Agriculture : Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree

• Agricultural consultant - works for clients such as farmers, landowners, conservation organisations and agricultural manufacturing businesses. Consultants evaluate their clients’ business and/or technical requirements and prepare or modify business or operating plans.
• Farm manager - raises animals, tends crops, plans strategies for maximum yield, organises farm administration, works machinery, organises associated businesses and manages staff. They need to have technical and practical competence, coupled with the ability to make sound business decisions.

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Animal nutritionist - aims to increase and promote the understanding of the effect of diet on the health, well-being and productivity of animals. They provide advice and information on animal nutrition as well as designing and evaluating the diets of the animals in question.
• Field trials officer - develops and manages research trials in the field or laboratory. You might either be involved with the entire process of planning trials or oversee one particular stage of the research.
• Sales executive - works for an agricultural merchant or animal feed manufacturer. A sales executive calls on potential customers to demonstrate products attempting to win new accounts. Often supported by a technical adviser within the company.
• Magazine journalist or newspaper journalist - writes articles on agriculture and the associated land-based issues for newspapers or specialist magazines and trade journals, e.g. Farmers Guardian .

Other options

It is important to gain work experience to accompany your degree as this will increase your chances of getting a job once you have graduated. If you do not have the opportunity to complete a placement year as part of your course, try to find relevant work in your vacation periods. This may involve going to local farms and asking if they have any extra work that you could carry out for them, or seeing if you could shadow someone who works in farm management. There may also be local voluntary projects that involve some sort of agricultural or environmental work which may also be relevant. Volunteering abroad is also an option as agriculture projects in farms, forests and nature reserves are all quite popular. Check websites such as Volunteer Abroad  for opportunities.  

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it’s not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. Look at your degree... what next? for informed advice on career planning and graduate employment, or login/register with My Prospects to find out what jobs would suit you, a helpful starting point for self-analysis.

Explore types of jobs to find out more about the above options and related jobs.