After successfully converting her placement into a full-time position, MSc in Food Business and Innovation graduate, Rachel Carey, is beginning to build an exciting marketing career with Greenhouse.
Passionate about promoting the sustainable food industry, Rachel was drawn to the postgraduate programme as a talented BComm student at Cork University Business School.
As an undergraduate, Rachel had been encouraged to develop her interest in sustainable foods while working as an intern at the Musgrave Group.
The knowledge she was developing, both in the classroom and as part of the internship, shaped Rachel’s thinking as she sought out a postgraduate programme that offered practical placement opportunities that would expose her to vibrant modern workplaces.
As a final year student, I started to focus on food marketing and began to look at a variety of different postgrad options.
I knew where I’d like to see myself and I was open about how I’d get there. For me, it was really about finding a postgraduate programme that would allow me to fulfil my ambitions.
I wanted something that provided practical experience in food marketing so that I could offer value to employers after I graduated.
That’s what attracted me to the MSc in Food Business and Innovation.
Once Rachel enrolled in the postgraduate programme, she found herself being exposed to new classmates from a variety of academic backgrounds who came to the programme with diverse skill sets.
Although challenging at first, Rachel soon began to see the value of learning about how people from a scientific background compile reports and undertake research projects.
That process of learning through collaboration opened Rachel’s eyes to different ways of approaching problems and developing solutions.
When I started the programme, I was apprehensive about working alongside people from other disciplines on reports and projects.
After spending four years studying commerce, I was conscious of the fact that I had developed a very specific style and a particular way of doing things.
What you quickly realise though, is that skills from other disciplines lend themselves to business. In the end, the process of harmonising our abilities became a learning opportunity rather than an obstacle.
The ability to work with people from other disciplines and backgrounds has provided Rachel with the soft skills to successfully deal with individual asks from multiple clients as a Digital Account Executive with Greenhouse.
After first joining the marketing company while on placement, Rachel has expanded her skill set further and impressed the management team.
Currently working on a number of projects that she is passionate about, Rachel wants to add to her knowledge so that she can help food companies embrace and showcase sustainability with a sense of vibrancy in the coming years.