I can't get a job

ihatewinter

So I graduated in May 2014 with a honours degree in agriculture. For the first year I worked at home on the farm till May 2015. When I applied for jobs I didn't receive a single interview. So I took a job as a general operative in a factory and worked there for about 5 months till the end of September. I left because you were expected to work about 60 hours per week and you didn't know what time you finished in the evening. A 6pm finish was luxury as most nights didn't finish till 8 or 9.

After this I started applying for entry jobs like grad ag positions, call centres, shops, cafes etc as I know there was no point in applying for experienced ag jobs. I applied for about 50 with no callbacks. Then I started working with a recruitment agency as a general operative and that finished on the 18 of December as it was only a 2 month contract. Worked about 4-5 hours per day.

Now I'm applying for more jobs and know I won't get anywhere. I used my sister's C.V template and cover letter as she has been successful many times with job offers. My sister who works in banking has applied for 3 jobs for me and now I see they have been relisted. ' I asked her to do this as I thought I was doing something incorrectly'.

I don't really know what I'm doing wrong. I don't have enough money to do a Master's so that's out. I have a first class honours but I know that experience counts for more. Is there anyone with hints or tips to help me get a job. I want a job, not fussed about what type of work.

Thanks

Avatar MIA

The good news is that you can get jobs.

I've no idea what the job market for Agriculture graduates is though. What jobs exactly do they fill?

How have your contemporaries found getting jobs with their degrees?

Zipppy

A degree in agriculture?

What area are you trying for employment in?

Avatar MIA

The below is from the CIT website

Potential Areas of Employment
• Farm Manager
• Agricultural Consultant
• Sales Representative
• Retail Management

I wouldn't have thought there'd be a huge number of farms in Ireland not run by families. Possibly an option to work in England. Or be a contractor, managing a farm such as when a farmer wants to take a holiday - hardly a career though.

Sales Reps, because you'd know the products, but sales is a vocation. Not suited to everyone.

Retail management - Would a first class honours degree actually be a negative here?

What are your own thoughts in general, OP?

ihatewinter

Well the type of jobs I applied include graduate programmes with ag companies like Dairygold, Kerry Group etc, advisory jobs and store assistants in Co-ops, call centres and receptionist jobs specialising in agricultural products etc.

In December I got to the interview stage with Dairygold but I wasn't successful. Well there is plenty of work on farms but I wanted a different career direction.

Sales would be a no no for me. I never was any good at selling anything and you need a good sales pitch.

Now I am applying for everything.

messy tessy

You may have seen this but just in case :

http://www.agricareers.ie/

Career fair in March in the RDS, specifically looking for grads in the ag sector. A good idea would be to do your research on the companies going to be in attendance on the day and treat the fair as a day long interview, dressing smartly and handing out CV's. Alternatively do your college have a career guidance department? Might be a good idea to follow up with them, they might be able to point you in the right direction.

Best of luck - have been in a similar position myself (minus the 1st class hons degree!)

If you're social welfare for a certain amount of time, you can apply to some masters courses and the state picks up most of the bill. I can't remember the name of the programme off the top of my head.

Avatar MIA

The best general advice I'd give is to tailor your CV and cover letter to each individual vacancy.

darragh o meara

Have you looked outside Ireland? Friend of mine spent the past few years working in Saudi Arabia as a farm manager, he told me they're always looking for talented people out there as they haven't a real farming background.

thegreatgonzo

messy tessy wrote: »

You may have seen this but just in case :

http://www.agricareers.ie/

)

Messy Tessy beat me to it. I'm going to this myself. It's going to have a whole area dedicated to people looking to work on dairy farms. I'm going to have a look at the animal health and nutrition companies.
Have you had a look at the Teagasc job alerts lately? They had some positions vacant just before Christmas.
Also have you considered working in New Zealand for a while?

Edit, sorry I see you said you aren't interested working on farms. The agri fair would still be worth going to for everything else

Mrs OBumble

ihatewinter wrote: »

Well there is plenty of work on farms but I wanted a different career direction.
....

Now I am applying for everything.

Ahh, why exactly did you do an agriculture degree if you want a different career direction?

You say you're applying to "everything" - and you have in fact had a few "everything" type jobs. So what exactly is it that you're wanting?

Sounds to me like you need to have a very serious think about what you want to do.

thegreatgonzo

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Ahh, why exactly did you do an agriculture degree if you want a different career direction?

You say you're applying to "everything" - and you have in fact had a few "everything" type jobs. So what exactly is it that you're wanting?

Sounds to me like you need to have a very serious think about what you want to do.

Well there is a lot more to the agri industry then working on farms so I take it that the OP is looking more at an industry job than a farm job. Working on a farm would really be where people who have just completed a level 6 such as the green cert that I'm doing tend to be placed. They are good places to get experience but the OP has their own farm so won't benefit much by working on someone else's.

gercoral

dunno what part of the country you're in but theres a new Glanbia facility opening/opened in Kilkenny...

Occono

Deleted User wrote: »

If you're social welfare for a certain amount of time, you can apply to some masters courses and the state picks up most of the bill. I can't remember the name of the programme off the top of my head.

Springboard.

stefanovich

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Ahh, why exactly did you do an agriculture degree if you want a different career direction?

You say you're applying to "everything" - and you have in fact had a few "everything" type jobs. So what exactly is it that you're wanting?

Sounds to me like you need to have a very serious think about what you want to do.

Like asking someone why they did the art degree... He's at the situation he's at and needs to go forward.