Tracey Petley-Hibbs
Working as: PROCESS TECHNOLOGIST for Nestle - Confectionery
Age: 28
Earning: Graduates start around $40,000
In a nutshell: “I work for Willy Wonka and I make lollies.”
Why food technology?
“No problem is ever the same, every situation is challenging, I love getting in there and figuring out why things happen.”
I’m part of the Product Applications Group, which is responsible for development of new products and packaging as well as technical support for the factory.
My job involves taking raw materials, like sugar, and figuring out how we can use or modify our existing processes to transform them into a range of different products and lollies. My job involves a lot of food labeling, sensory evaluation, cost saving, process improvement, training operators and problem solving, where my time is split evenly between factory and office work..
Choosing a career
While I always knew I that I was going to university, my problem was I didn’t know what I wanted to do. When I was at school there wasn’t a lot of information on the types of jobs you could get at the end of a degree. I didn’t know a job like mine existed.
I loved history, but I knew job prospects in New Zealand were limited, and I almost became an accountant because it was my best subject in 7th form. At one point I even considered law.
If there is one thing that I’ve learnt, it is just because you are good at a subject or option at school it doesn’t mean that you should choose it as your career. What ever you do you’ll be in it for the long haul.
I’m quite a hands-on person, I love the idea of being in overalls, covered in sugar, knee deep in a problem. While accounting suits some people, the idea of a desk and calculator, moving numbers round for the rest of my professional life makes me shudder. I was always the one in chemistry labs who, after a few hours of experimenting, following a detailed step by step guide, ended up with a pink or blue powder when everyone else had nice bright white crystals. What I learnt though is that when things go wrong, it’s the best opportunity to learn, because it pushes you to find out why.
I heard about the University of Auckland BTech program from my 7th form chemistry teacher. The degree was multidisciplinary, so we had exposure to traditional sciences, like chemistry and biology, but we also studied engineering and management. It was towards the end of my degree that I figured out I liked big scale processes and wanted to work in a commercial factory environment, not a lab – BIG! I decided then to continue on with Engineering, which was very challenging.
I completed a Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology and a Masters in Chemical Engineering at the University of Auckland, which took five and a half years to complete.
A sweet career
 Studying engineering gives you a whole different way of approaching a problem. A lot of my job with Nestle involves working with factory engineers, production, marketing and suppliers. Having that engineering background means I can understand the bigger picture and the kind of information valuable to other departments. It really forces you to take a holistic approach and look at the bigger picture.
The biggest challenge to date in my career has been working on the commissioning of our factory here in Auckland, where two confectionery factories, with lots of different processes, were consolidated onto one site. I joined the team in the middle of the project and coming in with no prior knowledge of confectionery was more than a little daunting.
Like everyone, I had to hit the ground running, and while it was a very steep learning curve the support from the team was amazing. It is not often that you get the opportunity to work side by side with industry experts, figuring it out as you go. As well as making some great friends through the project, the technical network that I am part of is invaluable, a huge resource to draw on for advice.
While confectionery is quite specialised, a lot of the skills that you pick up are transferable to other industries – everywhere you look there are technologists and engineers, you might just not realise it.
When I was at school I thought words and phrases like “resourceful” and “thinking outside the square” didn’t apply to me. What I’ve come to realise is that what it actually means is “playing” and “figuring things out”.
A good engineer or technologist is someone who can take lots of little pieces of information from many different sources and make sense of them. If you are someone who loves to get in amongst it, not one to stand on the sideline and watch, then consider engineering or technology as a career. Likewise if numbers, spreadsheets, computers and pocket protectors are you, then accounting may be your calling. Turns out it wasn’t for me :-)
(Profile courtesy of Futureintech – www.futureintech.com).
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Real people talk about their jobs in food science, technology & engineering (courtesy of Futureintech: www.futureintech.com):
  Simon Loveday, Food Research Scientist for The Riddet Institute, Palmerston North.
 Wendy Robinson, Senior Food Technologist for NZ's largest ice cream manufacturer, Tip Top Ice-Cream, Auckland.
 Harriet Gibbs, Process Manager for multinational dairy processor Fonterra, Edendale, Southland.
 Bronwyn Hawker, Food Technologist with innovative beverage manufacturer Frucor, Auckland.
 Michelle Lucke, Process Improvement Technologist for prepared foods manufacturer, Heinz Watties, Tomoana, Hastings.
 Ben Sutherland, Product Development Technologist for healthy snack manufacturer Mother Earth Foods, Auckland.
 Anna Smith, Development Technologist for milk and dairy foods processor Fonterra Brands NZ.
 Melanie Wong, Food technologist/QA Manager for meat processor and exporter ANZCO Foods Green Island, near Dunedin.
 Rachel Johns, Product Development Technologist for iconic prepared foods manufacturer Heinz Wattie's, Hastings.
 John Evans, Operations Manager for drinks manufacturer Phoenix Organics, Auckland.
 Penny Hosking, Technical Manager for buttercup squash processor and exporter Southmark Quality Foods, Hastings.
 Emily Choi, Product Development Technologist for prepared foods manufacturer Heinz Wattie's, Hastings.
 Tracey Petley-Hibbs, Process Technologist for sweetmaker, Nestlé Confectionery, Auckland.
 Andrew Hutton, Product Development Technologist for prepared foods manufacturer Heinz Wattie's, Hastings.
 Debbie Curtis, Chocolate Technologist for international chocolatemaker, Cadbury, Dunedin.
 Jonelle Taylor, Senior Product Development Technologist for Fresh 'n' Fruity yoghurt manufacturer Fonterra Brands, Auckland.
 Yvette Temple, Senior Product Developer for biscuit manufacturer Griffins, Auckland.
More profiles of careers in food technology at Futureintech: www.futureintech.com. | |
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