I remember the feeling of panic that looms over every college student once their days at university are coming to an end. With the majority of people clueless about what to do after their final year, I can confidently recommend the Bord Bia and UCD Smurfit Graduate Programme as a fantastic option. If you want to in kick-start your career in the exciting food industry and obtain a Master’s degree in Global Business then this programme is the one for you. If you have another language under your belt, you have the opportunity to be based in an office abroad, further enhancing your language capabilities and understanding of a different culture. However, note that this isn’t a necessary element as Bord Bia have their headquarters on the Grand Canal in Dublin City Centre, where half of the grads on the programme are based. This graduate programme is designed to give you on-the-ground industry experience in food marketing and trade, enabling you to become well equipped to develop a career in the food sector after the programme.
Throughout the 23 months, you will complete eight modules, roughly two every six months, enabling you to foster your understanding of various areas of business such as digital marketing, customer insight, value propositions, and business sustainability. The course is taught in a highly engaging setting, using Harvard Business case studies to examine real-life business situations and to enhance your competencies within the industry.
After completing my undergraduate degree in Commerce and Italian in UCC last year, I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to be based in the Bord Bia office in Milan, Italy. I’ve always had a passion for languages and travel, so I was delighted once I learned that I had been accepted to this programme. The role involves plenty of event planning and management, which can be very exciting, as you get to travel to various cities and meet new people. For example, we held a wine pairing event in the charming setting of Ca’Del Bosco, a prestigious winery in the Italian region of Franciacorta to promote Irish beef. We invited top class chefs from the Chef’s Irish Beef Club and a large group of journalists to publish articles on Irish beef in various Italian magazines. We enjoyed a five-course meal each paired with a glass of wine produced in the winery.
Within the role, you build relationships with both Irish clients and buyers from within the market. For example, I had the opportunity to bring a large group of Italian buyers on a trip around Ireland showing them how our Irish product was being created and to meet the producers. These relationships provide you with potential career opportunities after you complete the programme with Bord Bia. This valuable networking and relationship building can also be done at the various trade shows throughout the year. With a deeper understanding of the market that you are based in and further enhanced language capabilities, you are in a better position to obtain a job in the market if you wish to stay on there after the programme. The opportunity to live abroad and immerse yourself in a new culture also appealed to me as an aspect of the programme. I knew that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to live and work in ‘the fashion capital of world’. It’s the chance to break away from what you’ve always known and to meet new people and challenge your perspectives and norms that you’ve grown up with, not to mention the better weather, food and coffee, or should I say espresso’s.
Milan itself is a beautiful city. The majestic Duomo cathedral has the image most synonymous with Milan, and I would highly recommend paying it a visit. It is only €3 to go inside this ginormous cathedral, which is the largest church in Italy took almost six centuries to complete. If you climb the steps to the terazza you’ll be able to appreciate the architecture in its entirety and see breathtaking views across the city. Also located on Piazza Duomo is the Galleria Vittoria Emanuele II, another must-see, it is a symbol of Milanese style and wealth. The ornate shopping arcade with luxury designer emporiums and gourmet eateries features a magnificent archway 154 feet tall and displays one of Umberto Boccioni's masterpieces, "Riot in the Gallery". The famous Terazza Aperol is just left of the gallery, where you can enjoy a spritz overlooking the Duomo and large square.
I am a big fan of travelling and I love discovering new cities. The energetic city of Milan is located in the North of Italy. There are endless options of places to travel to by train or bus. For example, the magnificent Lake Como is only a 40-minute train ride away from Centrale station. When I visited Lake Como I managed to get tickets for a full day tour, which included a guided tour of the beautiful town of Como, it’s cathedral and narrow walkways, a boat tour around the lake with descriptions of the magnificent buildings and a spy on George Clooney’s house, a stop for lunch and a look around in the stunning town of Bellaggio, followed by a trip to Varenna for a swim and the best gelato you can find on the lake.
The breathtaking Ligurian coast is not too far from Milan by train, when the weather is nice it’s definitely worth visiting the five towns of Cinque Terre in Genoa for a weekend. There are plenty of cheap AirBnb’s in each of the towns if you decide to stay a night or two. Be aware that Cinque Terre can get packed with tourists in the peak of summer, so I’d recommend going just before or after the busy season, in May or September. Head to Monterosso Al Mare for a relaxing time on the beach, then take the ferry ride to Vernazza for a walk around the shops and along the pier, and for the most spectacular view that you may ever see, head to Manarola and try the passion-fruit cocktail and tomato’s on bruschetta, overlooking the colorful town, all before going for another dip under the picturesque sunset.
Portofino, also along the coast of Genoa, is not far from Cinque Terre. A quick train ride will bring you to Santa Margherita Ligure, where you can take a ten-minute bus to the small beach of Paraggi. Here you can relax under the sun or swim in the turquoise, crystal clear water, or if you’re feeling adventurous go rock jumping with the locals.
When my friends visited in October, we took a short train ride from Milan to Verona. We explored the beautiful town and its cuisine, we found Juliette’s balcony and took the funicular up to the top point of the city for the sunset where you can enjoy a spritz while seeing the sun go down on the beautiful town and river.
The next day we took another train to Venice, which is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve seen so far in Italy. It is very busy with tourists, so I would recommend going during off-peak times of the year. It’s easy to get lost in this city among all of the canals, so it’s a good idea to hop on a water bus or boat taxi, or if you’re able to splash a bit more cash you could hop on to a gondola, which are really beautiful and you may get serenaded, but these could cost you €100 per trip, so it may only be worth it if you’re in a big group and can split the cost. Accommodation can be expensive in Venice, we stayed in Anda Hostel which was just a ten-minute bus ride from the island of Venice.
In December, my mum came to visit me in Milan for her birthday. It’s always been her dream to see the snow, so I asked around and did a few Google searches to find the Bernina Express that goes from Trentino to St. Moritz in Switzerland. This red train goes all around the snow-capped peaks of the Alps with incredible views from just out your window the whole journey.
Over the weekend we explored the town and lake of St. Moritz and took a funicular up to the top of the mountain where people go up to ski but there are plenty of cafes and bars up there if you’re just going up to see the view.
Other cities which are reachable from Milan by train are Florence, my favorite city that I have been to in Italy, the magnificent Duomo cathedral is breathtaking, the city is full of lovely streets to explore, the bridge, while busy with tourists, is stunning from along the river. The best part is bringing a picnic to the top of the hill, on which Piazzale Michelangelo sits. Here you can watch the sun go down on this astonishing city. Rome is also worthy of a visit. While it is a bit further down south, there are so many things to do and visit here. The Colosseum is right in the city centre, where there are also many ancient buildings still remaining. The Vatican is by far the most beautiful building I have ever been in. I’m not really an art person but I was left speechless walking around all of the wonderful artwork here. If you’re in any way interested in art, you cannot miss the opportunity to visit the Vatican.
There are plenty of things to be gained from exploring different places, such as new experiences, new friends and stories to tell. It enables us to develop an understanding of different ways of living through discovering a new culture. Some studies say that it can even enhance one’s overall health and creativity. Traveling allows us to disconnect from our daily lives, helping us to live in the present and leave our stresses behind every once in a while. It can also enhance our tolerance for uncertainty and boost one’s confidence by overcoming difficult challenges and obstacles that are bound to happen to you when we leave our normal routine. It sounds cliché, but it helps you to get to know yourself, learn how you react to different situations and prepares you for handling new circumstances in the future. Not to mention travel is extremely fun and it creates memories for a lifetime.
So why would I recommend this programme? It is the opportunity to undertake an exciting overseas or Dublin based industry placement with a Bord Bia office, while also obtaining an internationally recognised MSc in Global Business Practice. It is a scholarship programme therefore all tuition fees are paid and you will receive a tax free bursary on top of this of €22,800-€25,800. On completion of this programme, participants will have gained comprehensive understanding of core business areas such as export development strategies, customer and market insight, customer value propositions, global business in a digital context, supply chain management and business sustainability, enabling you to kick start your career in the stimulating food industry.
Grazie per la lettura!