Ag Jobs

Spend some time evaluating the different kinds of jobs available to us in the agriculture industry, and something interesting starts to emerge. Almost as if there were two different covers on the same book, there appears to be two different genre’s to exist in, if you work in the agriculture industry. First, you have the stereotypical farm work that anyone can see. Tractors driving through the fields, someone bailing hay, a farmer working on equipment, another hauling manure - all the kinds of jobs that get the day to day dirty work done.

Then, there is the other side of the book - jobs that keep people traveling all the time, working in cities, holding meetings in board rooms, attending industry events to connect with others. When considering or reevaluating a career in ag we have to ask the questions, “What side is right for me? How do I choose?”

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.

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.