International opportunities
Before I started working at RB, I went travelling for 3 months… and I LOVED IT! I was pretty sad to come home and realise that this wouldn’t be possible again for a long time. Little did I know, but RB would offer me some amazing travel opportunities.

RB really has been the perfect place to begin my career. Having only been working for RB a year, I have been to the USA, China and am now LIVING in India!

Every one of these trips has been an amazing experience on both a work and personal level. All 3 countries I had never visited before and it has really opened my mind to different cultures, mindsets and the infinite possibilities out there!

USA
During my trip to the USA, I met and presented to one of the head buyers from Wal-Mart. It was really interesting to experience this side of our business as sometimes, in R&D, you can feel detached from the end goal – selling our products. Trade relationships are really important to the success of any business and it was invaluable to see this interaction.

China
China was a whirlwind! While I was there I travelled to Beijing, Shanghai, Dongguan and Hong Kong (all crammed into 5 days!). When in China you have to be adventurous with the food – pigeon, beef stomach (tripe) and beef tendon were amongst the strangest I tried.

During my time in China, I was sitting in on consumer focus groups (with live translation, of course ), visiting one of our core fragrance houses and meeting with some local suppliers. I gained a very rounded experience of the facilities we use and the consumer mindset which varies greatly around the country.

India
WOW – when I finished university, I would never have imagined I would be living in India for 6 months! Currently being based here, I am completing my second placement on the graduate scheme in the Scientific Services Group (one of the three departments in R&D). I will be managing Vanish for India, a few Veet projects and some products for Paras personal care which we acquired earlier this year.

I am really enjoying India so far – despite having found a cockroach in my apartment on the first night! As well as getting a really varied and fast paced work life, I also get to experience a truly diverse culture – I can’t wait to explore!

For me RB is my perfect match!

One of the reasons I love Aircare is the perfume! Or namely the fine fragrances cupboard .

My favorite training so far was provided by Firmenich (a fragrance house) – we got to have a go at creating our very own cologne. I was paired with Kate our fragrance manager, so may have had a slight advantage, but we won a bottle of champagne for our efforts  ! My well remembered fact from that day was smelling a compound called Ambergris, I recognized it instantly as a smell in male perfumes, this compound is the synthetic version of SPERM WHALE PUKE! Yes, you read right – Puke!

I thought I would interview our fragrance manger Kate Langley to give you a look at the diverse functions within R&D. Plus her top 3 perfume recommendations from her expert nose (now if that isn’t a reason to read on I don’t know what else is).

Hi Kate, perhaps it would help to tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

Hi Everyone, my name is Kate Langley, I am the Global Fragrance Manager at RB. I have been working at RB for 6 years.

What is your role within R&D?

As the global R&D fragrance manager it is my job to work with the R&D teams to design and develop the best fragrances for our products. Everything from how well the fragrance works with our product formulas, to creating a scent consumers will love and also working on the best fragrance names (this is really important especially in Aircare) . We have done a lot of work recently on the new Touch of Luxury range – take a look – they smell great!

What is your favorite part about your job?

I love my job, it is so varied, some of the best bits are:

1. I get to work on multiple brands which means there is always something different and exciting to work on everyday.
2. Of course …..the fragrances!!! You have to love fragrance to do this job as it is the best bit. I love the days when new fragrance submissions arrive in for us to evaluate.
3. The people, because I support multiple brands I get to work with a huge variety of people in RB

What makes RB stand out from the crowd for you?

Fast Pace, Vibrant, Exciting, Diverse, Challenging – you get give real responsibility from day one!

What AW fragrance currently on the market is your favorite and why?
Everyone has a different scent preference hence why there is such a variety of fine fragrances on the market. People choose fragrance based on what they like, memory triggers etc and everyone is different so below are a few of my favorites personally but this does not necessarily mean they are the best. Some of you may like them some of you may not – that is the great fun of fragrance!

And finally, the part every reader has been waiting for…

Top 3 Female fragrances
Angel – Thierry Mugler – This was a real game changer in the female fine fragrance industry.
Lolita Lempika – Lolita Lempika – Another Gourmand Oriental fragrance (my favorite scent direction).
A new one that I am mad about at the moment is The One – D&G – great!!
I could go on but I won’t!

Top 3 Male fragrances
Eau Savage – Christian Dior – An all time classic creation (and reminds me of my Dad!!).
Boss – Hugo Boss – Just gorgeous.
Le Male – JPG

Thankyou Kate! Now everybody can smell as nice as us ! Hopefully this goes to show that R&D is not your typical lab and specs job and your experience in this sector of the business is completely diverse.

I often wonder what companies look for in fresh graduates. Is the myth “work experience is always preferred” really true? Why bring fresh talent on board?
I can comfortably brag that I am the youngest member in the Belle Mead plant-Supply team. I appreciate that I am not treated as a fresher and my opinion was fairly considered from the start. But, I have to say, I do enjoy the occasional pampering and teasing. To be taken seriously,  I guess one has to respect others experience and expertise, and they eventually start to respect you.

Penn State Career Fair
Recently, I got a chance to go to the Penn State University Career fair to talk about my RB experiences in the year. It was good to be on the recruiter side of the table. I could imagine myself as a graduate not too long ago asking the same questions I was being asked.

What does RB look for in new graduates?
Strong educational background
A fresh set of eyes and new thinking process
I strongly feel that RB culture fit is most important

What should graduates expect from RB?
Good exposure and early responsibility
Sharp learning curve and career progression

Reckitt what?
Reckitt Benckiser is the parent company- better known by many famous power brands like Lysol, Airwick, Resolve etc. Handy Guide to RB

To summarize, the graduates bring in a new perspective and are willing to learn. They have no threshold to compare the work place dynamics and can fit in easily. Are you ready for RB?

Rachel Tressitto – Penn State University

Approaching Graduation

As a Penn State senior approaching graduation in just a few months, I find myself constantly thinking about the memories I have made these last four years. What were my most unforgettable experiences? What will I miss? What will I take with me in the future? I would have to say that one of my greatest experiences was the semester I spent studying abroad in Ireland. It provided me such a great opportunity to explore different cultures, expand my knowledge about the world, make international friends, and open my mind to diversity.

You might be wondering why this matters and how it relates to Reckitt Benckiser? Well, being a business student, I recognize how important it is to become more globally aware; and I’m not alone. More and more students are realizing the significance of studying abroad because it is no secret that the world is getting smaller. Expanding into international markets is a highly successful business strategy and is becoming the norm in todays market. As students start embarking on their career search, they cannot overlook this is the direction the business world is heading. One of the reasons I admire Reckitt Benckiser is because this company has completely embraced this idea of international business. RB’s home, health, and personal care products stock the shelves in over 180 countries, continuously providing innovative products for millions of consumers across the world.

International Career Opportunities

Furthermore, if you are someone like me who has already been abroad and is anxious to continue your international exposure, Reckitt Benckiser provides great career opportunities in this respect. I find it intriguing that the Executive Committee has roots all over the world in countries like the United Kingdom, Holland, Germany, Italy, and India. Therefore, it is not surprising the company also provides international careers in operations located throughout sixty countries. I am interested to find out what global opportunities interest you, where do you hope your career will lead you? When you look back on your career path, is international exposure something important to you?

Whether you have been abroad and looking to have an international career or not, you can appreciate Reckitt Benckiser’s entrepreneurial spirit and success around the world.

If you have read anything about RB then you’ll know by now that our core values are essential to how our business is so successful. Since relocating to the Korean business I have seen some examples of how these core values are displayed and used to their fullest. The RB Iksan factory, based on the East of Korea has one motto which is displayed proudly throughout the building – ‘One team, one heart’. These four simple words (well three if you don’t count the one twice!) sum up all four of our core values perfectly.

To have a successful business you need teamwork, cooperation, support and shared knowledge. This is where the ‘one team’ comes into play, displaying shared Team Spirit and consequently Achievement. The sense of one team is constantly strengthened with frequent team meals and socials, such as the Kareoke evening I attended after a meeting in the Seoul office last week (that’s me attempting to sing in the photo!).

The second part of the motto, ‘one heart’ describes a vision that each and every individual needs passion, dedication, Ownership and Entrepreneurship to achieve that extra edge which turns a good product into a great one. One heart beautifully describes the close working relationship between the RB employees not only within supply but throughout all our functions.

It’s when this synergy of one team and one heart come together that provides the key to achieving all four core values. Despite this English phrase being a second language to most of the team here, they all understand the importance and meaning of this simple phrase and this focus helps them achieve the level of success which RB is so proud of.