Daniel Kennedy

Degree:    Bachelor of Science
Major:      Nutrition

Years in the Field:    8
Current Job Title:     Sales Representative
Organization:            Higgins & White, Inc.

How did you find this job?
I got connected with Higgins & White when they were hired by my former employer to represent the company’s product lines.

Previous Job Titles and Organizations:
General Nutrition Centers 
        Store Manager
International Home Foods (now ConAgra)
        Food Technologist
Nuvex Ingredients 
        Product Developer
        National Accounts manager

Please describe your job:
I communicate product, market, and pricing updates to existing and future customers; solicit additional product lines to existing customers or new customers via e-mail, phone and face to face communications; prospect for new customers in my territory; and prospect for additional product lines or innovation that could be sold in my territory. I am also a part of the local food science and processing community through involvement with the Institute of Food Technologists and the U of MN.

What from your undergraduate educational experience was most helpful in preparing you for this career?
Part-time jobs that taught me management, leadership and time-management; gaining a basic understanding of food components and their importance to overall health; working in chemistry and food science labs to gain knowledge of the equipment and measurement tools used in processing; writing and rhetoric classes that taught effective communication.

What advice do you have for current students?
Network as much as possible—the great jobs are not in the want ads. Get a part time job closely related to your field and get one that has nothing to with your field. Have a mentor who is currently working in the position you want when you are done with school. Be part of a professional organization related to your field of study. Take note of the skills you learn that are not related to your major—they are what get you the job over the others applying. Volunteer!

Is there anything else you would like to add that we didn't ask you?
Make sure you gain a global understanding of your profession. What other countries employ people in your field of interest? How does that affect your future job outlook? Are you willing to be flexible with the first five to ten years of your career to get what you want in the end?