Startup CPG has released the first Intern Database connecting those seeking meaningful experiences with emerging food & beverage brands eager for help. Links to sign up or access the results are at the bottom of the article.

Internships – a great first step

For students looking to break into the world of food and beverage, they’re often told of the Catch-22, which in this case is that to get the job, you need experience. But how do you get experience if you can’t get the job? One great way is to find a meaningful internship – a meaningful role within a startup company where you can learn about the industry, environment, and ideally at least one function critical to the success of an emerging brand. Another benefit is that one internship often leads to another – whether with that same company, or when a grateful founder refers you to others looking to take on interns.

Internship matching for startup CPGs

Finding internships at big companies is typically a structured process. But what about startups? Usually it’s a ton of networking, and sometimes, you take what you can get (and are grateful!) But given all the demand we’ve seen from startup food & beverage companies for interns, and knowing how many interns would love to break into the exciting startup world, we’re here with a database to help match you all up.

What’s in it for brands?

Caroline Cotto from Renewal Mill knows very well the competitive edge you can get from having a great intern, but also the challenge in finding one! “As a small team, Renewal Mill relies on the help of interns (paid, of course), but finding intern talent has been increasingly difficult. We routinely post our jobs on large job platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed, as well as the career center listings of many universities, but it’s often casting a wide net with little to no return, it’s time intensive, and the candidates are often not in the physical location where we need them. We’re super excited about the Startup CPG intern database to fill this gap – a place where time-strapped startups can find pre-vetted, highly recommended student / recent grad talent with expressed interest in the industry in which we operate. We’re looking for interns that want to get in at the ground level and grow with us, and I think Startup CPG is a centralized meeting place for these types of ‘hungry’ (all pun intended) folks.”

What could an intern do for a growing brand?

Anything, and everything. Whether it’s operations work, sales business development, social media – be ready to wear all the hats and really learn what it’s like to start a brand.

How do I get in on the action?

1) If you’re a student/potential intern, click here to join our intern database. Once you find your role, please use the google email response to remove your entry

2) If you’re a brand looking for an intern, click here to review the entries, and feel free to contact potential fits

From time to time, Startup CPG will also send out a notice about potential interns to its email list. If you’re interested, please post your resume on our Startup CPG Slack Jobs’ channel, and we will select some broadcast in our newsletter.