| Hello everyone. |
| My name's Megan Baker |
| and I'm a recruitment consultant at AVT Recruitment specialists. |
| Now, our company specialises in positions that involve working in the agriculture and horticulture sectors, |
| so that's fresh food production, garden and park maintenance and so on. |
| And these sectors do provide some very special career opportunities. |
| For a start, they often offer opportunities for those who don't want to be stuck with a 40-hour week, |
| but need to juggle work with other responsibilities such as child care - |
| and this is very important for many of our recruits. |
| Some people like working in a rural setting, |
| surrounded by plants and trees instead of buildings, |
| although we can't guarantee that. |
| But there are certainly health benefits, |
| especially in jobs where you're not sitting all day looking at a screen - |
| a big plus for many people. |
| Salaries can sometimes be good too, |
| although there's a lot of variety here. |
| And you may have the opportunity in some types of jobs for travel overseas, |
| although that obviously depends on the job, |
| and not everyone is keen to do it. |
| Of course, working outdoors does have its challenges. |
| It's fine in summer, but can be extremely unpleasant when it's cold and windy. |
| You may need to be pretty fit for some jobs, |
| though with modern technology that's not as important as it once was. |
| And standards of health and safety are much higher now than they used to be, |
| so there are fewer work-related accidents. |
| But if you like a lively city environment surrounded by lots of people, |
| these jobs are probably not for you - |
| they're often in pretty remote areas. |
| And some people worry about finding a suitable place to live, |
| but in our experience, this usually turns out fine. |
| Now let me tell you about some of the exciting jobs that we have on our books right now. |
| One is for a fresh food commercial manager. |
| Our client here is a very large fresh food producer supplying a range of top supermarkets. |
| They operate in a very fast-paced environment with low profit margins - |
| the staff there work hard, |
| but they play hard as well, |
| so if you've a sociable personality this may be for you. |
| We have an exciting post as an agronomist advising farmers on issues such as crop nutrition, |
| protection against pests, |
| and the latest legislation on farming and agricultural practices. |
| There are good opportunities for the right person to quickly make their way up the career ladder, |
| but a deep knowledge of the agricultural sector is expected of applicants. |
| A leading supermarket is looking for a fresh produce buyer |
| who is available for a 12-month maternity cover contract. |
| You need to have experience in administration, |
| planning and buying in the fresh produce industry, |
| and in return will receive a very competitive salary. |
| We've also received a request for a sales manager for a chain of garden centres. |
| You will be visiting centres in the region |
| to ensure their high levels of customer service are maintained. |
| This post is only suitable for someone who is prepared to live in the region. |
| There is also a vacancy for a tree technician to carry out tree cutting, |
| forestry and conservation work. |
| Candidates must have a clean driving licence |
| and have training in safety procedures. |
| A year's experience would be preferred |
| but the company might be prepared to consider someone who has just completed an appropriate training course. |
| Finally, we have a position for a farm worker. |
| This will involve a wide range of farm duties |
| including crop sowing and harvesting, |
| machine maintenance and animal care. |
| Perks of the job include the possibility of renting a small cottage on the estate, |
| and the chance to earn a competitive salary. |
| A driving licence and tractor driving experience are essential. |