Hello! My name is Jillian, and I am a region 4 intern outside of Philadelphia. I am 3 weeks into my internship, currently at my food service management rotation at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Collegeville, PA. Having some background in hospital food service, I am delighted to see a different side of food service at a corporate location like GSK. There is a lot of freedom and creativity that goes into menu planning for the employees that results in delicious and healthy food every day of the week. Since there are a small number of employees here, I have gotten to work closely with each of them to get a full experience of their job duties. I have had the pleasure to work closely with the front and back of the house managers, employees, and chefs.
Since I learn best by trying things myself, I’ve become more comfortable with asking to complete tasks with guidance rather than observing. This has given me the chance to maximize my learning experience while increasing my autonomy during the internship. I have made and received orders, worked in cold and hot production, served food, costed out menu items, completed temperature checks, got involved with the hiring process, and even learned how to use a mandolin slicer! This is just some of all I have experienced in my first 2 weeks here.
Something I have learned from the chefs at GSK is that food presentation MATTERS! This seems obvious, but I truly found it surprising how thoughtful the chefs are about what goes where in their dishes. There is a method to their madness in order to increase sales and appeal to what they are creating. Buyers may not consciously notice all of the work that has gone into the presentation of their food, but subconsciously they are taking it into account when choosing what to eat. I now put careful thought into what is going to look the best when helping in food production to increase sales!
The most important thing I have learned in my first 3 weeks of the internship is how crucial it is to be an advocate for yourself and your time. The preceptor is not responsible for making sure you are meeting your competencies, you are! What has helped me is sitting down with my preceptor at the end of every day and talking about what you’ve done today and what you can do tomorrow or schedule for a later date. This has kept me on top of my responsibilities while at my rotation.
I am excited to see what the future holds for the rest of my internship and hope they are all as positive as my food service management rotation!
Since I learn best by trying things myself, I’ve become more comfortable with asking to complete tasks with guidance rather than observing. This has given me the chance to maximize my learning experience while increasing my autonomy during the internship. I have made and received orders, worked in cold and hot production, served food, costed out menu items, completed temperature checks, got involved with the hiring process, and even learned how to use a mandolin slicer! This is just some of all I have experienced in my first 2 weeks here.
Something I have learned from the chefs at GSK is that food presentation MATTERS! This seems obvious, but I truly found it surprising how thoughtful the chefs are about what goes where in their dishes. There is a method to their madness in order to increase sales and appeal to what they are creating. Buyers may not consciously notice all of the work that has gone into the presentation of their food, but subconsciously they are taking it into account when choosing what to eat. I now put careful thought into what is going to look the best when helping in food production to increase sales!
The most important thing I have learned in my first 3 weeks of the internship is how crucial it is to be an advocate for yourself and your time. The preceptor is not responsible for making sure you are meeting your competencies, you are! What has helped me is sitting down with my preceptor at the end of every day and talking about what you’ve done today and what you can do tomorrow or schedule for a later date. This has kept me on top of my responsibilities while at my rotation.
I am excited to see what the future holds for the rest of my internship and hope they are all as positive as my food service management rotation!
