Beverage manufacturer

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I work as a beverage manufacturer, which means that I prepare different kinds of soft drinks, juices, soups and waters. The manufacturing process is partly automated, and I do some of the work stages by hand.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

When I graduated as a horse groomer, I didn’t have any work in the equine industry lined up, so I applied for summer jobs in the food industry. At my summer job, I became interested in that field and decided to apply to Häme Vocational Institute to study to become a dairy product manager.

Describe your typical working day or week.

First, I use a reach truck to get the necessary ingredients and start producing drinks according to the production plans. When the products are done, I perform different kinds of measurements and analyses and do a sensory assessment of the quality of the products.

My workday includes automatic cycle washes of production equipment and manual washing. I also take samples of wash cycles and raw materials and take in deliveries of raw materials.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

I work at a beverage factory. I work in three shifts by doing the morning, evening or night shift for a week at a time.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

A beverage manufacturer has to be able to make independent decisions and understand production as a whole. Products are manufactured on several production lines, so a beverage manufacturer has to be able to determine the best order of doing the work. You also need problem-solving skills since problems do sometimes come up in beverage production.

What is the best thing about your profession?

The best thing about my profession is the variety of tasks and having regular shifts.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

The amount of work varies a lot. There can be a lot of work during busy weeks, while other times can be very quiet. Five consecutive night shifts can also feel heavy.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a beverage manufacturer?

The food industry produces various kinds of products in a wide range of factories. A single factory can have people working in very different tasks.

How do you see the future of your profession?

I think that the future of the sector is fairly stable since you always need food regardless of the global situation. Even though automation and artificial intelligence are developing, people are still necessary for production tasks.