Julia, from France enjoying her 6 months internship at Caramelicious. She picked Caramelicious to kick-start her career, and share her amazing experience.
C: What do you love most about your internship at Caramelicious?
Julia: I love working at Caramelicious because I learn something new every day! I have a full insight of the company and it’s a great way for me to see how business is done in Australia.
Caramelicious is a small business which means I had lots of opportunities to see a variety of fields. For instance, during the Food and Beverage Trade Week 2016, I had the opportunity to meet International buyers on one on one, doing presentations, which was very enriching.
I also worked in the Administration and Marketing department, learning how to promote Caramelicious around the world using social medias.
I loved meeting the customers face to face during the different shows such as Bastille Day, the Royal Melbourne Show, Paris to Provence and local markets. Seeing the smile on their faces while tasting the salted caramel always made me proud of being an intern for Caramelicious. I developed my interpersonal skills while selling and learnt more about the Australian consumers.
C: Who inspires you?
Julia: My mum is a real inspiration to me. I am from a family of Italian immigrants who came to France to work. My grandpa was a carpenter and my grandma cleaned houses. My mum studied very hard all her life and became a brilliant accountant. I still remember as a kid seeing her in a suit coming home from work, her heels clicking on the floor, thinking “I want to be like her when I’m older”. She taught me that you can do whatever you want to do in life if you work hard for it.
C: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
Julia: People are always surprised when I tell them I’ve done ballet for 11 years. I might not have the shape of a ballerina anymore but I used to be good at it, I even did the split!
C: What food would you drive all day for?
Julia: Lemon tart! While doing the shows, we were always near a stand of French patisserie, can you blame me for getting one every time?
C: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about caramel while working at Caramelicious?
Julia: You must be patient if you want to make caramel, it takes time for it to be perfect. Only one batch will take 4 hours to make. I had no idea before the amount of work that is put into one jar of caramel.
Q: What’s your earliest caramel memory?
Julia: My aunt and I making caramel crisps for Christmas. I almost burnt my fingers while helping her but it was worth it because everyone loved them.
C: Why did you choose Australia for your internship?
Julia: I decided to apply for an internship in Australia because it is a country that has always intrigued me. I wanted a challenge and going to the other side of the world for 6 months at 19yo sounded exciting to me. We don’t know much about Australia back in France and I had heard wonderful things. I am very happy with my choice!
C: What is your mission statement?
Julia: Never hope for something more than you work for it. I am a strong believer that if you want something in life you must work hard until you get it.
C: What did you learn from this internship at Caramelicious?
Julia: I've learnt that having a small business in the food industry in Australia is hard work. Not only I developed interpersonal skills, I also bettered my English with the customer service and I was able to discover different fields of the company.
Anecdote* One thing that surprised me is how to greet the customers. In Australia, you should say “Hello, how are you?” and expect a reply. It is something that I found great because it is genuine. Nobody asks the customers how they are in France and if they did that would be awkward.
C. Would you recommend other fellows to have their internship at Caramelicious?”
Julia: Of course, Caramelicious is a small company so you will have a full insight of it. There’s always something to do and to learn. Thank you to Breena and Rémi for this great opportunity.
And the fact that their salted caramel is delicious is obviously a plus!
C.And finally, what’s your favorite eco-tip?
Julia: I was always told to use vinegar to clean the bathroom instead of using toxic chemicals.
Make a delicious difference to your career! At Caramelicious we have lots of fun, we’re all about learning and sharing knowledge, so we ensure that each one of our team members gets the most out of their time with us.
Experience isn’t everything to us – what we’re looking for is a good fit.
We love team members who take initiative, are proactive, committed and ambitious, apply themselves, value open communication, and have a positive attitude.
This summer we welcome Randi Indra from Deakin University as our photographer/graphic designer.
Contact us if you want to start-kick your career by having an internship at Caramelicious.