There’s a good chance that Ingredion products are in your home right now. That’s because Ingredion Incorporated is a leading global ingredient solutions company that makes the ingredients for everyday products from foods and beverages to paper and pharmaceuticals. Behind the magic of Ingredion’s wide-ranging portfolio of ingredients is a team of employees who perfect every crunch and texture of the foods you love. 

To learn more about what goes on behind the scenes at this global company, we spoke with four early-career employees in Ingredion’s three-year Global Talent for Operations Program (GTO) about their experience. 

Steve Were first heard about the GTO program when a recruiter reached out to him on LinkedIn.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Missouri with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering Steve joined the Ingredion team as a process engineer. He was excited for the opportunity to grow with the company and get a strong foundation in operations early in his career through the GTO program at Ingredion. Now, ten months into the three-year program, Steve shared what he has learned and accomplished thus far. 

Early on in the program he and his cohorts from various Ingredion offices within North America received a week of training at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, the program’s educational partner institution, where they learned about the Ingredion business and higher education topics such as supply chain and operations management from university professors and Ingredion leaders. “It was nice to be in a classroom setting and meet my cohorts. Especially since I stopped in-person college two months before graduation due to the pandemic,” shared Steve. 

One thing that Steve enjoys about working at Ingredion is the ability to make global connections. In addition to his day to day work as a process engineer, Steve has been able to work on stretch projects with colleagues in Australia, Thailand, Japan, and Indonesia. He explained that despite the time differences, he finds it rewarding to speak with people across the globe and learn about their experience working at Ingredion in various countries.

For students interested in joining GTO, Steve says, “If you want to move up, and have high career aspirations this is the program for you. Not only does it build a strong foundation for how we operate as a global company, but you are also built up personally.”

After completing an internship in 2017 at Ingredion, Anna Stanley decided to join the team full-time.  

Anna graduated from Purdue University in 2018 with B.S. in Chemical Engineering and currently works as a process engineer at Ingredion’s brand new, state of the art plant-based protein facility in South Sioux City, NE. In her time at Ingredion, Anna has had the opportunity to work on a variety of certifications for personal development and has received an abundance of safety training which is a vital part of the company’s culture. 

Anna explained that a main requirement of the GTO program was that participants rotate every 12 months to take on different responsibilities in the company and to broaden their network, which led to her recent move to Nebraska. “They needed people to be on the ground starting up the Nebraska plant and getting products made, so I moved in mid-February,” shared Anna.

What she likes so far about her new role is that she has been able to write standard operating procedures for the processes in the facility, which is rare, because this task is typically only done at the start of a new plant. While writing these procedures Anna must also continually adjust to changes in the plant, “I like how every day is different, I feel good about the work we do and I’m very engaged.”

Anna’s advice for students interested in the program is to be curious and not to be afraid to ask questions throughout the interview process. 

Roberto Lee Eng Cisneros studied chemical engineering at the University of Guadalajara before joining Ingredion. 

Roberto explained that in the engineering track at his university, Ingredion was everyone’s dream company. He always envisioned that it would be where he would work when he was mid-career but was excited when he received a full-time offer after graduation. 

Two and a half years later, Roberto is working in Ingredion’s corporate office in Guadalajara, Mexico where he is the supply planner for all three of Ingredion’s Mexico plants. He’s also responsible for the international logistics of imports and exports.

He explained that as part of the GTO program, he goes to Madison, Wisconsin every six months, and can learn from and network with cohorts based all over North America. As part of the GTO program, Roberto has also been able to participate in an international mentorship program and enjoys having the opportunity to practice his English at a business level with his Canadian mentor. “The best part of the program is learning new things and new ways of doing things from planners in different countries,” shared Roberto. 

Roberto’s advice for students is to always network because collaboration is so important in business. He also advises that students consider what their value add is to Ingredion when going through the interview process. 

Fiona Muegge first got her start at Ingredion as an intern three years ago. After graduating from Michigan State University with B.S. in Food Industry Management she chose to join the team full-time. 

Today Fiona works in customer support with Ingredion’s sweetener ingredients team, and in July she’ll be rotating to her second role within the logistics planning team. In her day-to-day, Fiona handles a variety of Ingredion customer accounts, making her the customer’s primary point of contact for questions. She explained that each customer support team is broken up by ingredients in groups such as industrial, sweetener, ingredient solutions, and more. 

Something that excites Fiona about working at the company is that Ingredion products are in a lot of key items people use and need daily. “Especially during the pandemic people needed our products. One thing you wouldn’t consider is that they use our sugars in IV bags which have been important for patients. It feels good to know our products are creating things the world needs.”

One thing that Fiona enjoys about her experience at Ingredion is the culture, “We have a good balance of experienced and early-career talent. Even working remotely people have been keeping up because we have a very collaborative environment.”

Her most memorable experiences in the GTO have been the trips to the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She enjoys learning from the professors who work in the Center for Professional and Executive Development at the University of Wisconsin and different executives from Ingredion. She highly recommends this program for students because it is a great learning opportunity. 

In 2021, Ingredion plans to globalize the rotational program, expanding its footprint to South America and EMEA. If you’re interested in learning more about Ingredion Incorporated and its early-career opportunities click here.

The post How You Can Learn, Grow, and Develop in Ingredion’s Rotational Program appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Ingredion is one of the biggest companies you’ve never heard of. They’re the global leader in ingredient solutions—which means they turn grains, fruit, vegetables, and other plant-based materials into value-added ingredient solutions for the food, beverage, animal nutrition, brewing and industrial markets. Basically, they make crackers crunchy, yogurt creamy, candy sweet, paper stronger, and baked goods more nutritious.

So even if you haven’t heard of Ingredion, you might’ve snacked on something they’ve created.

From food science to quality control and supply chain to engineering and analytics, there are tons of ways to start your career at Ingredion. We spoke to some of their recent interns to learn more.

1. Rahul Started His Business Analytics Career Running

As someone who studies business and analytics in school, Rahul was looking for a role that would let him use analysis to make an immediate impact on a business. However, given how complex a field business intelligence is, he also needed mentorship from experts active in the field. When he heard about the Ingredion role, he found the perfect combination.

What He Did: “I was a sales and operations intern on the supply chain and analytics team. We used analytics to enhance efficiency in the supply chain, saving the business money and increasing productivity. I’ve learned so much throughout these two months, gotten a lot of good advice, and worked on projects that I’m proud of.”

How Ingredion Helped Him Grow: “I learned a lot here this summer, and it wasn’t restricted to one means of learning. With the remote situation, I thought it would be harder to grow and make connections, but that wasn’t the case. I learned how to use new business and data analytics programs, such as PowerBI, through Ingredion’s online Learning & Development course catalog. You also have a really helpful mentor. Plus, you can always schedule calls with anybody on your team or at the company. Everyone is so helpful and willing to share ideas.”

Favorite Project: “It’s this model called Sentiment Analysis or emotional artificial intelligence. I worked on a system that allows you to automatically input customer responses and get an understanding of how the customer is feeling. You input customer feedback, and it actually returns a score that reflects the sentiment.”

2. Zion Became A Top Contributor At His First Internship

Zion is an industrial engineering student about to go into his senior year. For his first internship, he wanted to find a company that wouldn’t just let him practice and learn his craft, but teach him how to best navigate the working world. Ingredion’s culture—which combines learning opportunities with real work experience—was the perfect place for him.

What He Did: “As a Continuous Improvement Intern, I worked on projects that helped us identify problems and improve our production process. I worked with various parts of the production process to enhance key performance indicator (KPI) reporting and improve efficiency. This is the first internship I’ve ever had, so I really came in with a clean slate, no expectations, just ready to deliver however possible.”

How Ingredion Helped Him Grow: “It’s a combination of mentorship and instruction. Ingredion gave me a lot of guidance on how to maneuver and navigate the company. My managers gave me a lot of tools to understand continuous improvement and industrial engineering in general. I even became a Six Sigma White Belt, which is really useful in my industry.”

Favorite Project: “One of my projects was creating a system to identify ‘bad actors,’ which are basically pieces of machinery that cause production problems. By the end of my internship, I hope to have a system set up so my coworker can just input data and find out whether a piece of equipment is a bad actor. I was also nominated for the WayUp Top 100 Interns list, and my coworkers at Ingredion have been so supportive, voting for me over 1,600 times already.”

3. Kiana Had Her Best Internship Yet—Even Amid A Pandemic

Kiana was worried about the remote internship experience. She knew first-hand how hard it could be to make connections as an intern and get valuable work experience. When she arrived at Ingredion, the team gave her exactly what she was looking for: safe, in-person experiences, mentoring and the ability to make connections across the company.

What She Did: “As a Quality Intern, I worked on various impactful projects. I was tasked with finding a new piece of equipment for the lab and a new software system to replace an outdated one. I also worked closely with the Quality Vendor Analyst to monitor and update testing requirements on products we import. I never felt that I was missing out on the full internship experience, even on the days I was working from home.”

How Ingredion Helped Her Grow: “I was provided a mentor on the first day of my internship. The members of the Quality team I worked with were also all extremely helpful and very willing to teach me. They always answered my questions and showed me the workflow of the lab. We also had a final capstone presentation which allowed us to sum up the projects we worked on in front of coworkers, supervisors, and leadership. This presentation allowed us to shine in front of leadership and show them the contributions we made to the company.”

Favorite Part Of The Program: “Despite the challenges that this pandemic has created for everyone across the globe, Ingredion has not let it stop them. Ingredion provided me with the best internship experience I’ve ever had. The HR team has consistently kept me in contact with all the other interns, planning fun virtual activities such as music trivia events, or providing opportunities for us to connect with leadership, such as with our ‘Lessons with Leaders’ meetings.”

4. Taylor: Safely Working In The Lab—And Seeing Teamwork In Action

2020 was Taylor’s third summer interning with Ingredion. With many internships being canceled, Taylor wanted nothing more than this experience to continue, but she was worried about how it would be handled during a pandemic. She didn’t want to take a backseat in the research and innovation OR miss out on the learning experience of teamwork—and Ingredion’s internship program helped her safely stay in the action.

What She Did: “I was always able to safely complete my lab work. Before walking into the main office, you get your temperature checked and receive a new mask daily. When I arrived, I began training, and the importance of my projects was explained to me. Because my projects were heavily lab-based, I was in the office four to five times a week. After training, I began my project independently, but there was never a time where I found myself not able to ask for help. Multiple team members checked in on my progress and made sure I was doing well throughout the summer.”

How Ingredion Helped Her Grow: “At Ingredion, there is a Business Resource Group called the Network of Early Talent (NExT) , which supports the early talent community and helps us learn and grow professionally. This summer, the group piloted an Intern Buddy Program, where each intern at the site was paired with an Ingredion employee, so we’d have a friendly connection to learn from. I learned some key skills from my buddy. My boss also set up training with other experts. They showed me how to utilize the necessary equipment and gave me great advice.”

Favorite Project: “Members on different teams, other than my own, gave me training on different equipment and shared old data and useful tips. Gathering all the information given to me from the many teams I interacted with, is what ultimately allowed me to complete my projects and be successful.”

5. Liam Started His Process Engineering Career With Great Advice—And Hands-On Experience

As a future Process Engineer, Liam needed to apply what he’d been learning in school AND learn from experts in the field. Getting floor experience during a pandemic was going to be a challenge, but—you might be picking up on a theme here—Ingredion was committed to getting him what he needed.

What He Did: “I work in process engineering, so my team must work closely with operations and maintenance. For my projects specifically, that included coordinating with operations management to find when events would occur. Also, I would spend a lot of time on the plant floor working alongside operators to gain insight into what the process looks like from their perspective.”

How Ingredion Helped Him Grow: “I learned through a combination of my own curiosity and being surrounded by good people. My manager, Jenny, filled that mentor role for me. She was indispensable in providing specific insights on projects and strong advice in general. Meghan, our internship program manager, also provided fantastic support to the intern class by providing us with connections throughout the company. Every week, she put together a program she called ‘Lessons from Leaders,’ where we heard great advice from the company’s leadership.”

Favorite Project: “I’m proud of the improvements I made to the changeover process of one our machines at one of our manufacturing centers. These changes can save the company well over 100 hours of downtime per year. They make the operators’ job a little easier because I provided the necessary tools to complete parts of the process. I’m also proud of the connections I made through this internship. I’ve met many great people who have followed very different career paths. And I’m lucky that they can help me make the right decisions when I am paving my own career path.”

To Start Your Career Right, Start At Ingredion

No matter what the circumstances are, Ingredion gives their interns the experience and knowledge they’ll need to compete in a tough job market.

Check out open opportunities for Summer 2021 and beyond at Ingredion on WayUp!

The post 5 Ways To Start Your Career At This Multibillion-Dollar Food Ingredients Company appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Gender inequality isn’t just an issue in the developed world.

All over the globe, women are systematically denied their fair share of wages, education, and access to the financial resources to make better lives for themselves, their families, and their communities. Unfortunately, this is especially prevalent in cocoa farming communities.

That’s why Mondelēz—one of the world’s leading producers of chocolate, cookies, and tons of other delicious snacks—stepped in with its Cocoa Life program.

Here’s a look at how Mondelēz uses Cocoa Life to empower cocoa farmers of all stripes to make a better, more sustainable chocolate (and world)—and how the company’s empowerment of women doesn’t stop at the farmer level.

Saving Cocoa (And The World), One Woman At A Time

Mondelēz’s chocolate brands include iconic global chocolatiers like Cote D’or, Cadbury, and Milka. Plus, Mondelēz uses plenty of cocoa in its Chips Ahoy! and Oreo cookies, too. So, Mondelēz has a vested interest both in protecting the farmers who make cocoa and, you know, the Earth that sustains the crop.

That’s why Cocoa Life is about empowering women and communities to protect the environment.

And it’s not just a lip service initiative, either. Mondelēz is committed to putting $400 million into Cocoa Life communities by 2022. That’s enough money to impact the lives of 200,000 cocoa farmers and a million people in their communities.

Mondelēz’s focus is on its primary cocoa communities in Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil. Problems of unsustainable farming practices and gender inequality were particularly problematic there. In Ghana, female cocoa farmers are paid 25 to 30 percent less, and in the Ivory Coast, they can be paid up to 70 percent less for the same work. This, like many problems in the US and elsewhere, can be traced to a lack of women in leadership. Over 40 percent of cocoa farming labor is done by women, but they own only 2 percent of the cocoa farmland.

Mondelēz through Cocoa Life gives women access to financial resources to buy and invest in farms for themselves. Cocoa Life also funds education for children and farmers to ensure they farm smarter to maximize output and make communities that work better for everyone.

So far Mondelēz has reached over 120,000 farmers across hundreds of communities. And they’re still going.

Mondelēz hopes to secure the future of chocolate for generations by making richer, more educated communities full of people committed to protecting both their cocoa yield and the ecosystem from which it grows.

It Doesn’t Stop With Cocoa

For Mondelēz, the passion that drives its team to empower women in cocoa communities also sets the standard for all of the company’s global offices.

Mondelēz is not them team that lets its culture be defined by the legal minimum of training and awareness. Mondelēz use its voice all around the world to make sure its company culture is unified. At every office, people of all backgrounds contribute to their international mission.

With so many different types of people, communities, and purposes in their network, the team at Mondelēz simply can’t afford to waste time on exclusionary, backward practices.

And even though the programs have been overseen by women in the c-suite (business world lingo for top brass), like former Chief Executive Irene Rosenfeld and Chief Human Resources Officer Paulette Alviti, men at every level are pitching in, too.

Global companies have a global responsibility to make sure their people are treated right. If you want to join a company that answers that call, check out fun facts, videos, and amazing job opportunities from Mondelēz on WayUp right now!

The post From Cocoa Farmers To The C-Suite: This Company Empowers Women At Every Level appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

No matter what you want to do in life, it never hurts to have experience in the big leagues.

Even if you want to start your own company or work for a startup, having experience at a massive, established brand gives you the resume that lets you choose your next job—no matter what you’re looking for.

Mondelēz is the big leagues. As one of the world’s most successful consumer goods companies, it sells amazing sweets and snacks like Oreos and Triscuits. Mondelēz makes and sells products all over the world. Even though its work is behind the scenes as a distributor, all of its products are household names.

And the best news? Mondelēz isn’t just hiring, it’s looking for people all over the US.

It’s The World’s Biggest Cookie Company (And Way More)

Even though most people around the world call them biscuits, cookies are one of the great global uniters; everybody loves them! And multiple billion-dollar cookie brands under the Mondelēz umbrella make it, literally, the world’s largest cookie company.

Mondelēz is the biggest and best in one of the most hotly contested markets. That means the company knows a little something about excellence in industry—which means you can, too.

Plus, the company’s also a leader in chocolate (It makes Cadbury!) and gum (We’re talking Trident, Stride, Dentyne, and more!), so it’s got expertise in more than just biscuits.

Behind every one of Mondelēz’s delicious billion-dollar brands, there’s a complex supply chain, top-notch sales team, and a squad of marketers working hard to understand their audience. If any of those fields (or many more) interest you, then Mondelēz might be the perfect place to start your career.

The best news: You won’t have to move far away to work for Mondelēz.

They’re Hiring All Over The Country

Want to work in sales in Suwanee, Georgia? Or how about exploring the field of supply chain as a Logistics Associate in Salt Lake City, Utah?

Mondelēz products are everywhere—so that’s exactly where it’s hiring. (There’s a reason you can buy a Triscuit in all 50 states!)

Plus, Mondelēz is hiring across so many fields. From supply chain to marketing to sales, the roles Mondelēz are filling occupy nearly every space in the consumer goods industry. And every one of them is a chance for you to start your career off right by getting experience at a major brand.

Mondelēz is hiring in cities like Portland, OR; Paterson, NJ; Midland, TX; and way, way more. You can even join some teams like Nabisco Sales Service or Logistics in multiple locations around the country. And it’s not just full-time jobs. Mondelēz is also offering internships and part-time jobs with awesome benefits like performance bonuses and paid vacations.

With billions of dollars of business under its metaphorical belt, Mondelēz is the perfect launchpad for a career in so many consumer goods fields.

For even more fun facts, and videos, and amazing job opportunities check out Mondelēz on WayUp!

The post How Can You Make A Global Impact? Try Working For A Global Company appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

The thing about Mondelēz products is, you don’t just know them. You probably love them—or, at least, one of them.

If you try and think about the food that makes you truly happy when you’re eating it, you’re likely to stumble across a Mondelēz product.

Mondelēz is a sweets specialist, a freshness aficionado, and a cracker connoisseur all rolled into one. Here’s a little more about these supreme cookie craftsmen and how you might be able to join their team.

Mondelēz Makes All The Hits, Seriously

Okay, at this point, you’re probably thinking, “There’s no way Mondelēz makes that many things I love. I don’t even love that many things!”

But listen to this: the amazing team at Mondelēz makes every single Cadbury product. That’s Flake bars, Creme Eggs, and all kinds of chocolate.

But maybe you’re not a chocolate fan. Perhaps you’re into more traditional baked goods. Chocolate is, after all, only an ingredient in many of the best confections. Fair enough.

Well, the Mondelēz team also makes Chips Ahoy! cookies. What kid didn’t want those in their lunchbox? Chocolate chips not your thing, either? That’s not a problem. They also make Nilla Wafers. And Fig Newtons. And every variety of Tate’s cookies.

And if you’re thinking, “I just can’t eat dairy,” then that’s no problem, either. Mondelēz also makes one of the all-time greatest cookies, Oreos—and they’re dairy-free.

Even if you hate sweet things and just like a cool stick of gum, Mondelēz makes Dentyne, Trident, and Stride—and before you even ask, the answer is yes: Mondelēz will pay you in gum (among actual money and a ton of other perks).

And Now Mondelēz Is Looking For People Like You

You’re probably wondering what you can do for Mondelēz, and the answer is: anything.

Mondelēz is looking for a lot more than just bakers to join their team. (Mondelēz has plenty of top-tier bakers on its team.) But if you’re someone interested in any part of the consumer goods business, then you’re just the person Mondelēz is looking for.

We’re talking supply chain students, marketing majors, fledgling packaging designers, and anyone else with a passion for taking things from paper to product.

Yes, even though it’s the cookie business, it’s still a business.

And Mondelēz is looking for the best talent in the game to join one of the world’s leading teams. That’s how the company manages to succeed on 6 continents (you’re next, Antarctica!)—the Mondelēz team are masters of making the very best foods for the happy moments in your life.

There’s a reason we have chocolate on Easter, Halloween, Christmas, and birthdays: Mondelēz stays busy making it. And now you can help. Plus, they’re hiring all over the country, so you can start a career in the world’s sweetest industry without moving to a brand-new city.

Want to learn more about how you can be a part of a multi-continental cookie conglomerate? Check out fun facts, heartfelt testimonials, and amazing job opportunities from Mondelēz on WayUp right now!

The post From Trident To Oreo: This Company Makes All Your Faves—And They’re Hiring appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.