Kelly Beals

Responsibilities

My responsibilities at Dotdash Meredith included working in the Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen producing recipes that will go in future magazines, cookbooks, and online websites such as Allrecipes, Midwest Living, and Eating Well. I tested several recipes a day and took note of all aspects of prepping, cooking, and baking these dishes. I was responsible for showing these dishes in a taste panel and discussing any changes or alterations that needed to be made. Lastly, after discussing the dish in taste panel, I input all this information and data into a recipe database for future reference and usage.

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment during this internship was gaining confidence. I met so many new and amazing people who I was not afraid to just be myself around. Of course starting a new job or internship can be scary and intimidating, but once you meet a few new people it becomes so much easier to make connections with others.

Learning experience

The most important thing I learned during my internship was to be as detailed and particular as possible. It is so important in the test kitchen to be as precise as possible when it comes to measurements, timings, and temperatures, that we must take into account every little detail. Since these recipes are going out in the world for everyone to see and test themselves, we have to assume that people that have never cooked a day in their life may also be trying these recipes out, so it is super important to get every detail in the recipe and make the instructions as precise and understandable as possible.

What advice would you give?

My biggest piece of advice would be to get involved in any way you can. Whether it be going to clubs or activities based on your major (or just something you are interested in), going to your professor’s or advisor’s office hours, or just making friends with your peers. Getting involved can help make connections of a lifetime, and that may help in getting a future career that you love. You would be surprised by what can happen when you step out of your comfort zone just a little bit.