When Chapel Valley Landscape Company Recruiting Director Jennifer Buck sets out to promote the industry, she likes to show students the “big picture.” She does this during career fairs, when she is a guest speaker at a high school or college, or when her Woodbine, Maryland, company holds its career day in January.
“Most students who may have an interest in our industry do not comprehend how diverse and dynamic it really is,” relates Buck. “As a general rule, they understand the major disciplines, such as maintenance, design, installation, irrigation, and so forth. What they do not realize, however, is that our industry also supports a wide range of careers within each discipline. For example, I have a degree in horticulture and environmental science, yet my work is in human relations and recruiting. I like to tell students that having a degree in horticulture or a related field not only opens up the door to a great industry, but it also gives them the opportunity to take their careers in a number of different directions. They can specialize in design or maintenance or installation, or they can move into sales, customer service, marketing, business development, human relations, or virtually any area in business.”
If this logic fails to persuade prospective employees, Buck then points out some of the major differences between working in the green industry and working in other fields. “Where else can you get paid to get dirty?” she asks rhetorically. “Where else can you get paid to work outside or have so many different opportunities to do different things? Our industry in not only dynamic, it is versatile, too, and it attracts people who enjoy variety and being challenged.” The challenge for recruiters, she reiterates, is to make sure students understand the full scope of the industry.
Buck has other messages for recruits. She admits to them, for example, that the industry is male dominated, yet she readily explains that it is getting more woman friendly every day, now offering tremendous opportunities for career-minded women. She also talks about ALCA’s Student Career Days and encourages colleges and their students to get involved. In her words, “I was not committed to this industry until I attended Career Days. That first visit sealed the deal for me. I saw so many students who wanted to do what I was thinking of doing, and, at the same time, I saw so many industry professionals who were actually doing it. I never looked back.”
As mentioned above, Chapel Valley holds its own career day, too, at which time it invites in 20 or 30 students for a tour of its facility and a pep talk from managers. In addition to giving them a history of Chapel Valley and a close-up look at the services it provides, Buck says the speakers also share their views of the industry. They give students a look at how far the industry has come over the last few decades and indicate where it is going.
The company also routinely promotes the industry to as many local associations and other area groups as it can. The approach is the same here, too. When given an opportunity, someone from the company will talk about broad trends within the industry and new technologies, all with the intent to increase an understanding of what landscape contracting companies do. At times, Chapel Valley will team up with area competitors to promote the industry. “Doing so presents a larger perspective of the industry,” says Buck, “and it gives participating companies an opportunity to know a little more about each other.”
When promoting the industry, Buck is consistent. Giving students and other interested parties a feel for the breadth of the industry comes before promoting the virtues of working at Chapel Valley. The latter will follow as a by-product, says Buck. If the connection is not clear, she is there to help put it in focus.
