National Careers Week: Careers you might never have heard of!

5 March 2021

We asked our outreach team which of the careers we offer degrees for they most often find teenagers have never heard of.

There were quite a few – so we’d definitely encourage school pupils, parents and teachers to really dig into the website and prospectus and try not to make any judgements without exploring everything. But here are three we find most often raise an eyebrow or open eyes to new avenues of exploration!

Rural Chartered Surveyor – see courses

Sounds fancy – but what is it? A rural practice chartered surveyor provides advice to clients on practical, strategic and technical matters involving rural land and property. Lack of awareness of the profession spurred Andrew Black, a RICS qualified Rural Chartered Surveyor and Harper Adams lecturer, to develop a dedicated website to help new entrants learn about the vast range of opportunities this career area has to offer.

“I discovered that I was not alone in the problems we face when attempting to explain the nature of our work to people who have never heard of the career. I became very interested in how the specialist rural sector of my profession was promoted and understood by others”

Harper Adams has been educating professionals in Rural Estate and Land Management for more than 30 years, with additional RICS accredited courses in Rural Property Management, Real Estate and Environmental Land Management also now available.

Graduates have progressed to work as land agents, to manage historic country estates, to act as consultants to industry and government, into asset management, and many more careers connected to valuable rural land and property.

New Product Development Technologist – see courses

It seems like almost every day there is a new food trend or product launch to capture our attention in store, online or on the television. Imagine being the person behind that successful product – be it a new crisp flavour or a luxury brand festive pudding! Could you tap into the right blend of consumer demand, sensory experience, cost, provenance and the science of putting it all together, to have a successful career rolling out items for brands we know and love, whether national or international retailers or smaller artisan producers? If your taste buds are up to it, you could even become a professional food taster. Or bring in our creative flair to specialise in packaging design, food styling and marketing.

Tasty Careers has some great resources for anyone considering this field and you can meet our own Food Academy team at the next Harper open day – to find out about their career journeys and the opportunities our degrees offer.

Agronomist – see course

Sometimes referred to as a crop doctor, the agronomist is concerned with all things related to growing healthy crops, which is vital not just for food production, but also for the vast range of other products cereal crops are made into – including clothing fibres, cosmetics, fuels, starch-based polymers, dyes and many more. Agronomy is also key in considering the environmental impact of farming.

An agronomist advises farmers on crop production requiring a pragmatic approach with a combination of practical and academic knowledge.

Traditionally, this has involved advice on crop protection, varieties, rotations and soil management. But in recent years agronomy has evolved into a much more scientific process and increasingly agronomists are assisting with issues such as agri-environmental schemes, nutrient management plans, precision farming techniques and cross compliance. – Basis Careers

Students completing our degree in Agriculture with Crop Management will be eligible to be entered for free FACTS and BASIS training following successful completion of their degree.

Also on the list were:

Explore all these and more by visiting an open day or reading our prospectus