Every college has a business program. Over 300,000 students graduate with a business degree every year. Each year that number goes up and it keeps getting harder and harder for these graduates to find a suitable job. As more high school graduates make the decision to major in business, they must check the prospective job market. There is one market that is not being utilized by many college students, the field of agriculture. A survey conducted by Land O’Lakes has shown us that many people are overlooking the job opportunities in agriculture. With so many people overlooking this market, more prospective business majors should consider the major of Agriculture Business here at Western Illinois University.
Aside from the job opportunities, majoring in agriculture business allows you to separate yourself from the pack by differentiation. Everyone wants to be seen through all of the applicants for a job; a Bachelors in Agriculture business allows you to do just that. With fewer people graduating with ag business degrees than business and administration degrees, already you are putting yourself in a smaller, more selective group. Business is universal, so you are taught the standards that any business major should know, but you are also taught a different skillset; one that allows you to “see outside of the box”.
With agriculture, one must develop certain customer relation skills.It’s not always about the bottom line. You’re dealing with farmers; while many farmers are concerned with their bottom line, a level of trust is required for them. In agriculture, you’re associated with people whose who livelihood can be reliant on their crop output this year. If you are going to associate with those hard working people, you must care about them. If you don’t, you or your business will not last long. The agriculture business program here at WIU teaches you these skills needed for success. If you can earn the trust of a farmers business, then you have the tools needed to win over anyone’s business, and WIU’s program provides you with those tools.
Whether you want to work in the agricultural field or not, having a degree in agricultural business from WIU gives you the tools to succeed in the business field. While still leaving the door open for someone who wants to look into a different business sector, it’s nice knowing that your degree will always be good for a job in the overlooked field of agriculture.
Click on WIUAG link to get more information.
My name is Nick Sutor and I’m a senior Agriculture business major at WIU. I’m from Galesburg Illinois and am planning on continuing my education through graduate school here at WIU. I’m blessed to have grown up in a farming family and the values that are taught through it. It is largely apart of my position for success in the future.
Western Illinois University School of Agriculture 
I am very happy that I chose to go into Agricultural Business. I came to college undecided, but was drawn to this field after learning about the amount of jobs that are open in this market. I have not regretted my decision once.
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I think as ag-business students we are in a very good position going into graduation. The only thing I fear right now is the decline of the grain market. Although we have seen gains in recent weeks, I think that some companies are still skeptical to continue expansion or hiring.
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I think you are exactly right. Ag business majors do have an advantage. When I first came to western I was told Ag Business majors have the 3rd lowest unemployment rate out of all majors in the United States, it was like less than 1%. I also believe that because we are associated with agriculture and many of us come from an agriculture background we are associated with integrity and honestly that other majors just don’t have. This generation must continue to hold that standard, by acting in a trustworthy manner at all times in the work field and in life.
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I like this blog post nick! As Scott sad above about some companies being skeptical, while i agree with him, i think that is not a permanent thing, which leaves us in a good spot still being ag business majors.
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Currently where I work back home they told me I could possibly move to the business side of the company once I finish college. The great thing about that is my place of employment is not related to agriculture at all. Even though I’m getting a degree in Ag business they said they will still take me because I still got a business degree! It’s great that agriculture can allow us to have many different job opportunities’.
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