Ag advisor career

trg

Folks,

The brother is thinking of going down the ag advisor route. He's going into leaving in Sept and getting fairly settled on the idea now.

Any ideas what's his best route? Ag science in UCD I'd have thought but there are different routes to these type things in my experience.

Anyone here willing to take a stab at starting salary as graduate & say with 5 yrs experience? Nothing to be found on the brightwater salary survey

trg

Anyone any thoughts??

Deepsouthwest

trg wrote: »

Anyone any thoughts??

Would be a reasonably good career choice, if he's got a good interest ag of course. Ag science in UCD would be best route, but entry points getting v high

Damo810

UCD is the well known one, high points though. Cork It offer a level 7 with level 8 addon in Agriculture and Waterford IT also have a level 7 course, and as far as I'm aware you finish off level 8 in UCD.

As a career I'm not convinced (even though is is my ideal career option) the job market at the moment isn't great, with Teagasc trying to use jobridge to hire advisers only a few months back, as they lacked funding iirc. Degree in Agriculture gives you a very wide selection of jobs though, so it's fine in that respect, your not solely limited to being an adviser..

From the little I have found, salary is similar enough to a teachers (without the holidays!!) 22-25K starting and your moving towards 50 from there on. Many advisers would be self employed though, so that salary wouldn't be the most accurate in all honesty.

Does he come from a farming background?

ganmo

if you contact the ASA or ACA they might be able to give you an idea about the starting salary
if teagasc end up getting out of the advisory market or hire more staff there'll be plenty of jobs

fishnetsxD

I'm starting Ag Science in UCD this year. I know there is another level 8 course for Ag Science in WIT which is new. That would be worth putting down if your brother doesn't get the points. The points are increasing drastically. I wouldn't be surprised if it jumps to 475 or 480 next year.

There are also level sevens available which could be used as stepping stones.

I'm really excited for this course as I haven't done anything like it before.

UCD is obviously the best option. In first year it's pretty general and from 2nd year onwards you branch into different ag science areas such as animal and crop, food and agri business, environmental ag science etc.

Obviously he'll have to do a lot of research himself too!

Greengrass1

fishnetsxD wrote: »

I'm starting Ag Science in UCD this year. I know there is another level 8 course for Ag Science in WIT which is new. That would be worth putting down if your brother doesn't get the points. The points are increasing drastically. I wouldn't be surprised if it jumps to 475 or 480 next year.

There are also level sevens available which could be used as stepping stones.

I'm really excited for this course as I haven't done anything like it before.

UCD is obviously the best option. In first year it's pretty general and from 2nd year onwards you branch into different ag science areas such as animal and crop, food and agri business, environmental ag science etc.

Obviously he'll have to do a lot of research himself too!

I was to do the dairy business course in UCD but decided I didn't want it in the end.
Glad I didn't then.
Was at a walk in greenfield with 2nd yr students and us as first yrs in Kildalton.
Ran rings around them. They didn't know half as mush as what we knew

GRASSorMUCK

trg wrote: »

Folks,

The brother is thinking of going down the ag advisor route. He's going into leaving in Sept and getting fairly settled on the idea now.

Any ideas what's his best route? Ag science in UCD I'd have thought but there are different routes to these type things in my experience.

Anyone here willing to take a stab at starting salary as graduate & say with 5 yrs experience? Nothing to be found on the brightwater salary survey

If your getting into a job and your only concern is your pay packet go banking/trading is my advice!
Advisory jobs are getting to the stage you need more than an honours degree, technical knowledge is spreading so fast these days via the web etc you'll have to cater to these guys like the dairy lads on here then you'll have guys kicking and screaming against change because they're doing what worked for their previous generation 20years ago..

trg

Thanks for the replies folks. We're from farming background alright and he's doing plenty research himself. The points are escalating all the time for UCD but other options as pointed out here.

Dawggone

Agree with Grassormuck on becoming a trader if wages are the only consideration.
UCD is the best but you will need a good hons degree. All a hons degree will get you is a glorified salesmans job. You will need to go abroad to do a masters to get to any level of half decent job.

trg

Does it say anywhere that wages are the ONLY consideration?? They are A consideration. If one wishes to enter a career without giving it any thought thats up to themselves. It remains a valid query.

Dawggone

trg wrote: »

Does it say anywhere that wages are the ONLY consideration?? They are A consideration. If one wishes to enter a career without giving it any thought thats up to themselves. It remains a valid query.

An old boy said to me many moons ago to do what you like/interests you and the money will follow.
Still waiting on the money though.

Damo810

Dawggone wrote: »

You will need to go abroad to do a masters to get to any level of half decent job.

Where do you mean by abroad? Europe? Us? Australia?

conor t

@op what does he actually want to do, is it advise on dairy,beef, tillage, fill in forms for grants/sfp or go into research?

Dawggone

Damo810 wrote: »

Where do you mean by abroad? Europe? Us? Australia?

Yes. Outside of Ireland.
No point in focussing your education in Ireland (except maybe dairy and beef?).
Pointless getting educated on tillage, poultry, goats etc in Ireland.

GRASSorMUCK

trg wrote: »

Does it say anywhere that wages are the ONLY consideration?? They are A consideration. If one wishes to enter a career without giving it any thought thats up to themselves.

Well, in 3 short paragraphs it was a main topic... Just saying, your looking out for the younger? Bro I get that!
Really just worry about what he's interested rather than where the best job will be in 10 years.

ganmo

When I graduated from Ag every sinner that I was chatin to said to me "I suppose that means you'll be goin around tellin farmers what they're doing wrong".
my response was "if I can't get the ould lad to change why would I try with anyone else"
now...5 or so years later he's doin stuff that I suggested back then...but not goin to stick my nose in anyone elses business only to be told to go for a run and jump.

AntrimGlens

Talking to a few advisors recently and they feel like they're banging their heads against a brick wall, they're telling all the farmers to do this and do that, reseed, manage grass, drain more, synchronise AI and the farmer just looks at them and basically says aye i'll do that that when it starts to pay me and beef and sheep etc are profitable. Unfortunately many advisors know they're only going through the motions of preaching the DARD/Teagasc mantra but the farmers are taking fook all heed of it, but they have to be seen to be doing it to justify their own jobs.

ganmo

in the UK and NI they seem to have better independent advisers or at least more proactive ones, the ones over here have been form fillers for reps sfp etc.
the way its going farmers are treating reps as advisers, not always the best idea

exercise is the antidote

ganmo wrote: »

When I graduated from Ag every sinner that I was chatin to said to me "I suppose that means you'll be goin around tellin farmers what they're doing wrong".
my response was "if I can't get the ould lad to change why would I try with anyone else"
now...5 or so years later he's doin stuff that I suggested back then...but not goin to stick my nose in anyone elses business only to be told to go for a run and jump.

What are ye working at now ganmo if ye don't mind me asking?

ganmo

Work? thats a nasty word :P
I won't post the name of the company because it might be advertising :P

...and i don't want them to have proof I'm taking it easy, it is friday after all!

Timmaay

Greengrass1 wrote: »

I was to do the dairy business course in UCD but decided I didn't want it in the end.
Glad I didn't then.
Was at a walk in greenfield with 2nd yr students and us as first yrs in Kildalton.
Ran rings around them. They didn't know half as mush as what we knew

Did they have a similar level of farm experience? Any level 8 degree will have alot more theory in 1st and 2nd yr whereas in Kildalton yous only had 2yrs to learn everything. At the end of the day there is very little substitute for being stuck in the thick of it in a real business, which I'd guess is where you had the big advantage over them, but I'd never offer up the chance at more eduction as such.

Damo810

ganmo wrote: »

Work? thats a nasty word :P
I won't post the name of the company because it might be advertising :P

...and i don't want them to have proof I'm taking it easy, it is friday after all!

I think he means what industry! As in, did ya go into being an advisor, or go into sales/accountant etc..

ganmo

I work on the 'technical' side of it (don't really like that word), which involves research and problem solving and knowing the science behind the products we make and a grasp of the related regs...which nobody ever mentioned in college! Legalese is a terror to decipher

Dunedin

trg wrote: »

Folks,

The brother is thinking of going down the ag advisor route. He's going into leaving in Sept and getting fairly settled on the idea now.

Any ideas what's his best route? Ag science in UCD I'd have thought but there are different routes to these type things in my experience.

Anyone here willing to take a stab at starting salary as graduate & say with 5 yrs experience? Nothing to be found on the brightwater salary survey

just to add my tuppence worth here.

if he is intending to do the Ag Sci degree, just make sure that he is pretty strong in the core sciences i.e. chemistry, physics, biology as these will form a huge part of first year (maths and economics are a big part of yr 1 also). a lot of students automatically think agriculture only to get a big shock when the science hits them.

most would prob have done Ag Sci for the leaving but may not necessarily have done the other core sciences. Science can be difficult if you don't have an interest and/or flair for it.

in regard to salary, I wouldn't see it differing too much from most graduate positions - i.e. 22 - 25k, that is assuming they in employment as opposed to self employed. Thereafter, it can often be the case of a lucky break here or there to fall into the ideal role with greater earning potential. I started out doing a Cert in Agric Business and ended up in HR!!

Remember, digging a hole is the only job you start at the top, all others involve starting at the bottom and working your way up