As a young poultry professional who graduated with her master’s degree in 2018, I was delighted when DSM invited me back to its Building Your Future Event, held in conjunction with the 2024 International Production and Processing Expo.
The event is focused on and planned for graduate students who are about to graduate and enter the poultry workforce. Professionals at DSM share their experiences on how they got to where they are and answer questions that students have to help them successfully start their career.
Kristin Bonham, DSM Vice President of Animal Health and Nutrition in North America, began the event by sharing some key pieces of information to help students make the transition from school to industry.
Self-confidence and networking
Part of building self-confidence and supporting your personal growth is running towards and intentionally seeking out difficult conversations, said Bonham.
“Getting the feedback that you need to succeed is important to your personal growth. It will allow you to clear your mind, be more productive and focus on improving yourself,” she said.
Often in new positions, we assume we will be given the pieces we need to succeed; however, this is one of the biggest misassumptions. Never assume, she stressed, and ask the questions in job interviews and from individuals in positions that will support you. Some of the questions could be, for example, what is my training plan, how am I going to continue to grow my skills or how am I going to be supported in this role.
Additionally, preparing for a performance review is a tedious, but worthwhile process. Bonham recommends writing down your accomplishments throughout your review period so that you can advocate for yourself in your next review. “Take personal responsibility for your development and performance review,” said Bonham.
Concerning networking, Bonham said that you never know when the network you’re building in one job will help you move into a position that is more desirable to you. “Never underestimate what you can learn in a certain job. Take those experiences and make them valuable to you,” she said.
After the presentation, students got the chance to talk to DSM professionals and ask them questions.
A few of the questions that popped up were:
· How do I successfully network?
· Do I have to settle when applying for my first job out of college?
· What questions should I be asking in interviews?
· How do I maintain a good work-life balance in certain positions?
· What should be on my resume?
· How do you find all the opportunities available?
Some of these are more straight forward to answer and some are more complicated. However, opening the conversation between poultry professionals and students is critical in starting to answer them.
I appreciate events like this one that focus on investing in the people that will control the future of the poultry industry. After all, don’t you want to leave your company and the industry in capable hands?
