Jokūbas Račkauskas from Šilalė, has been interested in food growing and production processes since he was a child, so it was extremely easy for him to decide exactly where to study after finishing school. The alumnus says that he had a great desire to understand the deeper processes of food production, so he wanted to connect his life with this field. He started working while he was still studying at KTU master’s studies in the “Food Technologies (now Food Technologies and Innovations)” study program. Jakūbas remembers that at first he was a production foreman, then he worked as a food product technologist, quality manager, technologist, and senior technologist. Currently, J. Račkauskas is an R&D technologist. We asked Jokūbo himself to tell us about his success story.
– Where do you work and what are your duties?
– I work at UAB Divaks and I’m an R&D technologist.
– Did you always know what you wanted to study?
– I won’t lie, there were really different thoughts about where I could study. I have been interested in food since childhood. Growing and cooking food was also an interesting process for me, so after school it became much easier to make the final decision.
– How did you choose to study at KTU? Was it wishful thinking? Or maybe the opportunity to dive into “unknown waters”?
– I chose KTU because I received a lot of recommendations from people around me. At that time, this study program “Food Science and Technology” at Kaunas University of Technology wasn’t new, that’s why I decided to add KTU to the top of my list of choices.
– What made you choose to study food technology?
– My interest in food since childhood. The desire to understand the deeper processes of food production was the main indicator that determined my final decision to study food technology at KTU.
– What were the biggest challenges during your studies? What would you do differently if you were a first-year student again?
– The biggest challenge was structuring the incoming information. There was a lot of information, and all the material presented seemed useful. The way to have all information in your notes which presented during the lecture is to record everything. Taking notes, that is, supplementing your notes, was necessary and we had always written everything by hand, so recording the lecture would be a really good help. By listening to everything again at home, I could have supplemented my notes with what I didn’t manage to write down during the lecture.
– How is the knowledge acquired at the university useful in everyday activities?
– The knowledge and skills acquired during the university are very useful in everyday activities, especially in the workplace. Understanding food production processes and technologies helps to work more efficiently in solving everyday tasks.
– You have already had several roles on your professional path, tell us briefly about them. What did you remember the most?
– I had already started working while I was still studying for a master’s degree in “Food Technologies (now Food Technologies and Innovations)”. Later I worked as a food product technologist, quality manager, technologist, senior technologist. Now I’m an R&D technologist at UAB Divaks. In other words, a technologist from maintaining a constant production quality of products to developing new products, selecting raw materials and choosing the right processes to obtain the desired product. What was most memorable and at the same time pleasing was the enrichment of knowledge, different experience and teamwork, which helps in extreme production situations.
– What advice would you give to young people who are still studying at university and have no idea what they will do after graduation?
– I want to give an advice for young students to keep an open mind, to experiment in different fields in order to find something that inspires them. The most important thing is to find your passion and improve in your favorite activity. I also advice to young people don’t be afraid of “unknown waters” and to try to prepare for new experiences and challenges after studies.
Jokūbas Račkauskas LinkedIn account: https://bit.ly/46Mtx7o
More about Bachelor of Food Science and Technology studies: https://bit.ly/3YEGrCr
More about Master’s studies in Food Technology and Innovation: https://bit.ly/3X2OzLK
