From Product Development to Gelato

From Product Development to Gelato Success Story > From: Job To: Startup From Product Development to Gelato “It was a dream that I just had to give a shot.” * From Product Development to Gelato Frustrated with slow-moving corporate processes? Hannah Wood was. When ascholarship abroad reawakened her foodie roots, she suddenly sawan opportunity back home. Here's how she sparked a new community partnership which helped make her ideas a reality. What work were you doing previously? I spent six years working at Fonterra, the dairy company. Firstly, I did their Technical Graduate Programme and then I moved through roles in project management and new product development. My most recent role was working within Fonterra Brands doing new product development for yoghurts and desserts. What are you doing now? I have now started up Little 'Lato â€" a bespoke gelato company. How did you feel in your work before you decided to make the change? It was a really tough decision for me to leave! I enjoyed Fonterra and had lots of opportunitiesto move and grow. There weremany perks to working in a corporate, such as having the ability to grow and develop in a broad range of areas, having experts to learn from, and having much more capital availableto finance projects. However, I was also noticing the challenges of working in a big corporate and becoming more aware of the benefits of working somewhere smaller / starting up myown thing. In a big corporate, things can be very slow moving, especially in the product development space. There are a lot of systems / structures, which I know are very important but which take a long time to get through. This makes it hard to be at the forefront of market trends, since by the time products get completed the trends are already met by other products which are quicker to market. The time factor can also cause some projects to get cancelled in the later stages because the market or business priorities have changed. Perhaps I was unfortunate and had a unlucky run of projects that were cancelled; nevertheless, it can be disheartening to see so much work go into projects which then go down the drain! Why did you change? The main reason for the change was that this gelato business was a dream that I just had to give a shot. I got to the point where I decided it was something I definitely wanted to do, and that the time had come to give it a try. I'd also heard someone speak about how it's always a 'win or learn' scenario when doing something like this. It doesn't matter if it doesn't work out â€" you learn so much in the process that can help you with whatever you do! That was just further encouragement to take the leap. When was the moment you decided to make the change? About halfway through last year I decided that I wanted to give it a try. I'd given myself last year to make my decision â€" whether I would stay at Fonterra, whether I would move overseas, or whether I would pursue my gelato dream. The gelato dream won out. How did you choose your new career? Having my own food business has always been a bit of a dream. I'm a massive 'foodie' and find so much joy out of working with food. I'm a bit of a gelato addict, so that part came naturally. Some people love chocolate, others cheese or coffee; for me, it's gelato! Ice cream is also a product I've had some business experience in, so that has helped. The idea of doing something with gelato was sparked about three years ago when I got a scholarship to go to a gelato university in Italy. I saw how massive the gelato market was overseas (not just in Italy but all around the globe) and yet how small it was back here in New Zealand. This was surprising given that NZ had (and still has) the largest consumption of ice cream in the world. I didn't know what 'doing something with gelato' would look like exactly, but it sparked the thinking process; I've been a journey since working out how that could play out. Are you happy with the change? Absolutely! There are times when I still have to pinch myself to believe that this is what I am doing. It can be hard work, but I love the flexibility of being able to choose what I work on and when I do it. One of the parts of Little 'Lato I love the most is that I can decide one day that a particular flavour would be a good one to develop, then the next day it's available for sale. No trialling, no systems / procedures, no approval steps; I just formulate the product and then go for it. It's great being able to do the things that I love every day â€" things that I'm passionate about and that drove me towards this career back in the beginning. Taking the leap was difficult â€" it was always going to be hard to leave the stability of an income, and the security of what I knew, to step out and do my own thing. Writing this makes me remember how much of a nerve-wracking decision it was. I have absolutely no regrets, though. I'm so glad I did it, and I'm excited for what's yet to come. What do you miss and what don't you miss? I definitely miss the security of having a stable income (which I'm sure is true for anyone in the start-up world). I also miss the great people I used to work with, and the paid development opportunities that were available. I don't miss having the rigid work hours, the many hurdles to get anything progressing (especially in a product development role), and the inefficiencies that exist in large businesses. There are always going to be stressful parts to any job, but if you know that you're doing the work to build your own brand it's so much more motivating! How did you go about making the shift? I applied for a scholarship provided by the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology, an industry organisation I'm part of. The Mary Earle Travel Fellowship provides personal development through overseas travel â€" the idea is that the recipients do a bunch of stuff overseas that then impacts their career, their workplace and ultimately the New Zealand food industry. To be honest, I applied for the scholarship initially because I just really wanted to go to the gelato university (out of interest / passion more than anything). I built a scholarship application around it, which involved visiting Fonterra sites / customers / suppliers overseas and also attending various conferences and food events. Then I got it! It wasn't until I was in Italy that I was really inspired to do something with gelato back here in New Zealand. I'd always thought it would be cool to build my own business, but it was in Italy that I realised the opportunity here in NZ for gelato and started to think more seriously about doing something (sooner rather than later). Being in Europe also took me out of my current situation and gave me a fresh perspective. Things such as attending conferences and hearing from senior leaders such as the Innovation Director of Nestle, as well as seeing the food products available in supermarkets, all inspired me to get back into an area of work I felt passionate about. Next, I needed to decide whether a gelato business was something that could actually be possible, and in a short timeframe (before the gelato market became a saturated one here in New Zealand, too). I gave myself a year to make the decision and to learn as much as I could to prepare myself. I also lived just down the road from Crave, a not-for-profit café owned by a collective of individuals who are keen to make a difference in the community. Crave has a goal of 'doing good in the hood'; the café is a way of helping people connect over great coffee and food. I loved the whole ethos. I met Nigel Cottle, one of the owners, through friends and began conversations about gelato and whether this could be a fit for Crave Café (long before I actually had plans in place to do anything). The conversations just seemed to continue and so it was an obvious choice to use Crave as a place to validate the business concept and get something off the ground. As other developments in the surrounding area were announced and confirmed, the idea of doing a gelato bar at Crave was then decided quite quickly. This was largely with the goal of getting a dessert option up and running at the café before the area was filled with other options! I did a business course in the evenings through Mum's Garage, and spent my weekends trying to develop recipes, create a business plan and work through details with Crave. Then it was a matter of resigning from my job and giving it a shot! Crave has been incredibly supportive in helping me get set up; they've invested in me as a person as well as my business. I am very grateful and know I probably wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn'thadthatsupport in my journey to date. It was one of the busiest times of my life getting it all up and running, but it's awesome looking back now and seeing how it's all become a reality. What didn't go well? What wrong turns did you take? You can never predict the challenges that come up. Almost everything that could have gone wrong has done so â€" from issues with getting equipment plumbed in, to freezers breaking down, to power cuts ruining all my stock. Each challenge has been a learning experience, though. I'vejust kept going, one step at a time. How did you handle your finances to make your shift possible? I had a build-up of savings which was beneficial, but I quickly realised that things were costing more than I was predicting. In hindsight, I could have saved more before starting (rather than venturing around the world on overseas travel), but oh well, no regrets! What was the most difficult thing about changing? The most difficult thing was balancing my workload and ensuring I didn't completely burn myself out. Also, it was hard to learn which jobs could be delegated early on, and then trying to action this. In some cases this even meant paying people (despite cashflow being tight) to free myself up to focus on the bigger picture and how to grow the business. What help did you get? I have had an amazing crew of people around me which has been so beneficial. The Crave Community has been incredibly supportive with getting things up and running and making it feasible to get started. I am also lucky to have a dad who is a chartered accountant and who can help with the financial side of things, and then a range of friends involved with design, marketing and website development. More formally I completed the Co-starters programme with Mum's Garage and have had many conversations working through ideas with Natalie Robinson. I'm now involved with the Sprint Develop programme that's run by the Massey University E-centre and am finding this invaluable for working through potential plans for growth. As a general rule, I constantly try to surround myself with people whom I can learn from in life! What resources would you recommend to others? Mum's Garage has a great range of workshops that you can do to validate ideas and get yourself equipped to start. The Massey University E-centre also has a range of programmes to help support entrepreneurs; they also have some really valuable networks that you can be connected with. What have you learnt in the process? These first seven months of Little 'Lato have produced some of the biggest learnings of my career to date! I've learnt about building and marketing a brand (particularly throughsocial media), generating financial forecasts, company structures, investment raising strategies, and so much more. The learning is continuous and constantly changing! What would you advise others to do in the same situation? One of the biggest things I learnt in the early days was to break the idea down to the minimum viable solution for what you are trying to do, then just give it a shot. You don't need to worry about fleshing out every last detail for how you want to scale up and reach your big goals. Generally everything changes as you are up and running anyway. Just work on the smallest viable solution, validate that this can be successful (really important), and focus all your efforts on getting this part to market first. It's great to always have a vision for how this can grow, but don't be overwhelmed with all of the details of this before you even start. To find out more about Hannah's business, visit www.littlelato.nz. Hannah had practical support to start her business from Mum's Garage. Find out more about their programmes here. What lessons could you take from Hannah's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

7 Simple Mistakes to Avoid During a Resume Makeover

7 Simple Mistakes to Avoid During a Resume Makeover With so many opinions regarding a resume makeover, it can be tough to know where to start. You can find 100 articles online about resumes, all telling you to do completely different things. So how do you know who is right and who is wrong?I have always been told, “listen to those who have fruit on the tree”. Everyone has an opinion, but how many have put their opinion into action and seen great results because of it? So many writers/bloggers have never spent a day as a recruiter or hiring manager. So how would they know what to include in a resume?In this article, the experts at Find My Profession will break down 7 simple mistakes to avoid during a resume makeover.1. Using an ObjectiveJust about every resume expert agrees that you should replace an objective with a professional summary. The truth is, most employers only care about what you can do for them. Stating your personal goals and what YOU expect to get out of a position is frankly, pointless.Replacing an objective with a professional summary is an essential part of a resume makeover. This will help you express your applicable skills to the hiring manager with 3 to 4 solid sentences. This is important because the employer briefly scans your resume with an emphasis on your summary and skills sections. To learn how to structure a professional summary, see our article How To Write A Great Resume Summary Statement.2. Irrelevant Job Experience and ResumeYour career is a very personal and hopefully rewarding journey! It is easy to throw ALL of your accomplishments on your resume because of pride. If some of those accomplishments do not align with the position you are applying for, you should remove them. This may be tough, but you need to use your resume real estate effectively.Regarding past work experience, don’t include more than 15 years of work history. This is a standard rule of thumb to go by. This should go without saying, but include only relevant experience. Also, avoid excessive bullet points for each position you list on your resume. Stick to 4-6 strategic points that express the required skills for the position you are applying for.Need help on your work experience section? See 4 Tips To Write Your Resume Work Experience Section!3. Adding Personal InformationI stated above that creating a resume (and the whole job searching process) is very personal. That does not mean that you should detail every aspect of your life. Again, if it does not relate to the open position, leave it out. This would include your hobbies, religion, and even your home life.Of course, these are great things that make you the person you are, but keep it professional. You can also consider your salary history as personal information that you should not include.Volunteer experience is different than your personal life and can look great on a resume. This is especially applicable to those who do not have as much relevant work experience.4. Ridiculous Fonts and StylesUnless you are applying for a des ign type position, don’t try and get fancy! You will not impress the employer with your ability to choose a cool font or color. They are looking for what you can bring to the table and a certain font will not show that.Make sure you do not throw any header, footer, or tables in the mix. Your resume will most likely be read by a robot first… Annoying, I know! The Applicant Tracking System can be thrown off by tables or headers. This would mean your resume is thrown away before a human can even review it. Using resume makeover services can eliminate that from happening.Maybe you don’t agree with this, so let me provide some additional logic. Each employer spends an average of 6 seconds reviewing a resume. Using an uncommon font/color can be a distraction for the employer causing them to read less in that 6 seconds then they would with a common font/color. Your goal is to make it easy for the employer to scan your resume. That way, they can quickly find whatever it is they are lo oking for.Learn more here withProfessional Resume Style - Headers, Fonts, Themes5. References and Sloppy Contact InfoMany people are told that references are important to include on your resume. I am here to assure you that this is a huge resume mistake. If you are asked to provide references either by a person or on your job application, then provide them.But leave them off your resume! I have personally worked at a staffing agency that would ask their recruiters to prowl job boards in search of references. Once we found references, we would call the hiring managers listed and try to solicit new business with them. Do your references a favor and leave them off your resume!Please make sure you have a professional email when you add your contact info to your resume. Creating a resume is pointless if you have an email like sassypantsmcgee@whocares.com! While you’re at it, you can leave off your exact mailing address. City, State, and Street are fine, but it is not like the employer will send you a handwritten letter. Anybody has access to resumes on public job boards. If the application asks for your exact address, that’s fine! Do yourself a favor and keep the address off your resume!6. Exorbitant WordsHuh? That’s what I thought… Make sure that your resume is readable by the average Joe. You may be highly knowledgeable in your trade, but the recruiter may not have the same experience. Also, don’t try to make yourself sound smarter than you are. This can come back to bite you if you are called in for an interview.Make sure you spell out abbreviations such as B.S. (Bachelor of Science), or CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Administrator). This will be highly beneficial for two reasons.It helps the average recruiter know what you are talking about. It will help you get through applicant tracking systems by using all the right keywords.Speaking of keywords, check out How To Use Resume Keywords When Applying For Jobs.7. Cut out That Second PageUnless you are a pplying for a senior/executive position, keep your resume to one page. This is a huge resume mistake that is often overlooked. Because you only have 6 seconds, hiring managers don’t have time to read multiple pages. If you are having trouble trimming your resume down to one page, it might be time for a professional resume makeover.Your job search will be much more effective with a purposeful and concise resume tailored towards your desired job.Not sure if you need a professional resume makeover?Find out by reading the 5 Major Signs It’s Time For A Professional Resume Makeover.What Do I Put on My Resume?Luckily for you, we wrote a whole article on the essentials to include during your resume makeover. See this article here, What to Include In A Resume â€" 16 Best Things.I know this process can be frustrating, but keep your head up as it will be worth it! If you find this overwhelming, let the pros at Find My Profession help you out! We have a vast knowledge of resume standards an d specialize in all industries across the United States.

Meet the International Professionals Review University of Manchester Careers Blog

Meet the International Professionals Review University of Manchester Careers Blog The University of Manchester Careers Service and Alumni Office recently held a joint event in The Atrium, University Place with 8 Alumni and over 60 international students. Students met with alumni at different stages of their career who were able to offer advice and guidance and had the opportunity to ask them about their individual career paths. Students were put into groups eight, and had 10 minutes with each alumnus before     moving onto the next alumni and repeating the process. The event operated smoothly and the venue offered a great space for everyone to meet. Networking is a great way to get personal insights and a good way to start deciding on a career path. Hearing others’ experiences and making contacts with people in the area you’re interested in is beneficial in making career choices. Students were encouraged to talk to as many people as possible from a variety of roles and consider talking to people from a different background to broaden their options and insights.           After everyone met they had the opportunity to network with alumni staff, careers staff and the alumni volunteers over drinks and nibbles. Our students were asked at the end of the night to write a thank you to our alumni for taking the time out of their busy schedules to come and share their experience and expertise and the response was overwhelming.   Feedback after the event is excellent and we plan to run another event next semester with more alumni form a variety of backgrounds and sectors. Dont miss out on your opportunity to attend our dedicated international events, and to find out more information and what is on offer visit our webpages www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/international   Remember stay in touch, join our Facebook Group â€" University of Manchester International Students Careers Group Follow us on Weibo: http://www.Weibo.com/UoMCareersService ·           Connect with fellow students, alumni and recruiters via our LinkedIn Global Networks Africa Manchester Graduate Network China Manchester Graduate Network India Manchester Graduate Network Pakistan Manchester Graduate Network The International Manchester Network International International-highlighted alumni careers international jobs international students making connections networking

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Are You As Unbalanced as Everyone Else

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Are You As Unbalanced as Everyone Else Do you think you live a balanced life? Check out this snapshot of our daily lives to see where you fit in:Snoozing fibs: It appears full-time working American women claim to sleep less than they actually do. When responding to a 2007 National Sleep Foundation poll, women said they clocked about six hours of sleep in an average weeknight. But that snooze time may actually be closer to eight hours on average when figuring in weekend sleep time, says an American Time Use Survey. In a Forbes story, Cali Williams Yost, owner of Work + Life Fit Inc., says the discrepancy can be chalked up to female competiveness. Like taking all of your vacation, for some reason, wanting and getting sleep symbolizes a less than 100 percent commitment not only to your job but your family, she says.Rock on: In the last year, 36 percent of baby boomers have gone to a professional sporting event, while 22 percent have attended live theater, says a Scarborough study. Some 14 percent have visited an art museum w hile 12 percent have gone to a rock concert.Their own worst enemies: Some 42 percent of women in a survey commissioned by Real Simple say they do not have enough free time, but admit much of their problem (check out the rest here)

Careers For The Environmentally Conscious Job Seeker

Careers For The Environmentally Conscious Job Seeker Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comFor most of us, landing the right career is hard work. Finding a profession Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comThere’s a lot of money to be made in the alternative energy arena, and the two fastest-growing areas currently are solar power and wind energy. Both have grown almost exponentially over the last two decades, and are expected to continue that growth trend over the next twenty years. Residential solar in particular has seen the most growth: in 2000, only a few thousand U.S. homes were utilizing solar power, but that number climbed to over a million by 2015.This means that the solar industry is in need of professionals from many areas of the construction and home improvement fields: everything from electricians to roofers to contractors to general construction crew can get involved in this booming energy. You don’t have to be a solar power expert to secure a job in this field A lot of the outlook for sustainable urban growth comes down to the IoT (the int ernet of things,) which is the basic concept of all sorts of devices being interconnected into a network. In order to reduce our energy consumption and keep track of things that affect it, interconnectivity with everything in an urban environment is paramount. This means that sustainable growth initiatives are currently in need of coders and skilled manufacturing professionals, and that need is only expected to grow by the millions over the next several years.Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comIf you’re environmentally conscious, it doesn’t matter what your skills and background are: you can likely find a career that fits your talents and passions in the areas of alternative energy or sustainable urban development. There are plenty of opportunities available already, and they will only grow over the coming years, but rest assured, if you don’t snap up one of them, someone else will.

5 Tips to seeking good career advice - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

5 Tips to seeking good career advice Career advice will help you advance in your career fast. You should go through professional advice tips, resume examples and reviews on career growth for more insights. You will get valuable information that will help you to grow your career. We are going to review some tips on how to get good career advice. You should also do more research so that you can know the latest trends in career development strategies. Here are 5 tips to seeking good career advice: Identify a good mentor This should be your first step in seeking career advice. A mentor is a role model for your career. Some of the factors to consider when identifying a mentor include your personality, how you wish to reciprocate the inputs of your mentor, and their willingness to help. Some people may not be willing to be your mentor. A mentor should create time to listen to you and offer advice. You may have more than one mentor. It’s good to keep in touch with your mentor constantly so that you can get invaluable advice from them. The guiding principle when choosing a mentor is that they should also be doing very well in their career and life. Professional career advisors You should hire career advisors. Through their expertise and experience, they can help you to develop your career. They can also help you to get a professional resume, and give you tips on attending interviews. These are the basics of career development. With an impressive, professional resume, and if you perform well in the interview, you will easily advance in your career. You can also find out more about professional resumes and frequently asked questions in interviews online. Consider your goals It is good to have a clear goal in your career. This way, you will not get confused with the varied inputs of your advisors and mentors. Sometimes you might find that you are resisting most of the career advice from various advisors. It is good to evaluate the reasons why and see if you can make adjustments in your life and career. Find a balance between skills and passion This is one of the hindrances to career growth. You should not only follow your passion if you want to develop your career. Sometimes, you may find that you develop a passion for other careers that you initially didn’t like. You should be open-minded about your career, and seize any opportunities that come your way. You may be surprised that they may lead you to greater heights in your career. Build your networks To get professional career advice, you should network with the professionals. You should also share information about your career aspirations and expectations. This is one of the simple ways through which you can create more awareness of your skills. A potential employer may scout you from various sources including social media and from your contacts. These few tips will help you get good career advice. Remember to review all the advice given and take positive advice that can help you to grow your career.

Career Strength - How to Leverage Your Strengths - Hallie Crawford

Career Strength - How to Leverage Your Strengths Wouldnt it be wonderful to have a career that fits us, where we always use our strengths? Gallup Organization affirms that if you are lucky enough to be able to do so, you will be six times as likely to feel engaged in your job. But sometimes we don’t know what our real strengths are or how to use them correctly in the workplace to our advantage. Here are three tips that can help you to properly channel your strengths in your career. Know your strengths. This is important whether you already have a job, for greater fulfillment, or if you are searching for a job, as a way to explain your strengths to employers. A strength is a combination of talent, knowledge, and skills. For example, learner, achiever, and responsibility are all examples of strengths. One easy way to identify your strengths is to use the SIGN model from the book Go Put Your Strengths to Work by Marcus Buckingham. The model is this: Success (having a natural talent for something, feeling effective when you use this strength), Instinct (you look forward to using this strength), Growth (when you use this strength you feel focused and want to learn more), and Needs (using your strength makes you feel fulfilled and authentic). Action tip: Identify your top five strengths using the SIGN model. Write them down and  describe them as best as you can. Ask a trusted friend or family member for feedback. They may see another strength you haven’t identified. Play to your strengths. The book Go Put Your Strengths to Work by Marcus Buckingham talks about four ways to do this. 1. Identify how a specific strength helps you in your current role, 2. Identify missed opportunities to use a strength, 3. Learn new skills or techniques to better your strength, 4. Build your current role around your strengths. This will help you focus on your strengths instead of being frustrated due to trying to eliminate your weaknesses. Action tip: After you have identified your top strengths, ask yourself how often you use  them. Write down what actions you can take this month to use your strengths  more fully. Ask yourself what you can do weekly to keep your strengths in mind. This could be something as simple as writing them on a sticky note and keeping it on your desk. Find a mentor. Search for someone who uses their strengths successfully in the workplace. Perhaps someone in your social circle, in your job industry, or someone you can reach out to network with. According to the book StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath, 1 in 33 million people share the same top five strengths in the same order, so dont expect to find a perfect match. However, preferably this person will have at least one strength in common with you. Talk to them about how they channel their strength to get some ideas for your situation. Action tip: Make a list of three people you would like to speak to as mentors. Have them read your notes about your top five strengths, and discuss with them how you are currently  using your strengths and how you could use them more effectively. HallieCrawford.com was founded by certified career coach, speaker and author . Since 2002, the company’s team of certified career coaches have helped thousands of job seekers worldwide identify their ideal career path, navigate their career transition and achieve their career goals. Schedule a free consult with https://halliecrawford.com today to learn more about our services. Schedule a free consult with HallieCrawford.com today