Follow your nose: building a successful career in perfumery

The many noses behind a scent

I work as a perfumer at dsm-firmenich, and in my day-to-day role I create fragrances for consumer fragrance products. Our perfumes do not exist as a product you spray on yourself but are put in end products for consumers. From washing yourself to washing your laundry, our perfumes can be found in all aspects of daily life.  

Our perfumery team follows the development of a perfume from beginning to end. We make sure each scent is well-constructed from base notes to top notes – always keeping the end product in mind. We work closely together, smelling and refining as a team with the FDM (Fragrance Development Manager) to make sure the client is happy and, ultimately, that the consumer will love the fragrance. But we don’t do it alone.

Luckily we have a pool of colleagues from sales, marketing, consumer insights and our technical specialists from all over the world who help us to ensure that we provide the best product possible. I especially rely on my colleagues from the technical department, who assist us with the challenges presented by each segment that we create perfumes for. In the past years we have also managed to increase our creative output with the help of our innovative technologies.  
 

Leading with integrity

dsm-firmenich has a very special atmosphere and really protects its talents and heritage. It’s a company that is rich in creativity and scientific standards, with a strong history of creating iconic products. There are so many benchmarks in this industry but at dsm-firmenich we have been able to maintain our status as an industry leader, whilst staying true to our own strengths and values. As part of the team you feel that every day. It’s a profession that really sparks joy in me each day. 

From countries to career milestones

I joined dsm-firmenich fresh out of university and have been clear about my goals and ambitions from the very beginning. I’m very lucky that in joining this company I have always had people supporting me in these endeavors and pointing me in the right direction.

I started as an intern and quickly transitioned into a sales role, however I was always honest about my desire to become perfumer. To join one of the best perfumery teams in the world takes a lot of learning, patience and persistence – but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Because throughout my journey at dsm-firmenich, I’ve had the opportunity to travel the world. I started in Germany, then moved to the US for a role as a Fragrance Development Manager. From there, I relocated to the UK, where I finally began my perfumer training—an experience that has now brought me to Geneva. 
 

The art of aroma

When you first start in perfumery you have to train your nose on raw materials and be able to recognize them from scent alone. It’s like learning a new language! Some scents might smell very similar but you have to be able to differentiate them from one another. The more you smell them, the more you recognize the nuances. And that’s just the start. As you become more familiar with the role you should be able to identify the percentages of each raw material within a blend. It’s a very tricky skill. But it’s a process and once you can smell one raw material you can go on to smell even more.  

Why perfumery is more than just a job

It’s not just one moment that’s special at dsm-firmenich but really the entire sum of what has happened along my journey that fills me with joy. From the very start I have had fantastic colleagues helping me to develop. Even though as a young perfumer, I’m still only at the beginning!  

Since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated with smells. At dsm-firmenich I get to turn that hobby into a profession – and it’s very gratifying to be able to do that on a daily basis.