Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Agricultural Economists in California
Miranda, an Agricultural Economist at California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), highlights the diverse entry-level opportunities available to undergraduates, stating that "the state has a ton of entry-level jobs," including roles in data analysis, policy analysis, and various other fields like finance, accounting, and communications. CDFA specifically offers many scientist positions and constantly seeks fresh graduates for these diverse openings, making state government a strong option for job seekers.
Data Analysis, Policy Analysis, State Government Jobs, Entry-Level Positions, Agricultural Economics
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Miranda Townsend
Agricultural Economist
California Department of Food and Agriculture
UC Santa Cruz, 2020
UC Davis, Agricultural and Resource Economics Masters Program
Environmental & Related Sciences
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, Government & Public Sector
Research and Development (R&D)
Pell Grant Recipient
Video Highlights
1. Many entry-level positions exist in agricultural economics and related fields such as data analyst or policy analyst.
2. Government agencies, like the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), frequently hire for entry-level positions in various fields, including finance, accounting, HR, data analytics, and communications.
3. The state government is a great place for undergraduates to look for jobs because there are many available positions.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider?
In my field, like agricultural economics or economics in general, there are so many different ways you can go. You can be a data analyst or a policy analyst, which is a popular one. You don't have to go straight for an economist role; those are more rare and niche.
If by "field" you mean working for the state, the state has a ton of entry-level jobs with diverse positions across the board. They are always looking to hire, and I constantly get auto-generated emails for state employees about openings.
They are definitely looking to hire fresh grads, whether you have an undergrad or master's degree. Literally name a field, and there's a position: finance, accounting, HR, data analytics, communications, science. For CDFA, we have a lot of scientist positions.
So, basically, name the field, and there's a position for undergrads. I would definitely vouch for students to look at the state when they are applying for jobs because there are always a ton of positions.