Having some experience of working in an industry can often make the difference when searching for your first big break.
Work experience and volunteering are excellent ways of finding out if an industry is right for you, and can make you a more attractive prospect to potential employers.
Some quick tips
Do your homework. There are hundreds of jobs that will give you the opportunity to work in environmental and land-based industries. You might like to investigate industries such as trees and timber, environmental and game conservation, equine, fencing, horticulture, landscape or agriculture. There are over 700 job roles available to browse on the learndirect website.
Build up your own industry portfolio, including a profile of your local area. Find out what types of business exist and the kinds of jobs that are done by them. Resources: Yellow Pages, Chamber of Commerce.
Talk to people. Get to know people in the industry you want to work in by approaching local businesses…wherever your interest might lie. Use any contacts you can, from family and friends, to get introductions. If not, be brave and approach them anyway! The vast majority of employers in land-based industries are keen to recruit high quality new entrants, so they will be happy to answer your questions and give advice.
Get a qualification. This could range from a short course to a four-year degree. By talking to potential employers, you’ll learn what kinds of training and qualifications they value. There are many courses available, at land-based colleges and universities and through industry-approved training providers. LantraCoursefinder can also help you find the right training. Or you could opt for an Apprenticeship scheme, which allows you to gain your qualification whilst working for an employer. To find out how the system works, click on your location: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk for some general information.
Go to college and university Open Days and Taster Days. Even if you don’t end up there, you can learn a lot about the opportunities available in a short space of time and also get to talk to useful contacts.
Join a local group or organisation linked to the industry you want to work in. By going to meetings and on field trips, you’ll get yourself known locally and make those all-important contacts. You’ll be amazed at the power of word-of-mouth to open up opportunities.
Make yourself more employable! There are many opportunities for voluntary work that give you practical skills plus a lot more. A potential employer will look more favourably on someone who has learned how to work well in a team, is self-motivated and knows how to be responsible for producing good results. For example, the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) offers working holidays and weekend sessions that can help you achieve all of this. And if you do some work with a local business owner, ask him/her to sign a Work Record for you and make some positive comments about how you performed.
