Cereals & Grains Association
Log In

Opportunities for professionals in the food industry
E. A. ARNDT (1). (1) ConAgra Foods, Inc., Omaha, NE, U.S.A.

Congratulations on your recent graduation and new job! This is an exciting time filled with possibilities. Here is some advice. Learn about your company. Learn about the markets and companies that your company does business with. Learn from your colleagues. Listen and observe; ask a lot of questions. Know your products – try the foods made by your company and foods made with ingredients from your company. Become intimately familiar with your company’s mission. Learn about your company’s goals, programs and career paths. At ConAgra Foods, our overarching purpose is to deliver everyday food in extraordinary ways. We have a recipe for growth, a prescription for ways we win, and operating principles that we must follow. In our Research, Quality and Innovation department at ConAgra Foods we developed eight technical competencies that we follow. These include “Own the product”, “Working backwards” and “Be curious and know your stuff” which provide a template for how we should work. We have a three year development rotation program consisting of yearlong assignments in three different departments. This program was designed to help new professionals increase knowledge and technical skills, as well as to help develop an understanding of our products, our consumers, and our competitors. It is important to build your individual development plan for growth by working with your manager, HR department and other team members and/or mentors. To take advantage of opportunities, it is important to work hard, take an active role, be knowledgeable about your company and to invest in building relationships within and outside of your company.

View Presentation