Area
Employer
Information/Strategies
Area:
Financial Services and Related Areas
Sub-Area:
- Banking:
- Commercial and Personal Lending
- Branch Management
- Bank Operations
- Commodities (Stocks & Futures)
- Insurance:
- Sales
- Claims Analysis
- Underwriting
- Risk Management
- Real Estate:
- Residential Brokerage
- Commercial Sales
- Appraisal
- Property Management
- Real Estate Portfolio Management
Employers:
- Commercial banks
- Credit unions
- Savings and loans associations
- Service banks
- Mortgage banks
- Purchasing/supply firms
- Farm cooperative services
- Real estate brokers
- Agricultural commodity organizations
- Insurance companies
- Appraisal firms
- Developers
- Large corporations: real estate departments
- Real estate investment trusts
- Law firms
Strategies & Information:
- Take additional courses in statistics, finance, and accounting.
- Seek experience in financial areas through part-time employment or internships.
- Develop strong communication skills, as many positions require interaction with others and the ability to explain information clearly and concisely.
- Get involved in student professional associations such as the National Agrimarketing Association or other agribusiness clubs.
- Demonstrate competence in managing money and analyzing data. Serve as a treasurer for a student organization.
- Stay up to date on local, national, and global economic trends.
- Research and contact major and/or local financial and banking institutions that specialize in the agricultural market.
Area:
Marketing and Related Areas
Sub-Area:
- Agricultural Marketing
- Customer Relations
- Logistics
- Outside Sales
- Retail Sales
Employers:
- Agribusinesses
- Production industries
- Food retailers and wholesalers
- Food processors
- Manufacturers of farm input supplies
- Farm equipment manufacturers
- Market analysis firms
- Insurance firms
Strategies & Information:
- Gain experience with retailers in the agricultural industry and other agribusinesses through internships or summer and part-time jobs.
- Develop strong interpersonal skills and the ability to relate well with a wide variety of people.
- Initiative, sales ability, and excellent customer service skills are also important in this area.
- Get involved in campus organizations such as the National Agrimarketing Association and seek leadership roles.
Area:
Management
Sub-Area:
- Agricultural Management
- Crop and Livestock Farm Management
- Farm and Home Management
- Agribusiness Management
- Land Management
- Environmental Resource Management
- Retail Management
Employers:
- Agribusinesses
- Farm input supply businesses
- Commodity processors
- Landscape design and maintenance firms
- Production industries
- Feedlot operations
- Feed and seed companies
- Food wholesalers and retailers (grocery stores)
- Farmers cooperatives
- Gas, electric, and water distributors
- Retailers outside of agriculture
Strategies & Information:
- Get involved in professional organizations such as Institute of Food Technologists or International Food and Agribusiness Management Association.
- Pursue experiences with management companies through part-time employment, internships, or co-ops.
- Develop skills in decision-making and policy analysis along with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Stay up to date on local, national, and global economic trends.
- Research and build contacts at management organizations that specialize in agriculture.
- Prepare to start in entry-level management trainee positions.
Area:
Agricultural Equipment Systems Management
Sub-Area:
- Purchasing/Buying
- Dealership Management
- Customer Relations
- Wholesale and Retail Sales
- Environmental Technology
- Farm Supply Management
- Logistics
- Training
Employers:
- Agricultural support companies
- Agricultural machinery manufacturers
- Machinery dealerships
- Machinery service companies
- Landscape development and maintenance industry
- Farm input supply businesses
- Farm and garden supply stores
- Wholesale distributors
- Logistics firms
Strategies & Information:
- Develop awareness and understanding of the farm machinery and equipment market, both nationally and internationally.
- Research the development of basic and advanced farm and agricultural equipment.
- Obtain retail and/or wholesale sales experience, preferably in the field of agriculture or farm supply companies.
- Get involved in related student organizations.
- Develop strong interpersonal and communication skills, especially for sales-related positions.
Area:
Rural Development/Resource Economics
Sub-Area:
- Land Management
- Environmental Resource Management
- Rural Economic Development
- Rural Planning
- Timberland Economy
- County Planning
- Policy Analysis
Employers:
- Local and state government
- Federal government agencies including:
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Bureau of Land Management
- Gas, water, and electric distributors
- Coal companies
- Mining companies
- Railroads
- Law firms
- Nonprofit organizations
Strategies & Information:
- Volunteer with relevant organizations to gain familiarity with rural economic issues.
- Develop excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Stay up to date on local, national, and global economic trends.
- Build skills in decision-making and policy analysis.
- Assist a faculty member with his or her research.
- Complete an internship with a government agency.
Area:
Government/Nonprofit
Sub-Area:
- State and Federal Conservation
- Health and Regulatory Inspection
- Agricultural Inspection
- Policy Analysis
- Legislation
- Association Representation
Employers:
- State and Federal Conservation
- Health and Regulatory Inspection
- Agricultural Inspection
- Policy Analysis
- Legislation
- Association Representation
Strategies & Information:
- Develop excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Gain experience and exposure to the industry by volunteering with organizations such as 4-H.
- Complete an internship with a government agency.
- Maintain a high grade point average.
- Research government application processes.
Area:
Education
Sub-Area:
- Teaching
- Research
- Agricultural Extension
Employers:
- Colleges and universities
- Research institutions
- Extension services
- Farm information services utilizing mass communication
Strategies & Information:
- Earn a PhD for university teaching and research.
- Volunteer to assist a faculty member with his or her research.
- Get involved in relevant campus activities such as tutoring, peer mentoring, etc.
- Participate in organizations such as 4-H or Future Farmers of America (FFA) and seek leadership roles.
- Gain experience working with children and adults of varying ages.
- Prepare to live in a rural community for some extension positions.
General Information and Strategies
- Since the foundation of this degree is business and economics, students may pursue employment opportunities outside of agriculture. Consider management, sales, marketing, communications, and publics relations.
- A bachelor's may serve as a pre-professional path for students interested in pursuing advanced degrees in law, business, agribusiness management, or agricultural economics.
- Earn a graduate degree to pursue university teaching and advanced research positions.
- Obtain relevant experience through internships and summer or part-time jobs.
- Get involved in relevant student organizations and seek leadership roles.
- Develop transferable skills that most employers value, such as communication skills, leadership ability, creativity, ability to work on a team, and self-motivation.
- Prepare to live in rural and farming communities for some of the career areas and be geographically flexible.
- Build a professional network for exploring career opportunities and job openings.