What an Agricultural Economist at California Department of Agriculture Wishes They Had Known Before Entering Agriculture
Miranda, an Agricultural Economist, revealed a surprising disconnect between her job title and actual duties; "I am an economist by title, but it's not really economic work," the role's focus shifted over time, leaving the job classification unchanged, a fact which would have been valuable to know before entering the field.
Industry Realities, Hard Truths, Career Exploration, Unfiltered, Candid Advice
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. The job title "Agricultural Economist" may not accurately reflect the day-to-day tasks. The role may involve less economic analysis than expected.
2. Policy and regulations can significantly impact job responsibilities and expectations. Changes in requirements can alter the nature of the work over time.
3. Networking and informational interviews can provide valuable insights into the realities of a specific job title before entering the field. Understanding the historical context of a position's title and duties is crucial for setting realistic career expectations.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
My job is kind of interesting. I'm an economist by title, but I don't do economic or technical work. All the analytical, data, and statistical skills I learned in my undergraduate and master's programs aren't used at all.
When people ask about my job, they assume I do a lot of economic work. However, that's not the case. When the classification was created, economists did more economic analysis for marketing programs.
Each year, they had to conduct an economic analysis of each program to determine its benefit to the state and industry. This requirement was eventually removed from the law or state regulation.
Economists no longer have to perform this analysis, but the job title was never updated. So, while economics is central to my role, I don't actually do a lot of economic work. I wish someone had told me this before I started.