give the consumers what they want.

I've learnt lots of new skills throughout my placement with PepsiCo. For example, I have learnt how to use the online site Nutricalc to calculate the theoretical nutritionals of a product, by entering all of the ingredients in the recipe. This helps with calculating the nutrients traffic lights, Nutri Score, HFSS score (High Fat Salt and Sugar), and therefore any claims we can make and compare to regulations. I have also development my confidence and communication skills from speaking to a wide range of people across the business.

I was given quite a lot of responsibility during my 12 month placement with PepsiCo. I was given multiple projects to lead, which involved me managing my own time, talking to colleagues to delegate tasks and use my own independence. For example, I personally development 2 new recipes of Quaker oats pots, starting from scratch, tasting multiple samples and scoping the market to understand the flavour profile of our competitors. This helped to present the final product to the Marketing team.

I received a lot of support and guidance during my placement. For starters, my line manager was very supportive and we had weekly 1 to 1 meetings where I could discuss my workload, any concerns I had and upcoming projects. This allowed me to openly express if I was too busy to take on extra tasks or if i wasn't feeling stimulated enough and required extra work. I also had guidance from my whole team, as they always offered to help if I needed anything or had any questions.

The company culture around PepsiCo is really friendly and welcoming. Everyone says hellos and smiles at each other. The company often puts on events for the staff, such as a free BBQ lunch or a free ice cream van when the weather was really hot. This helps the staff to enjoy themselves at work and therefore makes us work more efficiently. Furthermore, there are lots of team building activities and face to face meetings on site, that help create a friendly and inclusive culture.

Overall I really enjoyed my placement at PepsiCo and would happily return for full time employment, if there was the opportunity. I went in the placement with no expectations as i really had no idea what it would be like or even what I would be doing on a day to day basis. However, I thoroughly enjoyed every single aspect of the job, from product development to team meetings, presenting market research to trying new product samples, conducting shelf life tests to organising factory trials.

Yes

If I could give advice to other people applying for a placement with PepsiCo, I would definitely tell them to be themselves and make sure to show off their personality. Be friendly and open about yourself, anything you want to learn or skills you want to develop. Be eager to speak to as many people as possible and keep an eye out for opportunities to widen your social network and speak to different colleagues from different functions.