What are employers looking for in an agriculture graduate?

We spoke to Linnea Reddie from the ANZ banking group

Describe the type of graduate you look to recruit for your various areas of responsibility.

We don't have a rigid mould that our graduates have to fit. In fact, we aim for as much diversity and as many disciplines (HR, advertising, finance, you name it!) and talents and ages as possible. What we do value in our graduates is life experiences, varied interests and community involvement.

What are the generic attributes you require in an employee and why are these important in the workplace?

When looking at the attributes our successful graduates have, we are looking for women and men who:

• Work well with others
• Deliver results and meet customer expectations
• Are resilient
• Present and communicate information well
• Are analytical
• Can plan and organise
• Value diversity and have the courage to be different
• Are self-aware and learn from experience
• Are passionate to improve and succeed

What do you look for when you are interviewing an agricultural science or agricultural economics graduate for a position?

Many of our roles are open to graduates with an agricultural science or agricultural economics background (refer to Match maker on our website). We look for the same traits in these graduates as we do in all of our graduates, as detailed above in points 1 and 2.

What advice would you give to undergraduate students who are looking to become more employable by the time they graduate?

Demonstrating that you are a well-rounded individual who has had life experience outside of academia is important. In addition to committing to your studies, we want to see involvement in extracurricular activities and work experience to develop skills and demonstrate your ability to juggle study, social and work commitments. Being self-aware and developing skills such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving are important and will contribute to your success when looking for work.

Do you have any other insights from an employer's perspective?

When deciding what organisations/roles you are going to apply for, make sure it is something that you are genuinely interested in – motivation is the key in ensuring success. We highly recommend seeking guidance from your careers office in such areas as CV presentation and behavioural interviewing.