Pursuing a Career in Agriculture as a Life Sciences Major

The life sciences industry is growing. According to the 2010 U.S. census shown below, college graduates with life science majors have had traditionally low unemployment rates compared to other majors. However, universities are graduating more students interested in this industry every year. In the recent years, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at UW-Madison has seen a 24 percent enrollment increase in life science majors (Bacteriology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biology and Genetics).

The increase in enrollment suggests that students are excited about the opportunity to work in this sector – however we have noticed some outstanding job opportunities often overlooked by life science graduates.

Most notably, careers in agriculture.

Unemployment rates for college graduates with respect to industry. Click the picture for more information. Statistics provided by the 2010 U.S. Census.

As shown in the table above, the unemployment rates for Agriculture and Natural Resources and Science Life/Physical is relatively low. Using both of these industries in your job search will tremendously increase the number of jobs you can apply to.

Many of the skills you learn as a life science major can apply to careers in agriculture – which is an applied life science. The agriculture industry needs biological scientists for jobs that focus on research affecting both animals and plants. From nutrition and health to genetics and sustainability – scientists are key to new and innovative discoveries. And you don’t have to grow up on a farm or major in agriculture to make a difference.

At the CALS Etiquette Dinner a few years ago, I spoke to a representative from  Covance. She had an important role in one of Covance’s labs and a BS degree in a biological science. To my surprise, she didn’t start her career at Covance, but rather at a company called ABS Global, a bovine genetics company. She worked as a lab technician at ABS Global before eventually landing at Covance. This employer was able to use her lab skills and science background to transcend industries.

There are great opportunities in agriculture that are perfect for life science students – even if it might not be so obvious. Start by asking yourself a few important questions:  Do you want to help the planet by conserving resources and increasing food supply? Do you want to help improve the genetics of animals and plants? Do you want to make the food supply safer? If so, consider a career in agriculture!

Jordan Simonson

By Jordan Simonson
CALS Career Services Peer Advisor

Posted in Application Necessities | Leave a comment

How to Make Your Application Stand Out

Application_Stand_OutWhen you apply for a position, standing out in the applicant pool is important. Some positions get hundreds of applicants. Here are some tips to help your application get noticed!

1. Start with the basics (resume, cover letter, references)

The first step to a stellar application is making sure there are no typos or grammatical errors in your resume, cover letter or references. Ask as many people as possible to look over your resume before you send it. Our peer advisors would be a great way to get an extra opinion on your resume.

2. Keywords

Keywords are words that describe important elements of the position. Many online applications use keyword searches to find the best matches for a position. A good way to find keywords for a specific position is to use the words used in the job description. Once you have some keywords, make sure to put them in your cover letter and resume when explaining your skills. Doing this will make your cover letter and resume more appealing to the person looking through your application.

3. Send your application early

Getting your application in early is a great way to stand out to your employer. You look like someone that gets their work done quickly, and you also give the employer extra time to review your qualifications. This can be especially important if you use tip number six.

4. Save everything in one file

When you send your application over email, make sure to save your cover letter, resume and references (in that order) in one pdf file together. Save the file as” lastname, firstname – position title” to help the employer when he or she have to save and remember multiple applications. You should also paste your cover letter into the email because putting your cover letter in the email body increases readership.

5. Get company employees to endorse you

Obtaining an endorsement from a company employee is actually very important because it is an indicator for the recruiter that you would be a good employee. You can obtain endorsements using LinkedIn. Simply reach out to employees that work in the organization to which you are applying. Interacting and sharing ideas with them could lead to endorsements. If you are able to obtain an endorsement from someone for a position, you can mention this in the first paragraph of your cover letter.

6. Social media

Social media is a tool that can be used to make your application look more appealing. Starting a blog about your industry is a great way to begin. It tells employers that you know about the industry and what you are talking about. You can use LinkedIn and Twitter to promote your blog and connect with others in the industry. Directing your content to the employer is a great way to get noticed. When using social media for this purpose, it is important to review all of the content extensively for mistakes. Putting your social media information on your resume is also a unique way to direct employers to this content.

Job applications are very important and shape an employer’s first impression of you. With attention to details and a few of our recommended tricks – you are sure to make your first impression count!

Jordan Simonson

By Jordan Simonson
CALS Career Services Peer Advisor

 

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Earth Day 2013 – Careers in the Environment

TreeMarking

CALS forestry student, Steve Link, at his summer internship for the Nicolet Hardwoods Corporation.

We can all remember the Earth Day festivities in elementary school when wildlife experts would bring animals to the classroom and tell us interesting facts about their behaviors and habitat. For some students, conserving these species and their environment turned into a career aspiration – something they wanted to do for the rest of their lives.

Environmental careers are gaining traction, and more students are finding jobs every year working with the environment. According to a study done by Universities in the Midwest, there has been a forty percent increase in the number of recent graduates accepting jobs in Environmental Sciences, Fisheries and Wildlife Biology since 2009. Average salaries have also increased by over ten percent during that time, from $29,962 in 2009 to $33,033 in 2012.

One place of large growth is in organizations that are beginning to make the environment a higher priority. Environmental Consultants are people that work with organizations to improve the organization’s impact on the environment and help them comply with regulations. The average salary in 2012 for an environmental consultant was $38,000, nearly $5,000 above the average salary stated above. The number of graduates with this job title has also increased 600 percent since 2011.

nelson_desk

Maria McGinnis sitting at Gaylord Nelson’s desk. He was the founder of Earth Day.

Other positions including Environmental Technicians, Fisheries Biologists/Technicians, Urban Forresters and Wildlife Biologists/Technicians have also seen increases in salaries in the last four years.

As the environment continues to hold a larger importance to the general public, environmental jobs will continue to increase in demand. Earth Day has definitely helped increase support for conservation efforts around the world, and has probably helped the recent gains in environmental jobs as well.

 

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How to Tell if You Qualify for a Job

Qualify_for_jobWhenever I look at a job description, the first thing I ask myself is, “Do I qualify for this job?” As students, we are very focused on our dream job – which can actually turn into a stumbling block. Below are a few things to consider when skimming through job descriptions.

1. How much experience is required?

As a college student, experience is the largest hurdle you will face. As a recent or upcoming graduate, stay away from positions that ask for three or more years of experience. When the experience required is below three years, then you need to use your judgement. Think critically about the amount of experience you have in the field and whether it comes close to the amount listed for the position.

2. Don’t focus too much on the major.

Some students get caught up in the major or field of study in a job description. For some positions, looking through the job duties will give you as good of a picture of whether you fit the position as the major listed in the position. In some cases, employers don’t fully understand all of the majors that could work for their open position. Most job descriptions list “or related field” next to their list of required majors. As long as you have the skills to back it up, you likely fall under the “related field” category.

3. Have you done the job before?

When looking at the job description, it is important to analyze whether you have previous experience with any of the job duties – either directly or indirectly. If you have already mastered a large portion of the job duties, you are likely qualified. If there are significant duties associated with the job you have not done, then you need to determine if you are able to learn these things quickly or if it will be too difficult. If you think you can learn – go for it! In a down economy, employers tend to gravitate to previous experience rather than potential. Love it or hate it, it’s expensive to hire people with “potential” alone and little to no experience.

4. What is required?

Many job descriptions have “Required” and “Preferred” qualifications sections. If there are significant required qualifications that you do not posses, then you might not qualify for the position. Whenever an employer lists a job duty or candidate attribute as “required”, it is important that you have the skill – or a variation of the skill. These requirements are considered the bare minimum experiences you must possess in order to be considered for the position. In terms of “preferred” qualifications – this area is where an employer lists skills and attributes that would allow a person to excel in the role. It’s almost like an employer “wish-list” – good to have, but not required to do the job. Much of the required/not required skill determination comes from data provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.

If you still have doubts about whether you qualify for a position, you can always call the employer. It’s better to ask clarifying questions proactively rather than spending time on applications materials only to find out you do not qualify. Asking questions also shows an employer that you have initiative and attention to detail! Happy job searching!

Jordan Simonson

By Jordan Simonson
CALS Career Services Peer Advisor

Posted in Application Necessities | Leave a comment