I get lots of queries from companies and individuals either requesting recommendations for people who might be suitable for dairy science, dairy technologist, food technologist jobs or for advice from food job seekers on vacancies in particular job areas. I regret that I can no longer respond directly to these queries, I simply do not have the time to do so.

I will use  this page to  publicise posts connected with the subject areas covered by this site and will consider publicising the details of people searching for work here also. If you wish to advertise a vacancy on this site please use the contact form to discuss your vacancy. Companies placing adverts are required to  make a small donation towards the running costs of the Dairy Science and Food Technology website.  

You can also obtain information about careers and current vacancies in food science and food technology in the links section of this site. I will try to keep these updated and have added a number of  recruitment company links. Note that there is a world wide shortage of food scientists and technologists and that pay and working conditions in many countries now reflect this new reality. Food scientists and technologists with postgraduate qualifications are particularly well paid in the US and the remuneration situation is now improving significantly in the UK, Ireland and in other parts of Europe.

There are also excellent opportunities for PhD research in food science and technology in the UK and Ireland. Potential candidates should look at, in particular, the websites of University College Cork, the University of Leeds, The University of Nottingham, Queens University Belfast, the University of Ulster, and Reading University. There are also a number of research institutes and colleges closely associated with particular universities where students can undertake research frequently involving a commercial partner e.g. the Teagasc research centres in the Republic of Ireland and the The Institute of Food Research in England. Note these institutions frequently advertise posts for scientists and technologists.

The Health and Life Sciences pages of Intute should be a major resource for people seeking information in food and agriculture matters generally and research and job vacancies in particular.

If you are a recently qualified graduate and are unemployed you may find that your university or college has a list of current vacancies. Many employers still advertise vacancies in this way. For example, current and past students from CAFRE can access job vacancies on "Blackboard". Please contact Jane Picton for access information. There are also a number of trade journals advertising industry vacancies.

If you have had a number of unsuccessful interviews or have not had an offer of an interview you should consider trying to obtain some feedback on your interview performance and on your application in general. The article by Dr Cecilia Hegarty provides an overview of why employers are increasingly attempting to recruit graduates with entrepreneurial skills and may also be of help to students preparing for interviews. Increasingly criterion based interviewing techniques are being used and many recent graduates, if unprepared, can find it difficult to deal with questions that require them to explain their personal contributions and achievements against job specific criteria.

Good communication skills are usually a requirement for most jobs. Well written applications forms and curriculum vitae are essential. Written submissions must be concise, legible, be free from spelling mistakes and grammatically correct. This is where a critical friend is invaluable. You may also find the text-readability calculator on this site to be helpful in obtaining an indicator of how clearly your application is written.

For more senior job seekers you will probably be aware that many of the larger companies employ 'head hunters' to identify potential candidates. If you wish to be successful then you need to understand how these companies work and start building your personal network!

This article provides students with an overview of why employers are increasingly attempting to recruit graduates with entrepreneurial skills. It also explores why economies within the European Union need more people with imagination and drive to think and act in an entrepreneurial manner to create exciting opportunities for themselves and others. Entrepreneurship is not something special that a few people are born with. Entrepreneurship is a way of thinking that can be nurtured in any environment, not just business start-ups but also in existing private and public organisations. Therefore, it is not surprising that schools and colleges are interested in producing more enterprise-savvy graduates; and governments are committed to equipping people with enterprise skills in all walks of life. This article outlines how important it is for everyone to cultivate his or her entrepreneurial spirit.