Personal and Professional
Development for Food Scientists
Emma Weston & Judith Wayte
Story of Stand Alone
Employability Module
Collecting and Showing
the Vegetables……
Emma – Photo – Barry is sending one to me this
weekend!
DOTS
Model
Approach
JUDITH – DOTS Model Example
Activities - 1
JUDITH – LAUNCHPAD PHOTO
“Anyone can sit in a lecture and look
interested. We want to see more
than that.”
“this module will do a massive amount for driving
awareness on employability and how to get the
role/career you want; it will also actually provide
practical hands-on advice; generate ideas around
personal development.
Students who attend this module will be better
equipped to tackle the entrance in the working
world than those who don’t.”
#D235F8
Action Plan
Mid Term Goals
-Gain a technical/ operations job with a SME
- Complete level 4 HACCP
Goals
Short Term Goals
-Obtain a first class honours degree
-Improve scores on numerical reasoning tests
Current Skills
Passionate – Began during A level food project, now very enthusiastic to begin a career in this area.
Driven – Highly results driven, set own goals to achieve deadlines early.
Proactive – Took extra courses to maintain personal development
Analytical – A scientific placement, involving scrutinising data ensured analytical and enquiring mind
Adaptability – Relocation and travel are not issues
Flexibility – Had experience of managing multiple deadlines
Quality – Pride myself on producing work to the highest quality that I can
Innovation – A-level food project and Ecotrophelia UK 2013 proved how I value the importance of innovation, and I believe this is essential in an ever
changing food industry
Customer care and relevance of work
Numerical Reasoning, Communication via presentation, Leadership Skills, Experience working in large factory, Gain Confidence.
Values
Current Limitations/
Development Needs*
Development Need*
How To Address Needs
(Expanded from above)
Numerical Reasoning
Presentation Skills
Leadership Skills - To
be able to effectively
lead a group through
a project
Mass production
experience
Practice at least two tests per week to
improve speed and accuracy. Use online
“assessment day” tests and practise and
pass textbook.
To gain confidence to enable me to speak in
front of larger groups, without using notes.
Practice presentations prior to gain correct
voice tones, and pacing as well as knowing
what needs to be said for each slide.
Food Factory Operations – try and take the
opportunity to lead a team. On starting my
career, increasingly take on responsibilities
that will allow me to lead projects.
Gain experience working in a large factory
environment, ideally within a technical
team.
Long Term Goals
-Accept more responsibility in a SME
-Move to a larger company
-Take a masters course
Where/ when will I Address the
needs?
Days off lectures are
Tuesday/Wednesday. Practice at
least one test on each of these days.
Achieve By
Outcome
01/03/2014
Be able to score 80% on numerical reasoning
tests, so they no longer hinder my applications.
Food factory operations
presentation, dissertation
presentation.
14/05/2014
Food Factory Operations module.
Ecotrophelia 2014?
My first job.
Mid 2015
To interact confidently and direct a
presentation to an audience, interact with
them and answer questions with confidence.
Be able to move around whilst speaking and
not read from notes.
To effectively run and manage projects,
eventually leading to confidently running a
team in a factory.
Contact factories during semester 2,
to ideally carry out work experience
after exams/graduation.
Mid 2015
To gauge a deeper understanding of the role of
a technical team and gain more experience to
build on in my career.
When first looking at this module I was
slightly reluctant and doubted what
actual use it would be to me being made
to…………
…………I therefore really do appreciate
what this module has done which is
forcing me to think more deeply about
my future. Even writing this paragraph
has made me think …………
“I found this course really beneficial even as
an international student, it has helped me to
know important traits about myself better.
It also helped me a lot to prepare for my
Masters in Teaching application. I am now
given a conditional offer from the university I
am applying to!"
The value of a Stand Alone
Employability Module
Get in Touch
@UoNBioscicareer
judith.wayte@nottingham.ac.uk
emma.weston@nottingham.ac.uk