Ag Careers

So, I’ve found the perfect agriculture career opportunity - Now what do I do? The answer to the question seems obvious. Step one. Make sure my resume is up to date. Step two. Draft a cover letter. Step three. Submit the application. Step four. Wait, and hope for the best. If you are like most job seekers, this is the way you go about applying for new jobs. But, if you are looking to make a step out from the crowd - you might try a few other tricks!

Once you’ve located what you think to be the perfect opportunity - do some brainstorming about who you know that might have a connection to the company. Is there someone in your personal network that can make a call on your behalf? This is one tried and true tactic that will help you get the interview.

Nope, I don’t mean that someone has physically placed a hot iron in a conspicuous place in order to lay claim. What I do mean is that you may very well have branded yourself regarding your career choices. Generations of managers from just about any industry (especially agriculture) have pigeon holed - and been pigeon holed because of degree, or experience of their career early on. Today, I’ll take a break from the normal conversation of career options - and talk about something much more important. Developing your personal brand.

One of the most heavily recruited positions currently available to a diminishing number of qualified people is that of Professional Custom Applicator. In a recent podcast interview with Mark Washek a recruiter at Ag1Source, he dubbed Custom Applicators as the “Fighter Pilot of the Ag Industry.” Today, as many parts of the country are dropping seed in the ground - you’ll see enormous insect like vehicles with long booms for wings traveling down the hi-way. You might not have thought it - but piloting one of those trucks could bring you loads of opportunity to make money in a fascinating agriculture career.

Recently, many people have been asking my advice on where the greatest opportunity for jobs in the agriculture industry is. Over the next several weeks, I will attempt to break down several areas of the industry that are working hard to recruit top talent. In this economy, you might find it hard to believe that certain sectors of the industry are in high need, but believe it or not, its true. As we face many baby-boomers coming up for retirement, almost all sectors of agriculture will experience a shortage of well qualified workers. This week we’ll take a snap shot of the Cooperative system - where job openings seem to abound these days, and we’ll examine why.