Tony Wong is the Plant Manager at 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee roastery in Vancouver that supplies retail chains, independent cafes, and a growing e-commerce operation across Canada.

In this episode, we talk about what plant management actually looks like in a food and beverage manufacturing setting, how speciality coffee is actually made and how a food science background in quality can lead you into a path in operations.

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Shownotes

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro

02:21 - About Tony's Food Job

04:36 - What Are KPIs?

06:00 - How Coffee Beans Are Processed

09:23 - Quality Control and Cupping

11:40 - About Coffee Roasting

17:00 - Quality and Safety Above Profits

19:23 - Tony's Career Path: QA to Operations

21:37 - Why He Stayed in Operations

24:01 - Food Safety Background as an Asset

26:17 - Skills Needed in His Role

35:37 - Role Evolution and Financial Skills

38:01 - Learning from Subject Matter Experts

40:24 - Networking and Asking Questions

41:50 - Advice to His Younger Self

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📙 Career Guides
💭 Career Advice

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CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Tony Wong LinkedIn

💼 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters LinkedIn
🌐 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters Website

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Veronica Hislop sits down with Olga Cenic, HR Manager at Voortman Bakery, to talk resumes, interviews, mentorship, and the overlooked ways students can break into food manufacturing - all in part three of FoodGrads' HR mini series! Olga Cenic is the HR Manager at Voortman Bakery - a 75-year-old cookie and wafer manufacturer in Burlington, Ontario, and home to the number one sugar-free wafer in North America.

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Shownotes

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De Lacy Executive Recruitment offers professional recruitment services for employers and candidates in agriculture and food. As a candidate, De Lacy will provide career development advice, career consulting, as well as preparation for interview success. Open communication, confidentiality, and complete transparency are a priority for De Lacy consultants — check out De Lacy Executive Recruitment for more information on exciting opportunities!

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Episode Intro
02:57 - What HR Looks For In New Hires
03:43 - LinkedIn Strategy
05:00 - Foot in the Door
06:36 - About Voortman Bakery
09:01 - Culture & COVID
11:49 - Co-op Programs
14:11 - Sanitation Crew Opportunity
16:28 - Temporary Agencies Explained
21:34 - Resume Tips
29:33 - What Is Mentorship?
38:00 - Interview Tips
40:52 - Questions to Ask
43:00 - Following Up After Interviews
45:00 - Assessing Company Culture
49:12 - Final Advice

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📙 Career Guides
💭 Career Advice

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CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Olga Cenic LinkedIn

💼 Voortman Cookies LinkedIn
🌐 Voortman Bakery Website

CONNECT WITH US
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🎵 TikTok
💼 LinkedIn

This is part two of FoodGrads' three-part HR miniseries, built for students entering the food and beverage industry with support from De Lacy Executive Recruitment.

In this episode, we get into what hiring managers actually do when they open your resume - and what happens in those first five to seven seconds that determines whether you make the pile or not.

Steve McIntyre is the Vice President of People and Culture at Fine Choice Foods, a Richmond, BC-based manufacturer of spring rolls, gyoza, bao buns, and other premium dim sum products.

Steve started his career as a maintenance electrician.

He did not plan to end up in HR - but food manufacturing has a way of creating lateral opportunities for people who stay curious, and that is exactly what happened to him.

In this conversation, Steve shares what hiring managers are really looking for, why your education section is not doing the work you think it is, and how to make yourself visible in a market where four hundred people are applying for the same role.

If you are a student or new grad trying to figure out your next move, this one is worth your time.

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Shownotes

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De Lacy Executive Recruitment offers professional recruitment services for employers and candidates in agriculture and food. As a candidate, De Lacy will provide career development advice, career consulting, as well as preparation for interview success. Open communication, confidentiality, and complete transparency are a priority for De Lacy consultants — check out De Lacy Executive Recruitment for more information on exciting opportunities!

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro
01:30 - Steve's Role at Fine Choice Foods
04:00 - About Fine Choice Foods
07:30 - Steve's Path into HR
13:00 - How Students Get Hired
17:00 - Reading Entry-Level Resumes
22:00 - Personal Summaries That Stand Out
26:00 - Are Cover Letters Worth It?
29:00 - Extracurriculars on Your Resume
32:00 - Showing Technical Skills
34:00 - What Impresses in an Interview
38:00 - Managing Interview Nerves
41:00 - Common Interview Mistakes
44:00 - How to Research Company Culture
48:00 - What Hiring Managers Actually Ask
52:00 - Job Searching in a Tough Market
56:00 - Final Advice for Students

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📙 Career Guides
💭 Career Advice

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CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Steve McIntyre LinkedIn

💼 Fine Choice Foods LinkedIn
🌐 Fine Choice Foods Website

CONNECT WITH US
📸 Instagram
🎵 TikTok
💼 LinkedIn