Careers that You Wouldn’t Expect in Agriculture

• Rachel Woolvett
• March 17, 2022
• Newsletter Article

What do you think of when you hear the word “agriculture”? Images of farmers, crops or livestock might come to mind. As much as these things are a part of agriculture, farming only makes up a small percentage of agricultural careers. In fact, almost 90% of agricultural jobs are off-farm. It might surprise you to learn there is much more to the agriculture industry and the jobs it offers.

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Creative Marketing Specialist

 

Agriculture is constantly growing and changing. Marketing and social media play a large role in keeping companies and customers updated and informed about changes, big or small, within the industry. Marketing and communications professionals are constantly thinking about campaigns and strategies that will help lead a company or organization to success. Throughout the year, companies and organizations host events, sell products, and work to grow and improve their organization. Most companies’ success would be limited without a marketing team to support them. With help of creative thinkers and the ever-expanding internet, marketing teams can help companies reach more people and more success than ever before. Being able to work with a team is extremely important in this career since sharing ideas leads to the most successful result.

 

What do you need to succeed?

A bachelor’s degree in (agricultural) marketing, advertising, business, communications

 

Bonus:

• Experience in marketing, communications, and social media

• Experience in agriculture

 

 

Graphic Designer

Almost every industry needs creative minds to keep things new and exciting, and agriculture is no exception. Not only do marketing and communications play a part in this, but graphic designers do as well. For example, if you have ever clicked on an advertisement without thinking twice, you may have been the victim of good graphic design. Graphic designers make sure marketing campaigns and strategies look good while appealing to the right audience. You do not need to be an agriculture expert to make a good design, but designs need to be smart to ensure whoever is looking at them understand and interact with the design.

 

What do you need to succeed?

• A degree in graphic design or agricultural communications

• Proficient in design software (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite)

• Proficient in coding (e.g. HTML, CSS)

 

Bonus:

• Experience in graphic design

• Experience in agriculture

 

Cloud Specialist

 

As much as the name might suggest, a cloud specialist doesn’t have anything to do with the clouds we see in the sky. In this career, you will deal with the type of cloud we can’t see. The cloud is a system filled with data and resources accessed over the internet. You may have even used before if you’ve ever owned an Apple device. Cloud specialists help migrate information for companies into the cloud. Information such as documents, spreadsheets, soil information, data from local farmers or monitoring growth from different crops can all be stored on the cloud. This essentially creates one big resource for companies, which allows for more time and effort to be put elsewhere. As a cloud specialist, you can help develop the cloud infrastructure and cloud services.

 

What do you need to succeed?

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, or a related discipline

 

Preferred technical experience:

• Monitoring and analytics – (e.g. CloudHealth, Azure Monitor)

• Scripting and languages – (e.g. Python, Bash, Java)

 

Agricultural Lawyer

 

It may seem self explanatory, but an agricultural lawyer has many aspects to their job beyond the courtroom. An agricultural lawyer is someone who handles many regulations and legal issues pertaining to the agricultural industry. As an agricultural lawyer you will see a variety of topics such as labor, land, pesticide use, environmental issues, or water rights. For example, land use might deal with zoning or landowner rights. Obtaining licences or permits for companies that require them for certain operations is another service an agricultural lawyer may provide. As much as this job requires professionalism, it is also a chance to build relationships with farmers, landowners and different companies or organizations along the way. Becoming an agricultural lawyer also lends an opportunity to advocate for agriculture. By providing legal guidance to people within the agriculture industry, you are helping to make the industry a better place.

 

What do you need to succeed?

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, legal studies, or political science

• Score 160 or over on the LSAT exam

• Earn your JD (Juris Doctor) in law school

• Passing score on the bar exam (the score will vary depending on the state you wish to practice in)

 

Bonus:

• Experience in agriculture

 

Mine Technician

 

Engineering is an extremely popular career path for many people. However, you might be surprised at how many kinds of careers options the agricultural industry offers engineering students. Engineers of all kinds are needed in all aspects of the agricultural industry. Whether you’re a mechanical, maintenance, electrical or science engineer, there is a place for you in agriculture. An interesting engineering career option is a mine technician. This career choice would allow you to conduct surveys and monitor conditions to support mining operations and take part in creating CAD drawings for future mine designs. This is just one of the hundreds of engineering jobs available right now in the ag industry.

 

What do you need to succeed?

• 2-year diploma in mine engineering technology or equivalent (ie. civil engineering technician or geomatics engineering technician)

• Proficient in Microsoft Office and drafting/mine software

 

Bonus:

• Knowledge of mining operations (ventilation, rock mechanics etc.)

• Experience in the mining industry

 

As you can see, career options in the agricultural industry are more than meets the eye, these are just a few.

 

For more information on careers like these, check out employers and current job postings on www.AgCareers.com.

 

Click here browse more than 250 Career Profiles to learn about the great variety of opportunities in agriculture and food.

 

Check out AgCareers.com Canada & US Career Guide!