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The agriculture and food industry is an exciting and
challenging place to have a career. It’s an industry where
people of all backgrounds and perspectives are needed.
If you don’t have a background in agriculture or even for
those of you who only know one type of agriculture, here
are some ways to broaden your understanding of the
career options available.
First, consider getting a part-time job or volunteering
with organizations that serve an area you’re interested
in to get some real-world experience. Organizations
with volunteer opportunities could include pet shelters,
community gardens, hunger-relief organizations or policy
discussions in your area. Part time employment could
be found with agricultural or food services like garden
centers, veterinary clinics or retail stores. These types of
experiences will help you refine your interests and gain a
better understanding of agriculture and food in your area.
You will also see how favorite school subjects are applied
to this industry. If employment isn’t an option, ask a
professional if you can job shadow them for a day. As a
student, you have lots of creative options to ask for more
information and begin to meet people. For a professional,
it’s hard to tell a motivated young person no, especially
when it involves a learning opportunity.
With less than 2% of the Americans directly involved
in food production, it’s a small world! Therefore, building
and maintaining a strong network can help you find
a career in food and agriculture tremendously. When
you’re meeting new people, ask lots of questions. Provide
thoughts on where the future of agriculture and food
can grow and improve. Networking should be defined as
exchange of information and cultivation of productive
in agriculture to create a strong network. AFA brings
together young leaders passionate about a career in food
and agriculture with those currently leading the industry.
This allows for relationship building and career
exploration amongst peers and with leaders.
I encourage you to think about networking not as a
place and time-based activity. It should be weaved into
your life. You should always think about those you’ve
met and how you can continue to foster relationships
with them. Your goal should not be to have an exorbitant
number of LinkedIn connections but rather to feel that
you’re having meaningful conversation and, eventually,
offering value back to those in your network.
Bringing value to your network could include a
friendly note to say you’re thinking about them and
wondering what’s new in their world. It could also be
sending a link to an article or resource you thought they
might be interested in. If you’re bringing value to your
network, you will be active in each other’s life in such a
way that when an opportunity to collaborate on business
arises or you’re interested in exploring job opportunities
close to them, you’ve not always been asking for their
help. You’ve been bringing value to them in advance.
They’ll see you as a contributor to their success, not just
someone only interested in their own career.
relationships for employment AND business. Once you’ve
found a job, networking doesn’t stop. It can then be a
helpful way to extend your business, find new clients or
partner for better results.
The organization I work for - Agriculture Future of
America (AFA) - builds bridges for young leaders to foster
engagement and innovation in food and agriculture. At
the core, AFA is an avenue for young people interested
NETWORKING
WORKS
By Nancy Barcus, Chief Operations Officer for Agriculture Future of America (AFA)
You should always think about those
you’ve met and how you can continue
to foster relationships with them.