Give a description of a day in the life of a Food Safety and Quality Assistant.

My day will usually start by getting set up in the office, checking my emails and Teams notifications (and having my morning coffee!). Then I will start daily quality checks, these vary as we rotate amongst the team but normally involve getting out on the factory floor to take some samples for the laboratory, checking on operatives and production, and pH and temperature testing our products. After lunch I’ll tackle some bigger tasks, such as some internal auditing or a traceability challenge. Every day is different and brings new challenges and opportunities to learn, with a real mix of desk-based and on-your-feet tasks.

After you qualified, did it take long to find a job?

No, as I applied towards the beginning of my last year of university and lined the job up for the following August, as it gave me peace of mind knowing I had something in place. If you want to secure a good graduate scheme quickly after leaving university, I’d recommend starting to look as soon as possible so you have maximum choice, and the start dates are normally flexible to work for you. 

What advice would you give to someone thinking of pursuing this career?

Take every opportunity to learn new areas or skills, even if you aren’t sure if it is your main interest. This career is flexible as there are so many roles within the food industry, so be open to exploring new opportunities and training to help you explore your options and discover what you are passionate about.

How long have you been doing your job?

I was an operations graduate for two years before moving into food safety & quality around a year and a half ago.

Has your salary changed since then – if not do you see salary progression?

Yes – one great thing about the food industry is it offers many routes for progression and career development, so you will never need to be static for too long if you want to push yourself.