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Some of the headlines in the last few years have made it easy to gain a misleading picture of agricultural recruitment. Traditional farming appears to be under siege, and being squeezed ever smaller.
However, you shouldn’t dismiss a career in this sector without first understanding the changes it has undergone, and the new, dynamic opportunities on offer.
Here are just five of the substantial rewards you can enjoy from taking up agricultural job vacancies;
Great prospects and a wide variety of opportunities
You possibly need to set aside any preconceived notions you have about the types of traditional job roles and skills associated with agriculture. Farming is not all about milking cows and riding around on tractors! Also, to enjoy an exciting career supporting food and drink cultivation and production, you may even end up working in a city office rather than a quiet rural location.
That’s because agriculture is now a highly diverse and exciting sector, covering literally hundreds of different occupational roles. Many of which provide clear pathways to advancement.
There are agricultural job vacancies covering everything from equipment repair and maintenance to marketing and finances. As the next point shows, if you have a passion for science or technology, there are abundant opportunities available within agricultural recruitment. Perhaps you want a role in purchasing and negotiation, research and development, logistics, distribution or manufacturing? Such vacancies are regular and abundant in agriculture, including within different segments of British farming operations.
British agriculture is still a leading light by European standards. It is intensive, efficient and highly mechanised. It is also a sector wide open to anyone with entrepreneurial drive and ambition. As the marketplace for agricultural output grows (see below), so do opportunities to find new and lucrative business solutions.
Play a role in cutting-edge technology and research
Much of modern farming is about innovation. It is being transformed by rapid advances in technology, including data science, genetic modification and the Internet of Things. It is one of the places you are most likely to find drones and robotics, but also autonomous (driverless) vehicles.
Take for instance new levels of connectivity, integration and automation used in dairy farming. Individual sensors can monitor the health and activities of individual cows, including their food consumption and milk output. This means they can be cared for on a whole new level, and farmers have opportunities to maximise their yield intuitively.
The advances being made in farming technology lead to one clear fact. It’s a myth that agricultural jobs are disappearing; they are simply morphing into different types of recruitment opportunities.
You could even take a role that puts you at the forefront of efforts to solve one of the biggest crises facing humanity. Farms produce food eaten across the globe and grow natural materials used in a vast range of manufacturing processes; but demand is outstripping supply.
There are currently 7 billion people who need to eat on this planet. By 2050, that will be 9.3 billion hungry mouths.
Imagine playing a role in finding a solution to this, within the fields of agricultural science, engineering and IT. Perhaps your modified crop project will prove pivotal, or you will discover a new way to make create efficiencies, reduce waste or increase yield.
Influencing conservation, sustainability and resource management
Many people talk about wishing they could help to protect the world’s natural resources and play a role in conservation. This could be your golden opportunity to make that a reality.
As it covers around 69% of available land (according to Wikipedia), UK farming is constantly being supported and incentivised to protect the living environment and leave a legacy of improvement. Can you see yourself developing new ideas, or implementing existing ones?
With a career in agriculture, you might be helping to formulate and deliver the best solutions for resource management and sustainability too. You could play a part in moving the agenda forward on alternative sources of energy. This could include everything from projects to collect cow “emissions” of methane, to using farming land for wind farms and other sustainable energy sources.
Influence the economic and social landscape, nationally or locally
Don’t let the turbulent fortunes of farming in recent times fool you. For example, it still adds around £100 billion to the annual UK economy. Worldwide, it provides employment for a colossal one billion people! (source: http://www.fao.org/3/i2490e/i2490e01b.pdf).
Being part of this, particularly in a management role, can mean the satisfaction of not simply protecting farming jobs, but also providing competitively priced foods and quality products for homes the length and breadth of the UK, and overseas.
Perhaps your role will include gathering data and other evidence, to form part of lobbying actions or research projects to change policies and funding criteria.
You could also gain immense job satisfaction from being part of something positive on a more local level. Agriculture is still the lifeblood of many rural economies. If farms thrive, then so do families within local communities. Knowing you are safeguarding jobs and supporting village life can be hugely satisfying.
Global job opportunities, and possibly the simple pleasures
The above points all show how dynamic and multifaceted agricultural recruitment is. However, senior roles provide opportunities to learn highly transferable skills that you can use in associated industrial sectors too.
You also have the opportunity to move overseas. Though the types and methods of farming may vary from country to country, many of the basic business requirements and skill needs are universal.
For example, an agricultural technician job in the UK could put you in a great position to look for employment anywhere in the world in a similar role.
One way to gauge how wide open this sector is to new recruits is to look how many Higher Education establishments are fighting to fill places on their related courses, to keep up with industry demand.
The fact is, the agricultural sector needs more skilled staff and global jobs openings are waiting for you. You don’t even need to have specific agricultural experience or a farming background to apply either, as the list of sought-after qualifications and personal qualities is extensive.
Which leads to the final reward of having a job in agriculture. If you do find yourself based in the countryside, in a location of your choice, you could be the envy of all your friends.
There is no better “office” than the great outdoors and if your commute involves patiently waiting for farm animals or wildlife to move, your stress levels could well be low.
If you are looking for a new job or to progress your career, 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
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