The Packaged Foods industry is vast and is growing at the fastest pace than ever. From a packet of chips you consume to your favorite pickle jar, from raw, canned foods to the ones that are ready to eat, everything finds a place in your kitchen cabinets because they have been packed to carry wherever you want to take them to. Have you ever wondered what our lives would have been without the packaged foods we consume daily? Think about the milk you buy from the supermarket or the groceries store; how could you have carried it home without worrying about spilling it? The packaging industry has indeed made our lives simple.
The packaging industry has made tremendous advances in the world of technology development, including areas such as material science, material converting, package forming processes, package design, track and trace, product safety and shelf life, supply chain management, and as also sustainability. With this rapid technological advancement, the efficiency of the packaging industry is increasing rapidly, and in order to meet the high demands of customers across the globe, production is increasing as well. If you are thinking about getting established in the packaged foods industry, but are still confused about a few things, then this article is going to provide you with all the information you need to know before taking your biggest career decision.
1. What Do Packaged Foods Companies Do?
Before we begin with anything, it is very important to understand what is the purpose of packaged foods industries, what type of job roles does this industry offers, will it be worth establishing your career here, and many other important things to understand in brief.
With the rapid development of modern food processing technology in the 21st century, the packaging industry has seen a boom due to the ever-increasing demand. It is because of the packaging industry; you can eat an American hamburger sitting in India or sprinkle authentic spices from Mexico in your continental food while sitting in Australia; everything has been made possible because of the packaging industry. The main purpose of the packaging industry is to preserve raw or cooked foods and to convert them into packaging that does not disturb the quality or the taste of the food and remains fresh for a long time. These packaged foods are distributed all around the world, and this is why people get to enjoy different things from different parts of the world.
2. Why Choose a Career in Packaging Industry?
Now comes the biggest question, why would you choose a packaging foods company as your career path? There are actually quite many solid reasons to get established in the packaging industry, and you will get to know all of them by the end of this article. For now, let’s focus on the question, is it really worth entering the packaging industry? And the answer is a big “yes” because this $900 billion global industry is advancing rapidly, and its demands are higher than ever. So, getting established in this booming industry is actually a great idea.
Over the years, technology has given the packaging industry a different form; with rapid advancement, creativity, and sustainability, this industry has gotten better through innovation, new concepts, and ideas. And getting established in an industry that values innovations and new ideas is definitely a good idea. Also, recent statistics say that in the United States alone, the packaging industry is expected to grow at a rate of 3.5% between 2021 and 2025, making it the most critical market in North America, which is actually great news for this will result in more growth and employment opportunities in the future.
3. Jobs in Packaging Industry
You might be wondering what the best job opportunities available in the packaging industry are, and you will be glad to know that there are many exciting job positions that you can choose from. Here are some of the most popular and well-paid job positions in this industry:
- Packaging Engineer
- Consumer Behavior Analyst
- Package Designer
- Food Scientist
- Packaging Specialist
- Packaging Operator
- Product Tester
- Compliance Manager
And many other positions that you can apply for. You can always begin your career right after you are done with your high school graduation or bachelor’s, and then upgrade your degrees to opt for higher positions such as managerial positions.
4. Growth and Employment Opportunities
As mentioned earlier, there are numerous growth opportunities in this industry as there are employment opportunities. With the packaging industry expanding at the fastest pace and the demand for packaged foods increasing in the global market, employment opportunities are increasing every day, and new job roles are emerging as a result.
So, when choosing packaged foods industry as your career path, you don’t actually have to worry about employment and growth opportunities.
5. What are the Various Sectors of the Packaging Industry?
This is a very important question to be noted. Before you enter the packaged foods industry, it is very important to have a clear understanding of the sectors that together make this industry. This also will help you to decide which sector you would love to focus on, or what type of job positions will be ideal for you.
Here are some of the most important sectors:
- Production: A sector where you would find most entry-level positions, the sector of production is where you would find most common roles such as workers, mechanics, and operators, whose responsibilities are directly related to packaging, such as sorting, packing, shipping, and etc.
- Engineering: The most crucial and important field in the packaging industry, on which the whole infrastructures depend, engineering and engineers are all behind the rapid technological advancement of the packaging industry. From taking raw materials to converting them into finished, packaged products, everything is possible because of engineering. This field is actually perfect for those who have excellent math and science skills and prefer working with technology.
- Sales and Marketing: This sector actually requires skilled professionals who can look after the sales department and have excellent communication skills to interact with clients. These professionals work along with brand experts, engineers, and copywriters for the creation of impressive packaging.
- Designers: These professionals are responsible for giving the packaged products a unique and attractive look that will impress customers and encourage them to buy more.
- Consumer Strategists: Professionals working in this sector are responsible for uncovering the latest trends in sales and buying demands to understand public behavior.
- Leadership and Management: In this sector, experienced and skilled professionals are hired to strategically manage and lead firms. You will find these professionals in almost every department of food packaging, including sales and marketing, research and development, operations, and so on.
- Support Services: Support services are essential because they help companies to run smoothly. This sector includes information, human resources, technology, legal, and safety departments.
6. Importance of Jobs in the Food Packaging Industry
By working in the packaged foods industry, you are helping companies to feed people and also becoming a part of a global, booming business. So you can understand how important the packaged foods industry has become in this modern world and how it will be all worth working here.
7. What about Demand?
As mentioned earlier, the demand of the packaging industry is increasing rapidly. With years, the demand for supply in markets will increase even more because consumption is globally increasing as well. With this global increase in demand, there will always be more employment opportunities to cope up with the supply chain. To be precise, you will never have to worry about losing a job or not finding another instantly.
8. Challenges in Packaging Industry
Just like every other industry, the packaging industry is familiar with legal and industry challenges. Not every time things go as planned, some packaging may not attract customers, some may have faults, and these challenges keep on emerging with more demand in the market.
The more challenges you come across, the more you learn; the packaging industry has so much to teach and give you. And if you wish to prevail in the long run, climb up to the highest position, then meeting new challenges is mandatory.
9. Is There a Future in Packaging Industry?
The answer is a big “yes”; there is definitely a bright future in the packaging Industry. No matter which sector or department of the packaging industry you choose, you will come across many opportunities where you can upgrade your job position or switch to a better one.
10. Salary
Overall, the pay scale in the packaging industry is average or above average. If you are beginning with initial jobs in the production or sales and marketing sector, your pay scale is likely to be satisfactory, but if you can upgrade your educational qualifications and opt for higher positions such as an engineer or managerial jobs, your payment will be either decent or high. There are no worries involved regarding working hard all day and not getting paid appropriately.
Conclusion
It is finally time to sum everything up; by now, you must have got a brief idea of what the packaging industry is actually like, what are its different sectors, what are the most popular job roles and so on.
So, if you have made your mind by now that you wish to get established in the packaged foods industry, then you are definitely taking the best decision ever.