How to Write an Agriculture Resume (Including an Example)

Updated 3 April 2023

A well-written resume is important to inform employers about your relevant qualities, including your background, academic qualifications, skills and experience. It's advisable to create a resume that's clear and easy to read to tell employers about your suitability as the best candidate for the position. Exploring how to write a resume for an agriculture position can help you when writing or updating your resume for prospective employers. In this article, we discuss what an agriculture resume is, outline how to write one, provide a template you can fill in and share and example to guide you.

What is an agriculture resume?

An agriculture resume is a document that shows prospective employers your relevant qualifications, skills and experience in agriculture. Agriculture is an important economic sector and involves cultivating the soil, growing crops, rearing livestock, preparing and distributing plant and animal products, performing experiments and maintaining healthy crops and livestock through best practices. Though physically demanding, working on a farm can be rewarding, with vast responsibilities depending on the type of farm. You can successfully showcase your knowledge of agriculture and your experience by creating a good resume.

Your resume requires tailoring to match each position you apply for with a focus on the right keywords to help you pass the pre-screening process, secure an interview and get the job. Check the job description to identify what the employer is seeking in the ideal candidate and adjust your resume to reflect this information. You can use your resume to apply for jobs as a farm manager, agricultural engineer, dairy manager, botanist, agronomist, farmer, field assistant, cattle station hand or farmhand.

How to write a resume for an agriculture post

Follow these steps to write a resume for jobs in agriculture:

1. Choose a resume format

Start by selecting a resume format. Your resume order is determined by the format. The three commonly used resume formats are chronological, functional and combination. The professional history section comes first in a chronological resume, but the functional format highlights the skills section. You can begin with either skills or work history in a combination format, as they're of equal importance. Before selecting a format, decide which area to prioritise. For example, use a chronological format if you have a long professional work history or a functional format if you have little or no work experience.

2. Add your name and contact information

Start your resume by including your name and the contact information that employers can use to communicate with you, such as your email address and phone number. Ensure you use your current contact information so that you don't miss important messages from prospective employers. Depending on the position or requirements of the employer, you can include a link to your online portfolio.

3. Add a professional summary or resume objective

This section is optional, though it can play a significant role in adding personality to your resume, showcasing your accomplishments, listing your skills and qualities and getting the attention of potential employers. You can use a resume objective to explain your career goals and transferable skills if you have limited professional experience. An objective is usually shorter, only comprising two to three sentences. A professional summary is ideal if you have related work experience and notable achievements or certifications. It generally consists of three to five sentences. You can include either statements under your contact details.

4. List your professional history

Details in this section include the job title, period, the company name, a few sentences detailing key achievements during the work tenure and growth opportunities experienced while there. Some of the best practices to consider when listing your professional history include using specific numerical values to highlight achievements, keeping descriptions concise and relevant and using action verbs, such as when describing achievements. Action verbs to use include words like managed, developed, collaborated, implemented, achieved and saved.

You can follow the same process when describing other work experience to maintain uniformity. If you have little or no professional history, you can include internships and voluntary work. Adding an achievement or interest section to your resume can help supplement limited educational and work experience. Ensure the section you add supports your career goals and matches what employers seek in their preferred candidate.

5. Include an education section

Most jobs in agriculture may not require a college degree, though some employers look for specific skill sets that require a degree, depending on the role. This section contains the institution's name, attendance dates and area of study. Consider adding all relevant degrees, certifications, licences, honours or distinctions. You can also include your Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) score, awards, leadership positions and participation in clubs.

6. List your hard and soft skills

This section includes the technical and transferable skills that are important for the job you're applying for. It's advisable to use keywords and list certifications and licences first. You can showcase your knowledge and abilities in operating farm equipment and machinery, following farm processes, communicating effectively, acquiring new skills and working independently or in a team. Examples include experience with farm equipment, knowledge of biological sciences, a strong work ethic and skills in communication, critical thinking, decision-making and team building.

7. Format your resume

To format your resume, you choose the font size and style, margins and spacing. This is important to engage the employer as it makes your resume look professional and improves readability. You can use font size 10 or 12, an easy-to-read font style like Arial, make section headers slightly bigger or put them in bold and use margins of 2.5 to 4 cm. Also, consider using bullet points to list information in the education and professional work history sections.

8. Edit and proofread your resume

Review your resume to ensure it's free from spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors. You can identify errors or missing information by reading your resume backwards or having colleagues, friends or family members help you review it. Also, ensure it's easy to read by removing filler words and complicated language.

Template for formatting a resume for an agriculture post

Here's a template you can use to guide you in formatting your resume:

[Name]
[Phone number]
[Email]

Professional summary
[Write a summary that explains who you are as a candidate and how you can benefit the hiring organisation with your key agricultural skills.]

Work experience
[Job title]
[Company name]
[Dates employed]

responsibility
responsibility

[Job title]
[Company name]
[Dates employed]

responsibility
responsibility

Skills

[List relevant agriculture skills using bullet points]

Memberships

[Use bullet points to list any associations or accreditations you may have]

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Example of an agriculture resume

Below is an example of a resume for an agriculture post:

Jean Kennedy
0438 737 277
jeankennedy@email.com

Professional summary
Innovative agricultural engineer with 14 years of experience and a proven record of identifying and solving issues to increase productivity in agriculture. Adept in communicating and leading teams of over 10 people working on land treatment, water quality and soil conditions. Experienced in improving and repairing farm facilities and committed to achieving quality results with high customer satisfaction levels.

Professional experience
Firmfarm Corporation
Lead Agricultural Engineer, April 2012-present

Effectively address issues and improve efficiency and safety using engineering strategies
Successfully design agricultural machinery components and equipment using computer-design technologies and make repairs and upgrades
Collect, record and analyse data for improved agricultural productivity
Conduct consultations about complex agricultural systems with landowners and businesses
Supervise studies in plant and animal life.

Calctis Inc.
Associate Agricultural Engineer, 2008-2012

Supervised construction of electrical power distribution systems in rural areas
Developed plans and blueprints for drainage and irrigation systems
Participated in designing crop storage and processing structures and animal habitats.

Education:
Natural Resources Management (BSc): First Class Honours
University of Green Hill, 2008

Sustainable Energy Course
Online Course Hub, 2011

High School Diploma
Seashore High School, 2005.

Skills and certifications:

skilled in agricultural equipment and technologies
expert in chemical water sample analysis and water requirement calculations
experienced in ICP instruments
thorough knowledge of scientific rules
knowledge of CAD technologies.

Memberships:

Professional Association of Agricultural Engineers
Agricultural Engineering Associates.