July 11, 2022
Rachel Solverud is conducting an internship at Anheuser-Busch in L.A.
Internships are a great way to explore career paths and meet professionals working in the industry.
Rachel Solverud, a junior in biomedical engineering, is participating in an internship with Anheuser-Busch at their Los Angeles brewery location this summer.
We asked Rachel to share a little about her experience there.
Tell us about your internship at Anheuser-Busch. What’s your role and primary responsibilities?
I am a Brewery Trainee Program Intern here at the Anheuser-Busch Los Angeles Brewery! I work with the brewing department to optimize our Stella Artois production. I am working on improving the sensory routine, decreasing the amount of waste produced, and testing different parts of the recipe.
What’s a typical day like?
I get to the brewery around 7 a.m. and start by checking emails and seeing what data has come in overnight and update my many spreadsheets. This also helps me see if there are any abnormalities that came up. Every morning, half of the brewing department has a meeting to discuss safety, maintenance and anything going on that day. And trust me, there is always something going on! Then each day differs — I can suit up in my vest, steel-toed boots, hard hat and safety glasses and walk around the brewery to look for leaks, identify maintenance issues, learn about the lines, etc. I also look at a lot of data in the brewing office and trend different stages of the brewing process, make spreadsheets and look at our systems on the computer. Finally at the end of the day, I attend the daily taste panel. Since I am under 21, I am in charge of tasting all the water that we use at different stages of brewing and checking our grains. A sample of each beer that was packaged that day is also tasted and sometimes there are special recipes that have to be tasted and rated officially by our panel.
How did Mizzou Engineering prepare you for this internship?
The class that prepared me the most was MAE 1100 – Intro to CAD. Now, I do not use SolidWorks or AutoCAD in my internship, but that class taught me a lot about patience. My group’s final project in MAE 1100 involved lots and lots of troubleshooting, and that is something I do frequently in this position. I learned from MAE 1100 that projects like these take time and mistakes to learn. I still have a lot to do and learn during my time here at Anheuser-Busch, and I am taking the time to really embrace it all.
How did Mizzou Engineering Career Service assist you with securing or preparing for this internship?
The Engineering Career Fair really helped me feel comfortable talking to recruiters and professionals. Anheuser-Busch was not at the Career Fair, but when I interviewed for this position, I felt confident and poised because I already got the jitters out of the way.
What have you enjoyed most working at Anheuser-Busch so far?
Meeting all the new people while also exploring a new city has been my favorite part. The brewery here is full of so many different people who have really taken the time to get to know me and help me out, which I really appreciate. I have had the chance to see how management, brewers, lab technicians, line operators, and maintenance operators all work together to produce the beer products for its consumers. There is a lot more work that goes into the function of a brewery than you would think!
What have you learned from your internship experience?
I have learned so much about the brewing process and the system operations, but the most important things I have learned so far is how to communicate in a team of so many people who are all so different. Communication is crucial here — between the brewers and the people running filters, between the fill-line operators and the packagers, between the safety operators and the manager, there is always something going on that needs to be fixed or signed off on. I have learned that I definitely want to work in a fast-paced environment like this one! I also cannot stress enough how important it was for me to learn to ask many, many questions, and to ask my coworkers to shadow them with whatever they may be doing.
What advice would you give other students wanting to have a similar internship experience?
Be confident! You will not get every internship you apply for, but if you keep searching and working, you will get one. Even if it is the 30th interview you’ve had, be confident in your abilities, your knowledge and your experiences, and communicate that all to the interviewer. And look outside of your hometown! I applied for this internship thinking I would be placed in St. Louis, but I was placed in Los Angeles. For a second, I wasn’t sure if I should do it, but I did and it has been the greatest experience ever — so take chances. You will learn so much in your internship — and about yourself! Once you are in the job, make personal connections with your superiors and coworkers. That will really make the difference in how much fun you have! By becoming friend with my coworkers, I’ve gotten so many great local LA secrets!
Is there anything else you’d like others to know about your internship?
My manager is a Mizzou grad, so we do have some Tiger fans out in LA!
Thanks for sharing!
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