Name: Jess Gibbard
Age: 27
Job title: Corporate engagement administrator
Company & location: Veganuary, remote
Education: Manchester Metropolitan University – English Literature and MSc in Business Management
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a solicitor, as my parents always told me I was great at debating, however I fell in love with reading and decided to pursue an English degree. This love of reading then led me to learn more about nutrition, which is why I completed my Masters in business management.
“It’s important to not compromise on your values or beliefs, because when your work aligns with your passion, you will enjoy your days so much more”
Why did you decide to go for a career in food & drink? During the pandemic, I spent time researching and learning about food and the way dietary choices can impact your quality of life, along with exercise. Following this research I decided to adopt a vegan diet (after being vegetarian for most of my life).
My interest in health led me to work in marketing, in the nutrition division of a company, and following this, my passion for veganism and discovering more about the work Veganuary does each year led me to my current role, aiming to inspire others the way I was inspired.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): I support with a lot of organisational tasks, along with taking notes and recording key information. It involves a lot of work on Excel, managing my to-do list and being prepared to pick up ad hoc tasks.
What does a typical day look like for you? Every day feels a little different, but it often involves organising information, supporting others with admin tasks and collecting data and key information for different projects.
Tell us how you went about applying for your job: I saw a different role being advertised on social media, and this prompted me to check online to see if there were any other opportunities.
I found the role through a Google search, and I applied by answering three questions about why I wanted to work for Veganuary and sending in my CV. There were three stages following this, an initial interview, a task, and a final interview. The task was really fun and felt very similar to some of the aspects of my role now, however, this was the hardest stage, as it was timed and I worried I hadn’t done enough.
I found that answering the questions honestly really helped me in securing my role, and I also knew it was the right decision for me due to our aligned goals and values.
What’s the best part about working for a food & drink company? I think it’s learning new things every single day. I always leave work feeling as though I’ve gained new knowledge, which is very important to me, as this keeps me engaged and inspired. I also love the regular food recommendations from other members of staff.
Read more on Veganuary:
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As a plant-based brand, we’re leaving Veganuary behind
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My Alternative CV: Veganuary’s Chelsea Harrop on McFly, Harry Styles and plant-based
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? People may feel as though they need to have nutrition knowledge from a course or a degree. However, I believe the most important thing is being passionate and spending some of your free time understanding the industry with a desire to always learn more.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? Always use resources that are available to you to keep up to date with different trends, research, and companies. I think there are so many great tools at your disposal, for example documentaries, books, and podcasts, and even if you feel they are biased, it’s great to understand what consumers have available to them.
I also think it’s important to not compromise on your values or beliefs, because when your work aligns with your passion, you will enjoy your days so much more.
What’s your ultimate career dream? My ultimate career dream is to work my way up in my current company, and to motivate and inspire others with what I do. I also hope to keep enjoying my work, as that is the most important thing to me.
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