Taylor Friesen Human Nutritional Sciences Alumni

Briefly, tell us about your job. What do you find most rewarding? What are your greatest challenges within this profession?

I work as an academic advisor in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences advising students in the human nutritional sciences and food science program. The most rewarding part of my job is helping students through the program and being able to apply the knowledge I gained as a student. Seeing students get excited about a program and field that I also share the same excitement for is amazing. 

What experiences and activities helped you to map out your career pathway?

Volunteering and involvement with the faculty is what first landed me a summer job in the Advising Office. I really enjoyed the atmosphere at the university and when I got a call to come back I couldn’t say no! 

As a student, did you see yourself in your current career? What stayed the same and/or changed? 

I actually saw myself being a clinical Dietitian. I still have goals to work in the field of dietetics but I love my job and can’t imagine doing anything else at the moment.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in pursuing a degree in human nutritional sciences?

A lot of students go into this program with the goal of dietetics, which is awesome. However, I encourage students to keep in mind that field of nutrition is huge and if dietetics doesn’t work out there are many other opportunities out there such as research, government, teaching and more. 

What job search advice do you have for students and recent graduates?

Use the campus resources that are available to you. Career Services is a great resource for career planning, job searching and resumé and cover letter writing. Apply for the jobs that are out there. Even if it’s not your ideal job, it helps build up your resumé and may even end up leading to your dream job. 

Tell us a fun fact about your career path.