English 320

Business and Professional Communication

Megan Even

FROM:

Jakob Hurt

DUE DATE:

September 28th, 2016

SUBJECT:

Unit 2 Job Packet

The purpose of this memo is to find and discuss five jobs that my skills and education will satisfy. It is
also important to note that the jobs that I find will not only be jobs that I am qualified for, but also they
are jobs that I can see myself enjoy doing. I think that it is important to enjoy youre the work that you
do, and I will always keep that in mind when choosing a job.
That being said, I will describe why I find myself qualified for each of these five jobs. Then I will compare
how I am going to structure my resume and cover letter on the two jobs that I favor the most. Along
with that, more research will be done in order to gather more information on the two companies.
Lastly, I will choose the job that I like the most and go more into detail about the job requirements and
how I see myself being qualified for the position. So without any further introduction, I will start off by
discussing my five chosen jobs.

Part I
Company:

Growmark FS

Position:

Agronomist

The first job that catches my attention is an agronomist internship position in a company called
Growmark. The company is based out of Jefferson, Wisconsin. The essential job functions that stand
out to me that are listed in the job advertisement include the following:

Hands-on work experience in the agronomy field

The requirements for this position include a couple of different things. The first and most important
requirement is that the applicant must be pursing an agriculture-related degree at a 4-year university. It
also mentions that the applicant must be a second semester junior or first semester senior with a good
academic standing. The other requirements listed are the ability to demonstrate essential business
knowledge, collaboration, communication, customer focus, and decision making and skill development.
With these job requirements identified, I will briefly explain why I am well suited for this job.
I feel that I am very qualified for this internship position for many reasons. The first and obvious reason
is that I satisfy the requirement of pursuing a 4-year degree in an agriculture-related field. I also have at

least a junior standing academically. The other reason why I see myself fitting well in this position is that
I have experience in all the essential job functions (listed above). At my current job, I am required to do
all of these functions. With my education and my experience, this job position suits me well.

Company:

AgCountry Farm Credit Services

Position:

Loan Officer

The second job that is a loan officer position at AgCountry Farm Credit Services. The branch that is
hiring is based in Devils Lake, North Dakota. Some of the responsibilities that are listed with the job
include:

Build customer relationships

The job requires a 4-year degree in the field of agriculture, business, finance, agribusiness or related
field. Some other requirements are basic knowledge of the field and strong communication skills.
Currently I am a senior at NDSU so I would have to wait to apply for this job in the spring. However,
this is the company that I would really like to begin a career in, so I felt it necessary to include this in
one of my job options. Other than that, I am qualified and have experience that are pertain to the other
requirements for this job. Especially since that this is an entry level position.
This job is somewhat different than the first job that listed. This job is more involved in the economic
side of agriculture. This is what I really like about the Agricultural Economics degree that I am pursing
at NDSU. It is a very flexible degree which allows me a vast amount of career options in the field of
agriculture.

Company:

CHS Inc.

Position:

Agronomy Sales Representative

The third job posting that I really like is an Agronomy Sales representative at CHS. The branch is
located in Quinter, Kansas. CHS is a very well know cooperative in the agriculture world. In this job
position I will be required to:

Promote proper use of crop protection products, seed, and services

The basic qualifications necessary for this job include is an associates degree, but a bachelors degree is
preferred. Also required is 1-3 years of agronomy experience and experience spraying chemicals. Lastly
is the ability to work extended hours in-season.
This is another job that I am well suited for because of my 4 years of experience in the agronomy field. I
also stand out as an applicant because of my experience of operating custom application machinery in
my current job. Also due to my current job, I am very well adapted to long hours in-season. During the
summer I have put in over 100 hour weeks custom spraying chemicals for customers fields.

Company:

Seminis Vegetable Seed Co.

Position:

Seed Production Internship

The fourth job that is a seed production internship at Seminis Vegetable Seed. This branch is based in
St. Louis, Missouri. Seminis Vegetable Seed Co. is responsible for producing seed for the agriculture
industry. They produce some of the most recognizable seed brands such as DEKALB, Asgrow,
Deltapine, and Seminis. The responsibilities listed for the job include:

Seed research
Crop and field experience
Specific project assignments and daily operational responsibilities
Quality and sample testing of seed products
Receiving and counting product returns

Qualifications important for this position include pursing a bachelors degree in an agriculture field with
at least a sophomore standing. Some other qualities required strong communication, leadership, and
teamwork skills.
I am qualified for this internship because of my education level and job experience. At my current job,
we sell the same brands of seed that the company produces. This is an advantage because I already have
experience and knowledge of their seed brands.

Company:

Columbia Grain Inc.

Position:

Plant Operations Manager

The fifth and final job that is a plant operations manager in Plentywood, Montana. The company that is
hiring is Columbia Grain Inc. The company specializes in grain marketing, and have locations in five
Midwest states. Responsibilities and requirements required include:

Self-starter personality
Efficient problem-solver
Meet physical demands of working with grain
Handle bulk commodities
Communication and personable

Although the job listing does not say a college education is required; its safe to assume that a degree or
some type of education is more suitable. Another important skill for this job is experience with various
equipment found in grain elevators.
This job suits me well because I have experience at my current job on operating grain elevator
machinery. Along with operating, I also have experience servicing and maintain grain elevator
machinery. I am also very accustom working on various equipment at very extreme heights and
conditions!

Part II
The top two companies out of these five that I favor for a career are Growmark and AgCountry Farm
Credit Services. These two companies I believe best suit me for my future plans and goals. Both these
job options contain many differences, however. In order to gain a better understanding of the two
companies; I will briefly discuss both companys services, mission, and background. I will also include a
table for a better visual analysis (Table 1).

The first job I favor is the agronomist position at Growmark FS, LLC. Growmark FS is a company that
provides retail sales of seed, plant nutrients, crop protection materials, custom application, and many
other agriculture related services pertaining to crop production. According to the companys website,
they operate in 39 facilities in 6 states in the Eastern Region of the United States (Growmark FS).
Important values of the company include producer profitably, promote welfare among the community
and to provide fair and equal treatment of employees (Growmark FS). The mission statement of the
company is Satisfying customers, profitability, and be the leader in the agriculture and turf markets we
serve. From briefly going thought the companys Facebook page, I was able to see the recent activity of
the company. I immediately noticed that the company is really involved with their customers and
learning about new agriculture technologies (Growmark FS).
The other job that I favor is the loan officer position at AgCountry Farm Credit Services. Farm Credit
is a widely known business in the agriculture industry. The company specializes in agricultural loans for
farms and businesses. The company also treats customers with insurance, tax planning and management,
equipment leases, and other accounting services (AgCountry Farm Credit Services). Farm Credits
mission statement is To provide ag financial expertise to help our customers succeed (AgCountry
Farm Credit Services).
My father, Leslie Hurt, is a senior loan officer at Farm Credit. Because of this, I have a personal
connection to the company. I also know what to expect in a loan officer position after many
conversations with my dad though out his 14-year career with Farm Credit. When I asked my dad
about the most important aspect in succeeding as a loan officer, he stated, Communication. You have
to possess the ability to talk to people. Communication is key in building long-lasting relationships with
customers, co-workers, and potential customers. (Hurt). This statement fits the core values of Farm
Credit, which are listed on the companys website. These values include teamwork, relationships,
innovation and knowledge (AgCountry Farm Credit Services).
The table below (Table 1) summarizes the discussion of the key differences in each company.
Table 1: Contrasting The Companies

Company

Services

Mission

Values

Growmark FS, LLC

Crop Production
Services

Customer Satisfaction,
Profitability

Producer Profitability,
Promote welfare within
communities

AgCountry Farm
Credit Services

Financial and Insurance

Customer Success
Through Financial
Expertise

Teamwork,
Relationships,
Innovation, Knowledge

Part III
It is very important when applying for a job to specifically structure a resume and cover letter to suit the
requirements of the job position. Employers will look for certain aspects and values in these documents
that they find most important. Every company is different, so it is important to adapt a resume and
cover letter to meet different company needs and expectations.

So with this information in mind, I want to briefly contrast the ways to structure my resume and cover
letter for the companies that I am interested in applying for. The position for Growmark LS is more of
an agronomy based job; whereas Farm Credit is more of a financial institution. For Growmark, going
into detail about my previous experiences about my current agronomy job is beneficial. I feel that the
company will really find that type of experience valuable in an applicant. Farm Credit, on the other
hand, might not find agronomy experience as important, since their services have more to do with
finance. Instead I benefit by mentioning the attendance of financial seminars and classes.
By analyzing my cover letter and resume to meet the specific needs and requirements of both jobs, I
conclude Growmark my most favorable company to apply for. This is a hard decision, but agronomy
interests me more at this point in my life. I also contain more experience in agronomy than finance.
Growmark seems like a perfect start of my career in agriculture.

Part IV
In the last and final part of this memo, I will be going into more detail why I am well qualified for this
agronomy position at Growmark. I have mentioned earlier that I currently work and have other
previous experience in agronomy. In my two current jobs, some responsibilities I do are:

Scout fields
Apply chemical and fertilizer products
Deliver and receive seed, chemical and other products
Soil test fields
Interact with customers

All of these responsibilities I currently do make me very capable and help me meet and exceed the
requirements for working at Growmark. By doing these responsivities I have learned many skills such as
knowledge, communication, and decision making. Since this position is an internship, I do not have to
have completed my degree yet. Instead, I am only required to be pursuing a degree in agriculture and be
at lead at a junior standing. By looking at Table 2 below, a visual representation of how I meet the job
requirements are shown in more detail.
Table II: Meeting the Job Requirements

Growmark
Requirements

Must be pursuing
a degree in
agriculture

Have at least a
junior
standing

Demonstrates
communication skill

Decision making
skills

My
Experience

Currently
attending NDSU,
majoring in Ag
Economics

Senior
standing

Contain experience in
communication
though NDSU classes
and skill from job
experience

Well-developed
skill from
current job
responsibilities

All of the five jobs that I have included in the memo are all jobs that I am really interest me as far as
starting a career. I enjoy working with people, especially farmers. All these jobs fulfill my needs and
desires in order to begin a career in agriculture. From analyzing and gaining a deeper understanding of
each job, I can now conclude that interning as an agronomist at Growmark is the best route and
opportunity for me. By working at Growmark, I have the ability to expand my already vast experience
in the agronomy position.

References
Growmark FS, (n.d). Agronomist Intern at Growmark FS, Jefferson, WI. Retrieved September 25,
2016, from: http://www.agcareers.com/growmark/agronomy-intern--insight-fs--jefferson-wi-job561893.cfm
AgCountry Farm Credit Services, (2016, Sept. 16th). Loan officer at AgCountry Farm Credit Services,
Devils Lake, ND. Retrieved September 25, 2016, from:
https://www.farmcreditnetwork.com/careers/opportunity/7151?state=39&organization=&type=
&search=&experience_level=&zip
CHS Inc., (n.d.). Agronomy sales representative at CHS Inc., Quinter, KS. Retrieved September 25,
2016, from:
https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/Home/Home?partnerid=25978&siteid=5277##job
Details=287259&loggedIn=false
Seminis Vegetable Seed Co., (n.d.). Seed production intern at Seminis Vegetable Seed Co., St. Louis,
MO. Retrieved September 25, 2016, from: http://www.agcareers.com/monsanto/seedproduction-intern--01bpp-job-559554.cfm
Colombia Grain Inc., (n.d.). Pulse plant operations manager at Colombia Grain Inc., Plentywood, MT.
Retrieved September 25, 2016, from: http://www.agcareers.com/columbia-grain-inc/pulse-plantoperations-manager-job-556193.cfm
Growmark FS (n.d.). Mission & Vision. Retrieved September 25, 2016, from
http://www.growmark.com/company/Pages/Mission-Vision.aspx
Growmark FS (n.d.). Official Facebook page. Retrieved September 25, 2016, from
https://www.facebook.com/growmarkfs/
AgCountry Farm Credit Services (n.d.). Our Mission. Retrieved September 25, 2016 from
https://www.agcountry.com/About-Us/Our-Mission-and-Vision.aspx
L. Hurt, personal communication, September 25, 2016.