RFA Ethanol Podcast

10 Reasons To Attend AgCareers Roundtable

Jamie Johansen

The 2012 AgCareers.com North American Ag & Food HR Roundtable is coming up and early bird registration ends next week. The conference will be held in Springdale, Arkansas, August 7-9 on Tyson Food’s Campus. Great networking and educational opportunities are just two reasons why human resource professionals, business leaders, university/college career services staff and association representatives within the agribusiness industry …

AgCareers, Education, Food

AgCareers are Hot!

Cindy Zimmerman

Careers in agriculture are hot right now, a bright spot in the overall economy. We talked with Eric Spell, president of AgCareers.com, at the recent National Agri-Marketing Association annual convention, where the company was actually born 12 years ago as a student presentation by the University of Florida. (Go Gators!) “It is an exciting time to be in agriculture,” Eric …

AgCareers, Audio, NAMA

Positive Outlook from AgCareers.com

Cindy Zimmerman

An analysis of 2011 trends from AgCareers.com yields a positive outlook for the agriculture industry in North American. AgCareers.com found that agriculture companies are anticipating gains, rewarding employees and looking to fill job openings with qualified talent. The AgCareers.com newly published 2011 U.S. Agribusiness Job Report and 2011 Canadian Agribusiness Job Report found that job postings were up significantly from …

AgCareers

Social Media at AgCareers.com Ag HR Roundtable

Cindy Zimmerman

This edition of the ZimmCast features a couple of interviews from the AgCareers.com 2011 Ag HR Roundtable held last week in West Lafayette, Indiana where social media in the spotlight – like it is everywhere! One of the featured speakers at the event was Eve Mayer Orsburn, CEO of Social Media Delivered, one of the largest social media optimization companies …

AgCareers, Audio, Social Networking, ZimmCast

Parting Comments from Ag HR Roundtable

Cindy Zimmerman

By any measure, the 9th AgCareers.com North American Ag HR Roundtable was a big success and next year will likely be even bigger and better. I talked with Emily Gray with the University of Tennessee College of Ag Sciences and Natural Resources who has attended every one of the nine roundtables. “This is a very valuable event,” she told me. …

AgCareers, Audio, Pioneer, University

The Importance of Soft Skills to Employers

Cindy Zimmerman

Soft skills are as important in the job market as software is to a computer. Soft skills include areas such as communications, leadership, problem-solving, self-management and professionalism – some of which must be developed over time rather than taught in a classroom – but the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) is taking a look at how their courses …

AgCareers, Audio, Video

Agricultural Bio-based Careers are Booming

Cindy Zimmerman

Novozymes was one of the companies that participated in the AgCareers.com 2011 North American Ag HR Roundtable held this past week at Purdue University. Novozymes is a Danish-based international company which specializes in enzymes for bioag products, biofuels and bio-pharmaceuticals. Novozymes Recruitment and Employer Branding Manager Darlene Godsey says the company’s workforce has increased tremendously just in the last five …

AgCareers, Audio, Biofuels, Biotech

Agriculture Future of America at Ag HR Roundtable

Cindy Zimmerman

An organization that helps prepare young people for careers in agriculture was very involved in the AgCareers.com 2011 North American Ag HR Roundtable. I spoke with Nancy Barcus, Director of Leader Development Programs for Agriculture Future of America. “AFA works with college men and women and young professionals just entering the work force to provide academic scholarship support, career and …

AgCareers, Audio, Education

Understanding Recruitment Philosophy for Ag

Cindy Zimmerman

A panel discussion on recruitment philosophy for careers in agriculture at the AgCareers.com 2011 North American Ag HR Roundtable on Tuesday featured a conversation from both the education and employer perspective. Ashley Collins, Education Coordinator with AgCareers.com, moderated the panel which included Deanna Pieper of Crop Production Services, Stephanie Shampine of ADM, Catherine McGinnis from Penn State University, and Noah …

AgCareers, Audio

Alltech on Raising the Bar for Student Recruitment in Ag

Cindy Zimmerman

Instead of competing with each other for a limited talent pool, agribusinesses need to work together to increase interest in agricultural careers. Dan Rice, Strategic Analyst with Alltech, spoke on Raising the Bar for Student Recruitment in agriculture at the AgCareers.com 2011 North American Ag HR Roundtable on Tuesday morning. He says part of the issue is pubic perceptions of …

AgCareers, Alltech, Audio