If you have a son or daughter in high school and they’re not sure what career they may want down the road, you might let them know that a good place to start looking is in the ag industry.
“I would say, within the ag industry during the last 12 to 18 months, I have seen unemployment probably be higher in the ag industry than it typically has been,” says Tammy Jensen, President of AgriCareers, Inc.
She says jobs on the service side of the ag industry are in very high demand.
“Whether it’s retail agronomy, whether it’s starting as a technician at an implement dealership, if you have the training and skills, you can advance quickly in that industry or outside of ag—electricians, those types of things, are also service repair work where we’re always going to need them,” says Jensen.
Many jobs that are available within the ag industry are paying really well.
“I would say they’re paying more than they were ten years ago. Salaries have gone up a lot for agriculture. They probably still lag behind some other industries, but they definitely are paying better,” she says.
“Oftentimes, especially if they have no experience, it may require them to prove themselves first. And from an employee perspective, if they make you an offer, maybe counter with once I’ve proven myself, whether it be in six months, can we do a salary review? Can you lay out what I need to accomplish to earn more, those types of things?”
Jensen offers this advice to all young people just starting their careers.
“Be willing to go in and prove yourself before moving up into sales and management. Work hard. Put in the extra effort. Ask what you can do to help.”
For more information go to AgriCareersInc.com.
CLICK BELOW for Hoosier Ag Today’s radio news report:
