1. Agricultural Careers Presented by: Mrs. White Lee-Davis High School Agricultural Instructor Modified by Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office – June, 1997

2. Agricultural Workforce Approximately 21 Million People are Employed in an Agricultural Career 20% Of Agricultural Careers Require a College Education 400 thousand people are needed each year to fill positions in the Agriculture Industry Only 100 thousand jobs are being filled each year by trained people

3. Yearly Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in Agriscience 34% 29% 7% 9%7% 13% 34% - Marketing, Merchandising, & Sales Representatives 29% - Scientists, Engineers, & Related Professionals 13% - Managers & Financial Specialists 7% - Agricultural Production Specialists 9% - Social Services Professionals 7% - Education & Communication Specialists

4. Production Agriculture 1/5 of All Agricultural Careers Production Agriculture is defined as Farming and Ranching. It involves the growing and marketing of field crops and livestock U.S. Farmers produce enough food and fiber to feed 135 people, large farm operations can feed over 200 people.

5. Types of Agricultural Production Jobs Cattle Rancher Diversified Crop Farmer Diversified Livestock Producer Farm Manager

6. Cattle Rancher Selects, purchases, and raises cattle on leased or owned land for purpose of selling offspring Knowledge Requirements: Cattle industry including cattle prices, quality and markets. Nutrition, reproduction, and animal health are also important areas. Salary: $15,000 - $150,000 to unlimited (income varies greatly upon quantity of cattle, quality of cattle and extent of operation.

7. Diversified Crop Farmer Crop Farming workers plant, cultivate and harvest crops of fruits, fibers, grains, and/or vegetables. May raise specialty crops or diversified crops, they often produce several different types of crops simultaneously Salary: –$15,000 - $90,000 depends on crop

8. Diversified Livestock Producer Diversified livestock producers breed and raise livestock of various types. Skills Necessary: –Organized –Computer skills and basic business knowledge –Willing to work independently –Enjoy working outside in all kinds of weather Salary: $20,000 - $35,000

9. Farm Manager Organize and Analyze farm resources, finances, and problems Develop solutions and plans for future farm enterprises Make daily farming decisions related to crops, machinery and labor Salary: –$15,000 – $38,000 depends on size and varies greatly from year to year

10. Communication and Education Specialist Careers Agriculture Teacher Agricultural Extension Specialist Agricultural Journalist Agricultural Lawyer

11. Agriculture Teacher Develop program, curriculum and activities related to agriculture for youth adults and graduates Job Availability: Steady Working Conditions: Indoors in classroom, outdoors with experiments and hands-on activities Salary: $ 20,000 - $ 52, 000

12. Agricultural Extension Specialist Organize and conducts cooperative extension program to advise and instruct farmers and individuals engaged in agribusiness applications of agricultural research findings. Salary: $22,000 - $40,000 Skill Necessary: –Strong interest in helping others –Excellent communication skills

13. Agricultural Lawyer Focus on the law as it applies to the Agricultural Industry Necessary Skills: –Proficiency in writing and speaking, reading, researching, and analyzing –Able to think on your feet –Good reasoning ability Salary: –$40,000 - $120,000

14. Managers and Financial Specialist Agricultural Consultant Agricultural Economist

15. Agricultural Consultant Audits and appraises agricultural business and makes suggestions on improvements Salary: $26,000 - $52,000 Education Requirements: –Bachelor’s degree in agricultural business or agricultural education

16. Agricultural Economist Studies data and statistics in order to spot trends in economic activity, economic confidence levels, and consumer attitudes Salary: $40,000 - $62,000 Skills Necessary: –Accuracy –Good Communication Skills –Ability to Work Independently

17. Marketing, Merchandising, & Sales Representatives Agricultural Chemical Dealer Animal Health's Products Representatives Agricultural Equipment Dealer

18. Agricultural Chemical Dealer Serves the farming community by providing chemicals used in farm situations. Knowledge of chemical uses warning and disposal methods is necessary Salary: $ 21,000 - $58,000 Education Requirements: –College degree helpful but not required –Sales experience needed –Knowledge of Chemical regulations –Pesticide License

19. Animal Health’s Products Representatives Develops sales and marketing strategies for selling animal health products Salary: $ 22,000 – 62,000 Necessary Skills: –Communicating effectively –Enjoy Traveling –Goal Oriented –Problem Solving

20. Scientists, Engineers and Related Specialists Agricultural Construction Engineer Animal Breeder Artificial Breeding Technician

21. Agricultural Construction Engineer Designs and contracts agricultural structures such as mills, fertilizer plants, barns, etc. Salary: $26,000 - $65,000 Education Required: –Master’s degree preferred in agriculture engineering.

22. Animal Breeder Breed and raise animals to improve traits, to develop new breeds, or to maintain standards of existing breeds Salary: $18,000 - $55,000 Necessary Skills: –Organized –Reliable and be able to follow detailed instructions

23. Artificial Breeding Technician Assists in collecting and maintaining semen, identifying appropriate times to inseminate (deposits sperm) female and the actual insemination process Salary: $23,000 - $36,000 Education Requirements: –Technical school or a college degree –Specialized training in artificial insemination techniques

24. Social Service Professionals Foreign Affairs Officials Food and Drug Inspector

25. Foreign Affairs Officials Foreign affairs officials assist in planning and implementing foreign affairs program which secure the interests of the country while promoting agriculture Salary: $28,000 - $75,000 Working Conditions: –Travel frequently and work out of an office building

26. Food and Drug Inspector Food and Drug inspector impose federal and state grading standards on food and drug products for the purpose of ensuring consumer safety and fair pricing Salary: $25,000 - $65,000 Necessary Skills: –Like detailed work –Responsible –Good oral and written communication

27. Agricultural Equipment Dealer Farm equipment dealer sell and service farm machinery and equipment Salary: $28,000 - $75,000 Education Requirements: –Bachelor’s degree with emphasis on agriculture and business. –High School courses in agriculture, business and mechanics

28. Agricultural Journalist Gather, write, edit and report news articles that are published in agricultural magazines, newspapers, journals or broadcast on radio or television. Salary: $20,000 - $55,000 Education Required: –Bachelor’s Degree in journalism, communications, English or political science. High School classes in agriculture, journalism, media, computers, and business

29. How to Start Planning for an Agricultural Career? Develop an Agricultural Career Portfolio –A collection of your best work on agricultural projects and other career-related materials –The portfolio is used to sell your skills to a prospective employers

30. What to include in your Portfolio? Resume Photographs and written reports of projects that you have complete Newspaper clippings Letters of Recommendation Personal and Career Goals Action Plan for accomplishing your goals

31. How you can start planning at different levels? Middle School Career Plan: –Develop science projects with plants, animals, soil, water, energy, ecology, conservation, and wildlife –Join 4-H and choose agricultural projects –Volunteer to work on lawn, garden, greenhouses, farm or conservation projects –Enroll in agriculture or other career education projects at school

32. High School Enroll in agriculture classes including plant science, animal science, agricultural mechanics, agribusiness and farm management Enroll in college – preparatory courses in English, math and science Join 4-H and FFA organization and participate in leadership and citizenship activities Develop a broad, supervised agricultural experience project Acquire hands-on, skill-development experience Conduct agricultural research project

33. Career Plan After High School Obtain an agricultural job and plan ways to get additional training while on the job Enter a community college and take courses that will transfer to the college of agriculture or life science of your choice Enter a two-year program in technical agriculture Enter a college of agriculture or life science and obtain a bachelor degree (B.S.), master degree (M.S.), and/ or doctorate (Ph.D)

34. Where to Obtain Agriculture Career Information? www.ffa.org Look for the Career Center under the Site Index.

35. If agriculture is in your future …… It is never to early to plan for your personal career success.

36. Resume’ Writing

37. Cover Letter

38. Required of You A resume and cover letter in the style shown on the previous slides. Resume requirements –You are applying for an agriculturally related position e.g. Livestock Manager, HVAC technician, electrician, etc. ***It is your job to research the salaries, education needed, etc.*** –Length: One full page of Information –Neatness, coherence, and style similar to that of the example from class. –Point Value 50 points

39. Required of You Cover letter in the style mentioned in class, (HINT use the web to find examples, but don’t plagiarize) It should reflect your application and resume’ (you should be applying for the same job on each form) Length: ¾ of a page Neatness, coherence, English grammar correctness, spelling Cover letter point value: 50 points BOTH DOCUMENTS SHOULD BE TYPED IF NOT TYPED YOU WILL LOSE 25 POINTS ON EACH ASSIGNMENT The two assignments together will make up a major grade.