A) Read what the students, who have chosen agriculture as their career, say about their future professions.

Helen (future economist):

To become an agricultural economist you need an ability to make analytical decisions. You also need to learn economic theory, mathematics, computer skills, and modern decision-making tools in finance, marketing, and management. As an agricultural economist I must be able to analyze the financial situation and solve it to induce a profit. Through planning and organization I must be ready to create and coordinate activities and schedules of production. Agribusiness firms, that provide such things as feed, seed, fertilizer or capital, and those that process and distribute agricultural products, employ agricultural economists. Rural banks and input cooperatives employ agricultural economists to manage their operations. Many agricultural economists work for wholesale and retail food processing firms. So I believe I won’t be unemployed after graduation.

Alex (future manager):

Management deals mainly with people. A manager is a person who directly supervises people in an organization. On small farms, they may oversee the entire operation, while on large farms they may oversee a single activity, such as marketing. Farm managers also negotiate with banks and other credit lenders to get the best financing deals for their equipment as well as their livestock and seeds. They must also keep abreast of constantly changing prices for their products and be able to manage the risk of fluctuating prices. In future I hope to manage the day-to-day activities of an agricultural enterprise and spend a great deal of time communicating, coordinating and making decisions affecting its daily operations. I think managing is a very interesting, but at the same time difficult job.

Henry (future mechanic engineer):

My future profession deals with farm mechanisation. Agricultural engineers design agricultural machinery and facilities such as tractors, storage and handling facilities, and irrigation and drainage systems. People of this occupation must have good problem-solving abilities, as it is important for them to be able to discover the cause of a problem to repair it. They are expected to have the electrical, electronics, and computer programming skills to repair sophisticated equipment on their own. Engineers should be creative, curious, analytical, and detail-oriented. As an agricultural engineer I must understand physical and chemical principles well enough to apply them to solve problems.

Kate (future food technologist):

Food scientists and technologists generally work in product development. They use their knowledge of chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, and engineering to convert grain, livestock, fruit, and vegetables into new food products. Some food scientists are engaged in basic research, discovering new food sources, analyzing food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, or protein. Others try to find ways to improve the content of food. They also develop ways to process, preserve, package, or store food according to industry and government regulations. As a food technologist I may also deal with inspecting food processing areas and ensuring that sanitation, safety, and quality standards are met. I dream of working for a big food processing company.

Susan (future specialist in marketing):

Marketing deals with market research and commercial activity in general. It involves analyzing business situations, evaluating market opportunities, developing market strategies and controlling their implementation. It is important for a specialist in marketing to be flexible and prepared to make adjustments where necessary, as it is unlikely that any marketing plan will succeed exactly as planned.

Mary (future lawyer):

Agricultural law is the study of the laws that impact this diverse world of agricultural production, marketing, and distribution. Because the industry itself is so varied, the laws and regulations relating to agriculture are some of the most extensive and complex of those of any industry. These laws encompass the unique aspects of many different areas of law, including environmental law, administrative law, commercial law, taxation, labour law, intellectual property law, and international trade. In addition, a wide range of local, state and federal laws are directed solely at agriculture. The present and future structure of agriculture, the safety of our food and the allocation of agricultural resources are among emerging policy issues which form the foundation of agricultural law today and in the future.

Bill (future agronomist):

I grew up working on my family’s vegetable farm, and I knew that I wanted to continue to farm. Now I’m studying agronomy. Agronomists deal with field crops and soil management. They develop new varieties of crops, analyze soil structure, investigate soil chemistry, and study the physics of water movement in soil. Agronomists are concerned with the environment. They are hired as crop consultants by farmers or big agricultural companies. They help them raise the best crop possible within economic and environmental reason. Today, I still plan working on my parents’ farm in future. However, I understand now that my career opportunities are much broader than I once thought.

Tom (future veterinarian):

I’ve always known that I wanted to become a veterinarian because animals are my life. Veterinarians can start their own businesses or work with others in group practices where they diagnose, treat, and help prevent disease and disabilities in animals. The doctor of veterinary medicine degree opens up many career choices. Veterinarians can be practitioners, researchers, administrators, and teachers. They may work with one or more species of animals. Veterinarians safeguard human health by controlling diseases that can spread from animals to humans.

John (future livestock specialist):

I was born in the city and I loved the idea of not only seeing farm animals but also being able to work with them. Animal science covers all aspects of animals from their diets to physiology to consumption. We study the genetics, nutrition, reproduction, and growth of domestic farm animals. The goal is to raise healthy animals at the lowest cost possible. This profession works to develop better, more efficient ways of producing and processing meat, poultry, eggs, and milk.

b) What is your future profession? What does it deal with?

6. How good are you at these things? Write ++(very good), +(fairly good) or – (not good at all) next to each item. Which of them are necessary for your future career?

7. Read the information below and say if the financial reward is the main thing when you think of your future job?

Although the majority of people say that they work ‘for the money’, the financial reward isn’t actually the only thing that they think about. Recently the research has shown that people consider many different factors to be of importance when they make their choice. A worldwide survey of students showed that after graduation they would be looking for jobs that allowed them to balance their personal lives with their work lives.

It’s not just the younger generation who think like this either. There has even been an increase in the number of middle-aged workers who are moving away from highly-paid executive positions into less stressful jobs. They are looking for something which is more enjoyable and gives them more leisure time. All this has meant that employers are realizing that they need to do more than just offer good wages if they are going to keep their workers happy and motivated!