A day in the Life of a PepsiCo Quality Graduate

Introduce myself

Hi, my name is Hannah. I am the PepsiCo quality graduate I work in the sensory laboratory in Little Island. I graduated from University College Cork in 2023 with a BSc degree in Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship.

What does my day-to-day look like?

My role involves setting up the laboratory at the beginning of the day. I complete the calibration and daily checks of the fridge and scales. I then gather the samples received for testing. I input the receipt of these samples and choose a control, which is a previously approved batch, to test the sample against.

I work on a team to prepare samples for sensory analysis that are analysed by external panellists daily. I work to input these samples onto our systems to ensure traceability of testing. Panels are run each day by a panel leader. A panel leader is a member of the team who takes responsibility for communicating with panellists, giving the samples to them, ensuring panels are running efficiently, and investigating feedback post panels.

This role is rotated between team members and therefore, I act as panel leader when it is my turn. After they are finished, I review any panellist feedback. This involves carrying out an investigation on any batches that may be failed by panellists to ensure there are no issues. Lastly, I input receipt of samples for the next day and clean down the laboratory.

Effect I have on the business?

I help to ensure all raw material samples and filling samples are received, prepped, and released in a timely manner. It is part of my role to make sure the batches released are always of the highest standards and comply to internal PepsiCo specifications. This plays a big role in helping PepsiCo deliver on KPIs.

Things I find interesting.

The Talent Acquisition team at PepsiCo has organised several talks for graduates to learn about different employees’ career paths and the areas people work in.

I find it interesting to discover the different career opportunities that are available here in PepsiCo, for example becoming a team lead or working in the global support centre, and how people have grown their careers to where they are today.

No two careers are the same which has made each talk unique and intriguing!

Graduate Project

As part of the graduate programme, all the graduates are working together to complete a project on data analytics. My role in the project is research and the impact data analytics can have on the quality and R&D departments.

This project will have an impact on improving efficiencies for our colleagues as well as the company overall. It has been an excellent opportunity to expand my knowledge and skillset in this area. I have also really enjoyed working with the other graduates and getting to know them more.

Extracurriculars

Since I started in PepsiCo, I have become a member of the STEM society. This society is made up of volunteers who are interested in sharing their passion for STEM with students of all education levels. Fun events and programmes are organised by the society to support and encourage students’ learning in STEM subjects.

Compliance has always been an interest of mine and PepsiCo has encouraged me to explore it further. I have started carrying out internal audits with the support of the compliance team. I have also joined the self-inspection team who carry out monthly inspections on areas of the plant to ensure it always maintains a high standard.