By Jessica Domel
News Editor
Thousands of college students across Texas are walking the stage this month, collecting their diplomas and searching for a job.
Although the idea of searching for a career may seem daunting to many, experts say there are plenty of agriculture-related job opportunities waiting to be filled.
“If you look at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) study on jobs, we’re still in a shortage of students with agricultural degrees who are going to be prepared to fill those open jobs,” Cindy Akers, associate dean for Academic and Student Programs in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech University, said. “I think what we need to do is make sure we’re getting our students in the right place and making sure those companies are aware that we have students with the skills we need.”
Schools in Texas and the nation are working to prepare students for those jobs.
Internships, hands-on learning and other opportunities are often available to give graduates a leg-up in their job searches.
Career centers at major colleges are also hard-at-work helping graduates identify what fields they’d like to work in and how they can go about doing so.
Akers says one common misconception she sees is the belief that going into agriculture means you have to farm, ranch or run a dairy.
“We are production agriculture, but we also have positions and fields that go from the arts in landscape architecture to ag communication to business and more,” Akers said.
“There are positions from artists to scientists and everything in between.”
According to AgCareers.com, there are more than 5,000 jobs currently posted online in ag-related fields.
Ag-related positions are available in the food industry, government, animal health sector, in animal production and more.
There are jobs available for engineers, analysts, consultants, veterinarians, cooks, writers, educators and more.
Akers encourages job-seekers to look at their experiences both in and outside the classroom when preparing for a job interview as skills learned in both places can be valuable to a future employer.
Attending career fairs and visiting with professionals already working in the field are also recommended.
“Don’t limit yourself,” Akers said. “Realize your full potential.”