or a variety of reasons, including, raised public awareness around climate change and associated considerations concerning conservation and animal welfare; and, with the ongoing integration of science and technology into farming, the agriculture industry has undergone, and continues to undergo, enormous change. Certainly, it is for reasons such as these, that agricultural businesses have become increasingly reliant on a workforce that is diverse and adaptable, in terms of both individual and collective skill-sets.
Indeed, contemporary agricultural businesses employ people from a wide range of academic backgrounds and with varied expertise and experience; from, traditional farming skills, to agronomy, to an in-depth knowledge of modern technologies, to sales and marketing experts. Furthermore, it is of the utmost importance that the modern agriculturist has an acute understanding of the publics’ concerns for, and interest in, for instance, animal welfare, sustainability, conservation and food standards. Hence, it is evident that working in the agriculture sector, can no longer be considered in terms of the fairly narrow, definable roles, of yesteryear. Therefore, for the modern graduate, there are now a vast array of job roles, opportunities and career pathways to potentially take, within agriculture.
What pathways could I consider with my agriculture degree?
The pathways you could consider with your agriculture degree, largely depend on the particular focus of your degree and perhaps, as importantly, the areas you may already have experience in and are passionate about. Certainly, your passion and enjoyment for a given area of agriculture, will perhaps have as positive an impact for you and your (potential) employer, as any previous practical experience you might have gained and through the knowledge and expertise gained via your studies, represented by your held qualification(s).
Detailed below are a number of pathways in agriculture you could choose to take, with your agriculture degree:
Agricultural consultant
Agricultural engineer
Agricultural recruitment
Agricultural sales
Agricultural technology & machinery
Agronomist
Administration
Animal breeder
Clinical research officer
Farm manager
Field trials officer
Forestry manager
Horticultural consultant
Human resources
Landscape gardener
Sales and marketing
Smart farming
Vertical farming
Veterinary surgeon/nurse
Technical sales
Can I Work in Agriculture with a Degree from a Different Area of Study?
In addition to a degree in agriculture, there are a variety of degrees in other areas, for example, degree’s in Sociology or Psychology, which would transfer to and be suitable for, roles in agriculture.
A person with a Sociology degree would be useful to agricultural businesses in terms of human resources (HR), sales and marketing, due to an increased knowledge of human behaviour, human organisation and economics. Moreover, agricultural businesses can benefit greatly from sociological concepts, survey techniques and empirical analysis, to better inform and structure their operations, particularly as sustainability, land management and food supply are becoming increasingly important.
A person with a Psychology degree could also prove invaluable to an agriculture business. Similar to sociologists, psychologists’ will have gained a greater depth of knowledge in terms of human behaviour and motivations. Indeed, a psychology degree will be extremely useful to the future of agriculture, as the focus continues to shift towards sustainability and more effectively managed global food supplies, which will require an acute understanding of human behaviour and motivations.
A Strong CV
From whichever area of study, you have gained your degree, when entering the job market, it is imperative that you have a good, well-structured CV. Below is a link to one of our previous blog posts that provides advice on (agricultural) CV writing. In addition, here at Agricultural Recruitment Specialists, we are more than happy to offer further advice and help with effective CV writing.
Further Options – Postgraduate Study
When you have completed your degree, rather than going directly into paid employment, you could opt to stay in higher education and undertake a postgraduate study programme. This could potentially open more doors in terms of future employment opportunities. Detailed below are some examples of agriculture postgraduate study programmes you could choose:
Agriculture (MRes)
Sustainable Agriculture (MSc)
Environmental Management (MSc)
Soil Science (MSc)
Marine Conservation (MSc)
Rural Surveying and Rural Property Management (MLE)
Biotechnology (MSc)
Industrial Biotechnology (MSc)
Equine Science (MRes)
Pest Control (MRes)
Livestock Science (MSc)
A Final Thought:
Whatever you decide to do, once you have completed your degree, be that seeking an employment opportunity or, undertaking postgraduate study, you should give considerable thought to what it is that makes you feel happy and fulfilled, rather than focusing too much on what will potentially provide you with the most (future) money. Indeed, I was given an excellent piece of advice when I finished my education and was about to embark on my journey into the world of work: “never ever chase the money, because you’ll be chasing it forever”.
If you're looking for work in the agricultural sector, Agricultural Recruitment Specialists can help you find the right niche in the UK, Europe and beyond. We can assist in finding which doors are open for you with your specific background and even advice on what you could do to improve your prospects.
Agricultural Recruitment Specialists are worldwide recruitment experts in agricultural, food, farming and rural recruitment and have a variety of executive and management positions available within agriculture, horticulture and the food and rural sectors throughout the UK and the rest of the world. To find out more about our agricultural job vacancies and discuss your future career, contact our team of agricultural recruitment professionals. You can visit our website here: www.agriRS.co.uk or call our team on: 01905 345 155 or email us at: info@agriRS.co.uk
Alternatively, if you are a client looking to expand your team, whilst using a professional recruitment / headhunting solution, then please call us today on 01905 345155 or email us at: info@agriRS.co.uk
