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Know How / Careers and personal development

From getting your first job in agriculture to maintaining your work skills and developing your career, we provide advice and insights. Find out what courses, qualifications and experience can help you get your foot on the ladder and how to make your CV attractive to future employers.

Hear from others working in agriculture to discover the range of different careers and find the one that’s right for you.

Key areas of focus:

  • Guidance on qualifications and careers in agriculture
  • Applying for jobs
  • CV writing and interview tips
  • Job profiles
  • Skills development

Find your perfect career in agriculture on the Farmers Weekly jobs website.

Case studies

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POULTRY

Tips for new entrants from a 16-year-old entrepreneur

Starting a new farming enterprise can be challenging at any age. Lewis Thomas was just 13 when he launched his own business, producing free-range eggs from a flock of layers…

SHEEP

How a new entrant built 1,000-ewe flock 125 miles from home

A Monmouthshire anthropologist-cum-sheep-breeder has built and rebuilt a flock of 1,000 ewes and is still looking for the security of a tenancy.  James Edwards, now 39, has spent most his…

LIVESTOCK

How swapping jobs with dairy farm owner helped a new entrant

An owner and farmworker have swapped places on a dairy farm on the Welsh Borders. The reversal of roles for semi-retired farmer Philip Davies and his former herd manager, Hannah…

ASSESSING PERFORMANCE

How a new entrant got backing to set up in dairy

A simple, once-a-day system, relying on grazed grass and spring-block calving, was the step into dairy farming for new entrant Nick Cavill. The first cups went on in 2018 and…

LIVESTOCK

How time working off-farm can bring new skills home

Born-and-bred livestock farmers can benefit hugely from working off-farm before coming home to continue in the business. Whether it is a job on another farm, within the industry, or outside…

YOUNG FARMERS

How new entrants set up an organic duck egg business

Ditching the city life for the Welsh countryside in 2015, Josh and Abi Heyneke moved to the 4ha Parc Carreg Farm, Carmarthenshire, with the goal of becoming full-time farmers.  But…

Practical advice

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LIVESTOCK

How to manage your farm boss to influence decision-making

If you can learn to manage your boss at work, you acquire influencing skills, stakeholder strategy and how to set in motion low-risk change that benefits the business – and…

LIVESTOCK

How to transform dairy farming passion into financial success

Dairy farm operators who are clear about their goals and what they want to achieve have the number one attribute for success. With this, they will find ways around problems…

LIVESTOCK

Valuable business skills courses for dairy farmers

Many dairy farmers tend not to be driven by profit: satisfaction comes from a herd of fine cows, full clamps or milk in the tank. But being good at milking…

POULTRY

Advice on developing a well-trained poultry team

A team can make or break any business, and a poor poultry team can affect production as well as efficiency. NFU Poultry Board member Will Lea helps deliver staff training…

LIVESTOCK

Advice for livestock farmers on improving management skills

Taking stock at the end of the year and considering what you would like to achieve in 2024 might include a building project or filling some knowledge gaps. But it…

LIVESTOCK

How time working off-farm can bring new skills home

Born-and-bred livestock farmers can benefit hugely from working off-farm before coming home to continue in the business. Whether it is a job on another farm, within the industry, or outside…

Job profiles

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JOB PROFILES

Job profile: What’s it like to be an agricultural reporter?

Agricultural reporters are tasked with keeping their ear to the ground within the farming industry for the latest news and insights into the topics that matter to farmers most. It…

JOB PROFILES

Farming careers: Working as a sprayer operator

Stuart Goddard, 33, is the sprayer and combine operator and assistant manager at a 1,821ha joint venture business called Gilston Crop Management in Hertfordshire. The business grows wheat, barley, oilseed…

JOB PROFILES

Job profile: What it's like to be a grain trader

The range of job opportunities in agriculture is huge. Farmers Weekly talks to a grain trader people to get an insight into what they do. Name Daniel Sedgwick Job title Milling…

ARABLE

Farming careers: Manager at an agro-chemical company

Louise Hemingway is at the top of her game, as head of development and regulatory affairs at Bayer. She knows what she wants to see in new entrants to the…

JOB PROFILES

Job profile: What’s it like to be an arable farm foreman?

There is always strong demand for skilled farmworkers to work on farms up and down the country. These are roles where you could be given significant responsibility at a relatively…

JOB PROFILES

Farming careers: Working as a dairy herdsperson

Hannah Edwards, 32, works on 40ha Hill Farm, on the Shropshire-Powys border, which is home to the Crew Hill pedigree Holstein herd. The herd includes 180 milking cows and 170…

Who to work for?

When looking for your next job, you need to make sure you and the company you are applying to are the perfect match for each other.

With this in mind, it’s always a good idea to read the company profile and see if it ticks the boxes on your career ‘wish list’.

Insights

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STAFF MANAGEMENT

How agricultural mentoring can benefit farm businesses

Amid the many challenges facing the farming industry, mentoring initiative Cultivate Success is empowering individuals with a six-month programme that aims to build resilience, foster leadership, and strengthen community spirit.…

COMMUNITY

Analysis: How hiring apprentices helps solve labour problem

For years, a large portion of the workforce in dairy, poultry and horticulture has come from abroad. However, since Brexit and with immigration policies tightening, this labour supply is no…

Job listings

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