If you wondering what direction you should be taking in life in terms of a career, then have you considered a career in horticulture? This is a perfect career choice if you have a love of plants and growing fruit or vegetables, enjoy being outdoors with your hands in the earth and have a passion for science. If you love all these things, then a career in horticulture may be just right for you.
1. Wide variety of horticultural jobs on offer
The career of a horticulturist can be an exciting one with many different types of jobs to choose from. The horticultural industry is a well-established one, but strangely the number of people embarking on this career path is low, meaning that there are many opportunities out there for you. These include working as a gardener, nursery person, horticulture technician or parks & gardens worker.
2. You get to work outdoors
This is an obvious reason, but it does need to be mentioned. You will be spending a huge chunk of your time outdoors, taking samples, being surrounded by nature, all while working with your hands. If you want to leave the office job, then horticulture the perfect career for you.
3. Earn as you learn
One huge advantage of embarking on your horticultural journey is that you can earn while you learn. There are so many apprenticeships and government schemes out there that will fund you while you learn on the job.
4. A job that you love
We should all do a job that we love, and if you love tending to plants, watching them grow and finding out how best they flourish and in what conditions, then this could be your dream job. Doing a job you love will make it easier to get out of bed in the morning and helps to create positive mental health which has a knock-on effect for those around you. Gardening and nature are well known to be relaxing pursuits, and when you work with plants for a living, you not only help yourself but the world as well.
5. A job with access to leading edge technology
Horticulture is an incredibly old profession, but it has now embraced technology. From automation for plant monitoring, the use of drones for pest and disease identification and management through to precision agriculture for weed control, soil health and better yields, horticulture in Australia is leading the world.
If you are considering a career in horticulture, then we can help. Contact Ironwood Institute for how to take the first step in joining the industry.