Title: Agribusiness Job Market Preparation: Market Realities versus Student Perceptions
1Agribusiness Job Market Preparation Market
Realities versus Student Perceptions
- Paul D. Mitchell AAE 320
- Spring 2009
2Goal
- Overview research conducted by my former
colleagues at Texas AM University - How should students spend their time?
- Try to put AAE 320, undergraduate class work, and
UW as a whole in perspective
3Characters
- John Siebert Dr. Agribusiness!
- George Davis Econometric philosopher
- Kerry Litzenberg Agribusiness/Sales
- Josef Broder Agriculture Dean, U of GA
- All 4 are award winning teachers
4Question
- How should junior level students allocate their
time to maximize their chances of obtaining the
highest starting salary offer from an
agribusiness firm? - Study both Employer and Student answers
- How accurately do students perceive preferences
of agribusiness employers?
5Company Survey
- Fall 1997 Spring 1998
- 69 agribusiness firms
- Average sales 5.1 billion
- Agribusinesses farm suppliers, first handlers,
food processors, food distributors, restaurants,
and retail grocers
6Firm Survey Results Summary
7Recommended Student Time Allocation
- A junior level student wants to prepare to work
for your company and is seeking a top salary
offer?How should he/she allocate time among these
five areas? - Technical Course Work
- Raising GPA
- Work or Internship Experience
- Leadership Experience in College
- Interview Preparedness
8Recommended Student Time Allocation
9Student Survey
- Fall 1998 survey of 993 college students taking
agricultural economics courses - 806 Texas AM University
- 187 University of Georgia
- Career Choice
- 15 to Farm Suppliers
- 12 to Farming/Ranching
- lt 50 into Agribusiness/Food Supply Chain
10Where do the others want to go?
- Government/Legal
- Marketing/Sales (non-agricultural/food)
- Banking/Finance
- General Business
- Pharmaceutical/Medical
11Recommended Student Time Allocation
- A junior level student wants to prepare to work
for your company and is seeking a top salary
offer?How should he/she allocate time among these
five areas? - Technical Course Work
- Raising GPA
- Work or Internship Experience
- Leadership Experience in College
- Interview Preparedness
12Student Recommended Time Allocation
13Comparing Students and Firms
14Pooled Firm and Student Results
15Employer Deviations from Pooled Means
P Values 0.2981 0.0023
0.0083 0.0787 0.0073
P Values probability these deviations actually
zero
16Summary of Implications Agribusiness Companies
- Value Work/Internship and Leadership Experience
more than students believe - Value Grades/GPA and Interview Preparation much
less than students believe - Technical Preparation in business expect a
minimum competency and will teach the rest - If you want to work in business, do
internships/part-time jobs and get involved in
volunteer organizations and student clubs
17Citation
- Siebert, Davis, Litzenberg, Broder. 2002. Time
Allocation Decisions Associated with Job Market
Preparation Undergraduate Perceptions Versus
Market Realities. American Journal of
Agricultural Economics 84222233