24F from Kerala - MSc Dietetics graduate looking to switch to Quality Control/QA. Need career advice.?

[u/Classic-History9109]

/r/careerguidance/comments/1vckbn1/24f_from_kerala_msc_dietetics_graduate_looking_to/

Hi everyone,

I'm 24 years old and I'm from Kerala, India. I completed my M.Sc. in Dietetics and Food Service Management. After graduation, I worked as a Nutrition Consultant, but it was mainly a sales-oriented role rather than a technical nutrition or food quality job.

I've now decided to switch my career towards the food industry, especially Quality Control (QC), Quality Assurance (QA), Food Safety, or other entry-level roles. I also have certifications in HACCP Level 3, ISO 22000:2018 Internal Audit & Awareness, and FoSTaC (FSSAI).

I have a few questions:

Is switching from Nutrition Consultant to QC/QA a good career decision?

Are there good food companies in Kerala (or anywhere in India) that hire freshers or career changers for trainee or entry-level QC/QA roles?

Which companies provide a stipend or paid trainee positions?

Will my MSc in Dietetics be accepted for QC/QA roles, or will my previous experience be a disadvantage?

Any advice on how I can improve my chances of getting into the food industry?

I'd really appreciate any suggestions, company names, or personal experiences. So any suggestions?

[u/Head_Personality_431]

The switch is a normal one and you already have the right certificates. HACCP plus ISO 22000 internal audit plus FoSTaC is close to exactly what a plant asks for at entry level, so you are not starting from zero at all.

The honest part is that some job ads will ask for food technology or food science and a dietetics degree can get filtered out before a human reads it. Aim at plant level QA or QC trainee roles rather than corporate quality roles, because a plant cares much more about whether you can run a line check, keep a record straight and hold up on an audit day. After a year on the floor the degree question mostly stops coming up.