For my STEP Signature Project, I chose to go to Chicago for the IFT (International Food Technologist) First expo. The expo is an annual event showcasing new developments in food science and new vendor offerings for product development. Over the course of three days, I met with representatives of over fifty different companies and made connections with as many people possible.
My Step Signature Project helped boost my self-confidence and improve my networking skills immensely. Before the expo I was hesitant to reach out and form connections with professionals in my industry. I was intimidated by the thought of introducing myself to people in positions of power. The expo forced me to put myself out there and interact with people from all over the industry. I found that by day three I was confidently introducing myself to people as I made my way through the expo hall.
My signature project also helped me gain confidence in going places by myself. Before the expo I was nervous to go to such a massive new space by myself, with the expo hall it was held in being the largest in the US. I felt myself getting anxious as I was entering the expo hall, but after about twenty minutes inside I was much less intimidated by the size of the expo. I was approaching brand reps confidently and forming connections with brand reps.
As discussed previously, this experience changed me by exposing me to a lot of new scenarios and pressure that made me grow and change for the best. This was my first professional experience of this size. I have been to various career fairs at the university, but they pale in comparison in size. I had to jump in with no experience and get my footing quickly as to not make a fool of myself. It was hard, but I adapted quickly. I started by starting small conversations with those standing in the booths and was slowly going more and more in depth with each new conversation.
It was a struggle to get some people and brands to talk to me since this is mostly a trade show. I noticed some people’s eyes jump straight to the label part of my name tag and then they quickly became hesitant to talk to me as they are mainly concerned with selling. I tried to not let this get to me as much as possible, but it was hard to ignore at times. I struggled to initiate conversations with these people after I felt denied by them at first. However, I reminded myself that these weren’t personal slights, and I had to push through their unwillingness to speak to me. I would spark up conversations about being a student and why I had traveled to the expo. Once I told them about my interest in learning about recent developments in food science, they were more willing to give me the background on their company and why they were there as well.
By my third day at the expo things had calmed down quite a bit. Many of the bigger companies who were there to shop had left as it was the final day of the expo, and now I had a much better chance at having in depth conversations with brand reps. I was also much more confident by this point. I had already gone for the last two days of the expo and had a much better understanding of how to approach it. I made multiple connections on this last day, I no longer hesitated to confidently introduce myself to those working in the booths. I made lasting connections with different reps from Morton Salt, ADM, Heinz, and more. I had really benefitted from putting myself out there during the expo, and I gained networking skills that will be very beneficial as I search for a job post grad.
This experience is valuable for my life because it immersed me into my future career in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I learned a lot about the new developments in food science, from zero sugar to dairy free products, new technologies, and so much more. I can apply what I have learned in my classes this year and bring this knowledge to my next job as well. I also was able to network with more professionals in the industry than I have ever had access to before. This expo brought forth a whole new set of challenges that I faced head on, and I came out a better person because of it. I built connections that will last and put myself in new environments to gain new experiences. I have already kept in touch with some of the individuals I met at the expo and am excited to see where these connections take me.