Aaron Lorilla – Food Technologist, Research Associate

I am Aaron P. Lorilla, “Ei”, as in letter A, for short.

I am a Licensed Food Technologist. Yes, you read it right, food! I personally love to eat. I mean who hates to eat, right? But when I took the course, I desired to learn how to cook. However, many would say that the Food Technology course is just merely cooking and all related stuff. Many did not know that as a food technologist, you get to learn a lot of things about food and the science behind processing it. I as well was a bit sketchy at first when I took the course, but soon after, I began to love it. What’s more, after all the painstaking laboratory tests and data analysis, you get to taste your food! That’s the fun part of being a food technologist, it is both your mind and your tastebuds at work!

In my 12 years of food technology practice, it landed me jobs in food companies, government agencies, and universities. My job in these institutions revolved in three things: food research, product development and office administration. In my profession, we don’t simply google the recipe of the food we want to make, it entails lots and lots of research to come up with foods that are wholesome, nutritious, and safe for human consumption.

In this ever-changing society, a demand for innovative food products is a must. That is where product development comes into play. With the principles built by research, we can develop new food products that can be introduced in the market. It means food product development also involves packaging design, costing, marketing, and inventory managing. Product development, of course, is also producing data, and with that efficient office management is much needed, which mainly involves data entry, communications, documentation, file management, data analysis and interpretation, and information dissemination.

Interestingly, I have virtual assistant experience in between all these. I have previously worked as an article writer for SEO agencies and for an Australian food blogger. Although my VA experience was cut short, the skills I acquired here jump started my career in the academe and research wherein I went on to publish four scientific articles in reputable journals and was given the opportunity to teach chemistry laboratory courses to university freshmen students.

Outside my career, I try to keep my mind and body healthy through exercise and other physical activities. I even enrolled myself to CrossFit classes to enhance my reflexes and to motivate me to have a fitter and healthier body. In my spare time, I also do biking, running, and reading good books. I also love to travel. I have been to some beautiful places in our country the Philippines and abroad such as Singapore, Dubai, UAE, and Cape Town, South Africa.

To top it all, I am passionate about the next generation, and one of the things I truly love is mentoring young people. It is my greatest joy to usher them to reach their fullest potential by helping them fulfill their God-given purpose.

I am just so grateful for the opportunity given to me to go back to my VA career to continue what I have started here. I believe that I now have the necessary skills and experience, yet I’m more than willing to hone and to cultivate further my competency in this field to give our clients the excellent services that they deserve.

For a copy of Aaron’s resume please click here.