Meet Jenny from Fife, Scotland. She's 23 and works as a farming union policy manager. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
Jenny:
I'm Jenny, I'm 23, and I'm a farming union policy manager.
I work for the National Farming Union for Scotland. So we are a member organisation with about 9,000 members who are farmers and crofters across the whole length of Scotland. So we essentially are the voice of farming, of agriculture in Scotland and we take wider issues to the general public and to politicians. For the everyday member, we are their first point of contact if they have any problems no matter how big or small they may be.
My day-to-day role is helping members to understand all the sort of paperwork that they have to fill in and the different rules and requirements that they must abide by.
I was brought up on a farm in Fife in Scotland and looking at careers choices and what I was going to do, farming was always at the back of my mind and how I could incorporate it into a job.
At school, I did Highers in Scotland. For me, Geography and History were really great subjects and where my interest definitely lay and the sort of skills that you learn from them and how you can apply them to my job now - for me they were great to learn about different ecosystems and farming across the world. So at university I did History and Politics and for me this was kind of a light bulb moment when I realised that my love of farming could be combined with my knowledge of politics and for me this was the ideal way for me to combine my passion for agriculture with the skills and knowledge that I'd learnt at university. The best part of my job is talking to farmers and hearing their different stories, whether that be individual members, making them feel that they are reassured and that their voice is heard - I am definitely a people person.
The future of farming in Scotland is bright and there are lots of opportunities for so many people.
We're seeing more and more innovation and technology coming into the industry and for anyone who's looking to get involved there are endless opportunities.
The best part of my job is talking to farmers and hearing their different stories.
- Jenny grew up on a farm in Scotland. For her Highers she studied History, which led her into politics. She also studied Geography and Biology, which built on her knowledge of the land and livestock
- She studied for a BA in History and Politics at university and during her studies worked part-time at a farm/holiday park
- She now works as a policy manager for the National Farmers Union Scotland, supporting farmers who are members of the organisation
- She believes there’s a lot of pressure on students to figure out their career paths very early in life, but knowing what you want to do takes trial and error.
A similar role to Jenny's is a trade union official. Trade union officials represent, train and advise union members, carry out research and develop policy.
What to expect if you want to be a trade union official
- Trade union official average salary: £30,00 to £80,000 per year
- Trade union official typical working hours: 35 to 37 hours per week
What qualifications do you need to be a trade union official?
You could get into this role via a university course, an apprenticeship, working towards this role, applying directly or training with a professional body
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.
Find out more on the Prospects website about working for a trade union.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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