How to build a professional agricultural science resume
Agricultural scientists are the minds behind our food and farming systems, helping to ensure that these systems are sustainable and effective. To land a job as an agricultural scientist, you need a well-written resume that highlights your top qualifications for the position.
In this guide, we discuss 5 essential steps for writing a professional agricultural science resume. Keep reading to learn all about:
- Choosing the right format for your agricultural science resume
- Crafting a compelling agricultural science resume summary
- Selecting which key skills to include on a resume as an agricultural scientist
- Describing your work experience as an agricultural scientist effectively
- Displaying your education as an agricultural scientist correctly
1. Choose the right format for your agricultural science resume
When writing an agricultural scientist resume, the first key step is to decide what resume format you plan on using. Each resume format is slightly different, with different purposes in mind.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the three main formats:
- Reverse-chronological: An RC resume focuses mainly on work experience. In this format, your work experience section is the largest and most prominent on the document.
- Functional: A functional resume focuses on education, skills, and unpaid experience. Many applicants who lack relevant work experience utilize this format, such as recent college graduates.
- Hybrid: A hybrid resume spreads out the focus of the document evenly between all sections. Oftentimes, this format is used by those making a career path change.
Regardless of which format you ultimately end up selecting, you always need to include a well-formatted header at the top of the page. This header should contain your name, professional title, and contact information.
Here is an example of a well-formated agricultural scientist resume header
Mason Marrow, Agricultural Scientist
(123) 456-7890 | mmarrow@email.com | linked.com/in/mason-marrow
2. Craft a compelling agricultural science resume summary
Now that you have the proper formatting elements in place, your next step is to write a resume summary.
A resume summary should always include a brief overview of your professional history, such as your years of experience and any specialized expertise you possess.
This summary can also include a statement on what types of benefits or opportunities you are looking for in an agricultural science job.
Here is an example of a well-written agricultural science resume summary
Passionate agricultural scientist with 7+ years of experience specializing in studying how to improve the sustainability of farming irrigation systems. Seeking a position with an agricultural research center that will allow me to continue my research and work directly with local farmers to develop new and more sustainable irrigation technology.
3. Select the best skills to include on a resume as an agricultural scientist
What makes a great agricultural scientist?
More than likely, the answer that came to mind included more than one skill.
This is important to consider when deciding what skills to include on your agricultural scientist resume, as you should include an array of both technical and interpersonal skills.
Here are 5 examples of technical agricultural science skills to include on a resume
- Agricultural systems and processes
- Farming and crop growth strategies
- Conducting experiments
- Gathering agricultural samples
- Writing research reports
Here are 5 examples of interpersonal agricultural science skills to include on a resume
- Strong verbal and written communication
- Collaboration
- Problem-solving
- Adaptability
- Leadership
4. Describe your work experience as an agricultural scientist effectively
When you are ready to begin writing your work experience section, you should list your most recent job first and work backward from there.
In the descriptions of your work experience entries, use bullet points to organize the information and make it easy to skim over for employers. Keep in mind that most employers will not read your resume in its entirety, so the more skimmable it is, the better.
Here is an example of a work experience entry from an agricultural scientist’s resume
Agricultural Scientist at McMillan Farm Labs
Cheyenne, WY
June 2019 to November 2021
- Developed a new crop planting system that increased the efficiency of irrigation by 15% and increased annual crop yield by 25%.
- Assisted in the implementation of new farm management technology that reduced operational expenses by more than 30%.
- Discovered a new strain of corn that can grow 10% faster than standard strains without losing nutritional quality.
5. Display your education as an agricultural scientist correctly
The last element to focus on for your agricultural scientist resume is the education section.
When creating your education section, make sure to always list the highest level of education you have completed, as well as the institution you attended and your date of graduation or completion.
You may also include any relevant certifications you possess within this section.
Here is an example of a well-crafted education section on a veterinary resume
B.S. in Agricultural Science
N.C. State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
- Major: Agricultural Science & Farm Systems
- Graduated: 2018
Certifications:
- Sustainable Agriculture Graduate Certificate, National Agricultural Library