Commercial horticulturist : Employers and vacancy sources

Typical employers include companies growing and/or supplying fresh produce and plants to consumers. These vary in size from businesses employing just one person to large nurseries and farms. They include pick-your-own enterprises and organic farms and gardens. Production nurseries, many of which offer training schemes covering all areas of production including propagation, container and field-grown stock, also employ graduates.

Management Development Services (MDS)  recruit graduates for a partnership of growers, suppliers and retailers, both small to medium-sized employers (SMEs) and multinationals. Farming and horticultural cooperatives have some vacancies, although such organisations recruit infrequently and not in large numbers.

Other typical employers include food companies that process, package and distribute fresh and processed fruit and vegetables, and commercial companies supplying products, equipment and services to the industry.

Opportunities exist in the media with the industry's professional journals or with the BBC. Roles may include features editor or manager of a journal, or horticultural researcher for a gardening programme.

Further and higher education establishments also have opportunities for trainers and lecturers in horticulture.

Other typical employers include the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) , ADAS   and the National Trust .

Sources of vacancies

• Search graduate jobs on this site.
• Farmers Weekly  
• Blooming Good Jobs  
• Horticulture Week  - Thursdays.
• Horticruitment UK  
• MorePeople  
• New Scientist Jobs  - occasional research-based posts.
• Opportunities: The Public Sector Media  - for vacancies in local government.
• National Trust Jobs  
• Guardian Jobs  - social work and environmental supplement, Wednesdays.
• Posts for specific disciplines in relevant journals.
• Local press.

Colleges and university schools of agriculture and horticulture usually have established contacts within the industry.

Get tips on job hunting, CVs and covering letters and interviews.