I’m currently a senior at Montana State University majoring in Agricultural Communications. Originally, I’m from Forsyth, MT and graduated high school from Laurel, MT. Growing up on a farm/ranch, it was clear that agriculture was the right path for me. That realization is what led me to Montana State and Farm Bureau!
This year was the second time I was fortunate enough to attend the National Young Farmers & Ranchers Conference. This year in Reno, NV, young producers and students once again were able to see just how special our industry is. One of the greatest aspects of the conference, in my opinion, is that it is beneficial for both college students and young producers to attend. Each year the conference has a specific college track during the breakout sessions. Students can attend these sessions to learn more about resumes, cover letters, finances, and other tough topics that young people face today. Unfortunately, some students don’t have professional training in job hunting. At the Young Farmers & Ranchers Conference, we can all gain valuable advice on how to best market ourselves in the agriculture industry.
I chose to attend some college workshops concerning job hunting advice and finance. The resume workshop was lead by a top recruiter from CALAGJOBS. She analyzed a real resume and gave us some great tips on how to improve the content and structure. Certain things like putting relevant coursework and cutting out the objective are two things that I can do to improve my resume. The next breakout session, I attended a workshop from the same lady that looked at everything but resumes. She went through cover letters, interview techniques, and how to shape yourself on social media. Advice on how to use LinkedIn was super useful! The finance session was led by an American Farm Bureau banker. We learned about how to pay off student loans faster and when to make large financial decisions. I’m graduating in December, so these issues were extra relevant!
Having the opportunity to be involved in the Young Farmers & Ranchers organization has already paid dividends for me. Our Collegiate Young Farmers & Ranchers club is very active and has given me the chance to attend these conferences. Networking with these great young agriculture leaders is a blast and crosses over with other organizations such as FFA and the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. If you’re looking for a highly effective and fun organization to be a part of, look no farther than Farm Bureau!