Sharon Witan, a food science and biotechnology graduate from Indonesia, undertook her internship through NorVicFoods during the final year of her Master’s in Food and Packaging Innovation at the University of Melbourne. Sharon now works as a Process Specialist (Technical) at Goodman Fielder in Melbourne.
About the Internship
Sharon completed the internship in 2022 where she worked with one of NorVicFoods industry partners, Legacy Packing, located in Cobram.
During her internship Sharon undertook two research projects:
- Researching sustainable packaging options for pre-packaged fruits and
- Analysing the composition of citrus peel and the potential health benefits held within the peel.
For both projects, Sharon wrote a full business report with an oral presentation back to the company on her findings. Further cohorts with Legacy Packing have built on her initial work to take sustainable packaging options further to meet the company’s sustainability targets.
The internship provided Sharon with the opportunity to apply her academic knowledge of food and packaging in a real-world business setting, while allowing her to understand workplace culture and to develop essential skills such as problem-solving, communication, management, and organization skills.
One of the key lessons Sharon learnt was the importance of looking at the big picture when solving specific problems. “I learnt to consider factors such as the reliability of scientific research, economic value, and the customer's perspective.” She went on to say that her communication, management and organisational skills were improved, “which not only helped improve me personally but were also useful for my professional growth”.
Current Role
Sharon's internship with Legacy Packing stood out on her resume and played a significant role in securing her new job as a Process Specialist (Technical) at Goodman Fielder. “During my interview with Goodman Fielder, I was asked about the projects and how I managed them. The experience of working remotely, really highlighted the importance of communication with the company but also key stakeholders”. This impressed the interview panel.
Advice to others
Through NorVicFoods partnering with Legacy Packing I was provided with an excellent learning opportunity to apply my academic knowledge in a business setting. Although the project may not be directly related to future work, the experience and gained skills are very valuable and transferable into future careers.