CCD Editor’s Note: The CCD is proud to use its Employer Profile series to showcase the diverse, exciting, and engaged employers that recruit BU students.
The following post is a conversation with Allyson Toolan, a brand spokesperson for Kraft Heinz. Allyson shares her perspective as a professional promoting a major food company, specifically their product Planters Nuts, in the most unusual way – with the Planters NUTmobile, a giant peanut on wheels!
CCD: Tell us a little bit about your job. What is the Planters NUTmobile?
AT: The Planters NUTmobile is the iconic 26-foot-long peanut on wheels that travels all around the country with Mr. Peanut to cities big and small spreading Miles of Smiles and promoting Planters Peanuts. The NUTmobile is piloted by a team of nine Peanutters who act as ambassadors and spokespeople for the Planters brand. During their year-long tenure, Peanutters plan events, pitch media, conduct interviews and more all while exploring the country with two co-pilots. Peanutters have a one-of-a-kind first job experience, operating independently on the road and gaining professional experience in many areas of communication, that will serve as a launchpad for their future career paths.
CCD: What brings Kraft-Heinz and the Planters NUTmobile to BU?
AT: BU has a history of attracting some of the best and brightest students and fostering creative critical thinking while in the classroom. We recognize the potential that the students that BU have to be powerful additions to the Planters NUTmobile team.
CCD: What would you say it takes to be a successful member of your team?
AT: A successful Peanutter is an enthusiastic, creative, and adventurous “people person” who is passionate about bringing joy to other people and has an interest in communications. In order to be successful in this role, learning how to adapt to situations as they unfold is critical. It is common for event or route schedules to change based on new opportunities that arise or a new request for a NUTmobile visit, and Peanutters need to be flexible and adapt to those changes as they occur.
CCD: Are there upcoming opportunities for BU students to get involved?
AT: Yes! We’re looking for members of the NUTmobile team now. The application is currently available on Handshake as “Planters Spokesperson,” and the deadline to apply is February 19th. Applicants are highly encouraged to attend an information session on February 3rd hosted by the NUTmobile program coordinator which will provide a deeper look into the details of the role.
CCD: What advice would you give students applying to your team about using career services to prepare for their job search?
AT: The entire function of career services is to provide resources to aid in job searches. Especially in today’s world, where networking is so vital in the job search process and there are so many more jobs that exist than we know, career services has the resources available to become more skilled at utilizing your network to carve out the right career path for you. It is very easy to get overwhelmed by job searching and career services has the tools to make that process much smoother.
CCD: What do you love most about your job?
AT: Being a Peanutter is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where you can say that your job is to drive a giant peanut. While on the road, you meet countless people and, through hearing their stories, make just as many connections. It is endlessly fun and enlightening and a great way to gain more experience in different areas of the communications field.
BU + Beyond 