Akshaya Suresh, a final year Master of Food Science student at the University of Melbourne undertook her internship with NorVicFoods over the 2022 summer semester.
Akshaya had previously completed her undergraduate studies in Biotechnology Engineering and specialized in Medical and Environmental Biotechnology. She is interested in human nutrition, agriculture and food processing.
Application process
It was during the second semester of her master’s program that the internship opportunity evolved, based on agribusiness and management. Her previous experience was in the field of biotechnology and food science, and this had involved only wet-lab research work, so this was something very different for her.
With the help of her student program coordinator, Akshaya applied for the internship through a very simple process; submitting her CV and a cover letter to the program coordinator. After hearing back from the University, she was sent a Vocational Placement Agreement Letter (VPLA) with all the terms and conditions, that she signed and returned.
About the internship
The internship started on the 15th of January 2022 and ran for four weeks, for a total of 80 hours. Akshaya was appointed as a research analyst, and her duties involved conducting research work on how universities conduct research and commercialisation of products, along the various start-ups that are associated with the University of Melbourne. Additionally, she was given the role of conducting major research work in the Business, Innovation and Development area and compared it to how universities do this in collaboration with companies.
Through the internship Akshaya learnt about the agri-management industry, in particular the areas of commercialisation, innovation and human resourcing. She learnt about office etiquette and how to conduct client face to face meetings, which was new to her.
Future plans
After the internship, her career objectives have most definitely changed. Akshaya wants to enter the agribusiness industry, and deal with commercialization of organic/agri-food products. New product development is also something that really intrigues her. She would love to be part of the agrimanagement industry someday, and start her own organization that deals with developing, and selling plant-based products.
The internship experience has been one of the most valuable ones of her life. In four weeks, Akshaya gained so much insight into the agribusiness world, and “it blew her mind!” She would most definitely encourage students to pursue an internship to broaden their horizons and make them better thinkers.