Current employer/job title: Hertz Farm Management, Professional Farm Manager and Iowa Real Estate Sales
I represent farmland owners in the management of their agricultural assets. I build relationships with farmers, vendors, and industry leaders on behalf of the landowner clients to meet their goals and objectives.
No two days are ever the same. Conversing with clients, coworkers, farmers, university experts, and vendors opens the door to learn new things every day. If, while making a decision, I run into a challenge where I could use another opinion, I know there’s someone in my professional network that I can reach out to for advice.
I was familiar with Hertz Farm Management because it has a long history of supporting the university, sponsoring many of the organizations I was involved in at Iowa State. After stopping by their booth at the CALS career fair, going through the interview process, and meeting several of the Hertz family and staff, I found it would be an opportunity to have different experiences every day, meet people in the agricultural industry, and provide an entrepreneurial environment where I could make decisions and make a difference.
The Ag Business program at Iowa State has a natural way of bringing together and connecting students from many different backgrounds. The networks created let students work together and challenge each other to make a difference before and after graduation. These personal and professional relationships carry on after Iowa State.
For a position like this, I think that being involved outside the classroom in campus organizations, internships, study abroad, volunteering opportunities, and community organizations really gives a person an edge in perspective and diversity of thought. When you work with a diversity of clients, it's important to understand their objectives and carry on a conversation outside of what you do every day. Being willing to learn new things and have a big picture perspective really help you provide good service to your clients and to develop more credibility as you meet potential clients.