Harjot Nagpal completed a Master’s in Food Innovation with Industrial Practice at the University of Greenwich from September 2021 to 2023. As required by the course, he successfully secured his placement as a Product Developer at The Bread factory and was then promoted to a Product and Process Technologist after 6 months- which he currently works in full-time.
Harjot started the job search process like any other student would, looking online for any job vacancy in the food industry. He ventured into exploring job portals and company websites then made a rewarding decision to focus on LinkedIn. According to Harjot, “LinkedIn played a huge role in securing his placement”. He spent time improving his profile and engagement on LinkedIn and was approached because judging by his profile, he was a good fit for a job vacancy.
His university of choice to pursue a master’s degree, was based on the best and not the most popular. He decided on the University of Greenwich, specifically the course Food Innovation because of the well-designed course structure and the outstanding qualifications and backgrounds of the professors.
Harjot explained that his course was extremely useful and “100% valid” to his role as a product developer. He stated that the following modules provided the information needed to secure and succeed in his role,
- Marketing, Innovation and Management
- Innovations in Food Packaging
- Food Product and Process Development
These modules gave him the theoretical explanation on how concepts are developed, how to professionally handle customer queries and how to deal with various issues that may arise during the stages of food development.
During Harjot’s placement at The Bread Factory, every day was different and brought new opportunities to learn and develop skills. His role as product developer was a mix of customer, product and procurement facing, which involved
- Optimising existing products: reducing food waste, improving quality of products, and reducing cost without affecting quality.
- Product concept creation with customers such as Gail’s bakery
- Collaborating with teams including but not limited to the food safety/technical and production team to run trials and create processes
- Quality Assurance
- Costing Analysis
- Creating nutritional information document for new products
As a student, transitioning from full-time studies to full-time work, Harjot encountered a few hurdles like dealing with different people and personalities and knowing when to stop. He successfully navigated these challenges by understanding the importance of leading without micromanaging, practicing honesty, encouraging individuals to take initiative, and finally interacting with people in a manner that suits their comfort levels, acknowledging that not everyone prefers the same treatment.
Harjot’s biggest moment during his placement was working on the team that created and launched the Turkey sandwich and Savoury croissant for the 2023 Christmas range which got press coverage and was #1 top ten sandwich in timeout magazine.
“My Placement at The Bread Factory was above and beyond my expectation. The company has an excellent work culture and a team of people that were always willing to support me.”- Harjot Nagpal
Harjot’s advice to students
- Be proactive- don’t expect anyone to hand you anything
- Make use of the team that are available to support and guide you
- Be passionate about something
- Put yourself out there
- Focus on your studies and make good grades
- Attend Step workshops- “they are very useful and provide valuable information”
Ultimately, as a student, it is your responsibility, your degree, and your placement.
