One Day, One Job » botany

Seed Savers Exchange

Willy Franzen — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:00:14 +0000

You’ve probably heard the term “heirloom,” in reference to fruits or vegetables. For the longest time I had no idea what it meant, but eventually I asked someone and the gist of the definition is “any garden plant that has a history of being passed down within a family, just like pieces of heirloom jewelry or furniture.” More often than not the plants are passed down in the form of seeds. Heirloom breeds of plants are important not only for sentimental reasons, but also because they provide genetic diversity. By maintaining old breeds of plants with their unique resistance to disease and pests, we are able to ensure the security of our food supply. Seed Savers Exchange is a Decorah, IA based non-profit that “saves and shares the heirloom seeds of our garden heritage, forming a living legacy that can be passed down through generations.”

Seeding a New Career

Seed Savers Exchange maintains “more than 25,000 endangered vegetable varieties,” which makes them “biggest non-governmental seed bank in the United States.” They’re more focused on working with smaller farmers and gardeners, which makes sense because those are typically the people most interested in heirloom varieties. In a lot of ways, the seeds that Seed Savers Exchange provides resemble art. The genetic diversity thing is important, but the history of the seeds and the varieties of flavors of the plants that grow from them is just as important. If you’re intrigued by what Seed Savers Exchange does, you should check out their Jobs page. Right now they have a number of positions posted that seem suitable for entry level candidates including Lab Technician, Collection Assistant – Field Operations, Assistant Curator – Seed Plants, and Horticulturist – Field Manager. The job descriptions go into a lot of detail, so check them out for all of the details.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you do any gardening?

Epic Systems

Willy Franzen — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:17:17 +0000

My Dad is an architect, and he often likes to send me suggestions on which companies I should feature next. Sometimes he finds some pretty cool stuff, and a month or so ago he sent me a link to the Winter 2009 online issue of HQ Magazine, which features an article called “Top 20 Places to Work.” Usually such lists focus on a range of reasons for a place’s being great to work at, but HQ is an architectural publication, so this list is all about office space (not the movie). The section of the article on Epic Systems says: “Epic’s campus fits into idyllic pastures and farmland, providing serene, relaxing views from within. Outside are hiking trails, playing fields, a treehouse. Meeting rooms have working fireplaces to further the sense of calmness.” It sounds amazing. Epic systems is a Wisconsin based, privately held, employee owned healthcare software provider.

Epicly Helpful

Epic Systems only has 170 clients, but “they are some of the most respected organizations in healthcare.” Epic’s software apparently makes the patient experience a lot better, but until it makes waiting rooms obsolete, I’m not quite sold. Basically, what Epic’s software does is that it records every touch that a patient has with a healthcare provider. The information is kept securely, but in a way that allows patients to access it when they need it. Epic Systems provides a product that keeps doctors, nurses, and patients fully informed about what’s going on. We all know that the healthcare industry is a mess, but it’s also growing rapidly. Epic Systems seems to be taking advantage of this environment by making a product that makes healthcare better for all parties involved.

Here’s a sample situation from Epic’s website:

Imagine this: you’re from Dallas, but you’re on vacation in Seattle. Shortly after trying some of the free samples at the fish market, you come down with something nasty and end up in the Emergency Room. You can’t remember the names of the medications you’re taking at home, but you mention to the doctor that you’re normally seen at Black Springs Clinic in the Dallas area. The doctor in the ER is able to access your chart from the clinic without the need to place a call or retrieve a fax. Your ER doctor sees not only the specific medications and doses you were last prescribed at home, but also that you’re allergic to Iodine, preventing a potentially severe reaction during your care.

You get back on your feet after a few hours in the ER and are given a couple medications and a recommendation to see your doctor at home once you’re back from vacation. While still in Seattle, you pull out your laptop and are able to send a secure message to your physician in Dallas, letting him know briefly what happened. You also sign up for a follow-up appointment for when you return. When you arrive, your doctor has access to your clinic chart, as well as the information documented during your visit to the ER in Seattle.

Sounds pretty great.

Do Something Epic

Epic may have only made the list of Top Places to Work because of their building, but they look like they belong on any general list of the best places to work. Their Careers site is loaded with information – especially the Life and Work section. We could go on and on about how cool it looks to work at Epic, but you’re better off checking it out on your own (start by taking a tour of their campus). Epic allows you to browse their jobs by both Career Type and Educational Background; however, I prefer to look at their listing of all available positions. The jobs are insanely easy to scan for entry level positions, so there’s no need for me to list them here, and you can apply online. Although they are a software company, they have job openings in areas that include Accounting, Biotechnology, Botany, Consulting, HR, IT, Project Management, Writing, and, of course, Software Development.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Epic’s Campus.

Agricultural Consulting Services

Willy Franzen — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:52:54 +0000

The economy may suck, but you still need to eat. No matter what you’re eating (unless it’s dirt), it probably came from a farm. That means that farms won’t be going out of business anytime soon. I haven’t deeply investigated how a recession affects the agriculture industry, but it might be an area worth looking into even if you’re not an Aggie. One company that is hiring new grads in the agricultural sector is Rochester, NY based Agricultural Consulting Services. They seem like a relatively small company, and it’s hard to get a lot of details about who they are, but they’re a perfect example of a company that the large majority of job seekers would overlook. They offer a wide range of consulting services to farmers that include farm mapping, soil and plant analysis, fertilizer recommendations, integrated pest management, weed scouting and control, tillage recommendations, manure management, crop residue and cover crop management, laboratory services, environmental services and recommendations, and custom farm management software. I’m sure some of you are BS artists who specialize in “fertilizer recommendations” and “manure management,” but for the most part ACS is looking for new grads who have a background in Agriculture or Engineering.

Down on the Farm

Before I go any further, I have to say that despite the fact that Agricultural Consulting Services’ website has been updated in 2009, it looks like it’s from 1999. The site is pretty ugly, and it doesn’t even have a decent About page to tell the company’s story. We’d love to get a little more background, but we’re not going to hold it against them. Their business is helping farmers grow their businesses, so a flashy website probably isn’t a priority. Still, since there’s not a lot of information available about ACS, you’ll want to do your due diligence and really check them out if you’re interested in either of their two job openings. Their Careers page has postings for Agricultural Engineers and Agricultural Consultants. Both jobs look very interesting, although they both have some pretty specific requirements. If you’re interested in either job, you can apply by sending a cover letter and resume to careers@acsoffice.com. They’re located in Rochester, NY, but they apparently work all over the East Coast. That means that there might be some travel involved with these jobs.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Should we feature more companies like Agricultural Consulting Services?

Decagon Devices

Willy Franzen — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:49:52 +0000

I love the Wall Street Journal’s list of Top Small Workplaces 2008, but I wish it was longer. It always alerts me to companies that I never would have found no matter how hard I look every day. For instance, Decagon Devices is a “is a small manufacturer of biophysical instrumentation for food and consumer goods manufacturers, agronomic scientists and soils scientists.” I can’t imagine how I would have found them without the WSJ’s list. Decagon Devices does appear to hire new college graduates, but the jobs that they are hiring for have very specific academic requirements. Maybe in the future they’ll have some jobs that don’t require a scientific background, but until then, those of you who aren’t scientifically inclined should spend time that you would have spent researching today’s employer telling your friends about us. That’s all that you need to do to win the iPod Touch that we’re giving away in 4 days. So far the number of entries is pathetic, so take advantage of everyone else’s laziness and go with that iPod.

10 Sided Jobs

Now that we’ve weeded out all the people who think that biophysical instrumentation is a fancy word for the phenomenon of hearing music inside your head when you use an iPod, let’s take a look at what Decagon Devices actually does. They make devices for markets that include Food Science, Pharmaceuticals, Thermal Properties, Geotechnical Civil Engineering, Environmental Research, and Commercial Irrigation. When it comes down to it, Decagon Devices is all about measurement. Most of what they do is way over my head, so I’m going to hope that you can figure out if their jobs are a good fit for you. Right now they’re looking for a Food Physicist/Engineer and an Environmental Instrumentation Application Specialist. Both are geared towards new college grads, but they’d prefer someone who graduated with a Ph.D. in a relevant field for the Food Physicist position; whereas, the Environmental Instrumentation Application Specialist should be a good fit for someone with a B.S. in soil or plant sciences. The company is located in Pullman, WA, and if the WSJ thinks that they’re a good place to work, then they are. You should definitely check out the section about them in the article for more details. To apply for the Food Physicist job, send a cover letter and resume to laura@decagon.com. To apply for the Environmental Instrumentation Application Specialist position, send your cover letter and resume to gtvanek@decagon.com by November 14th.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Chicago Botanic Garden

Willy Franzen — Sat, 17 May 2008 12:35:16 +0000

We’ve featured jobs at a botanical garden before, but we thought it was time to reach out to those plant science and botany majors again. It’s especially appropriate because spring is in full force at One Day, One Job Headquarters. Everything has bloomed, and not only is it beautiful here, but it also smells great. As soon as we open a door or window we’re hit with a fragrant burst of springtime. Since we hear from a lot of people that we focus too much on jobs in New York and California (hey, that’s where a lot of the jobs are), the addition of the Chicago Botanic Garden to our employer profiles should be welcome.

Chicago Has Great Flora and Fauna

You may have heard that a wild cougar was recently shot by police in downtown Chicago and that another was sighted shortly afterwards. Usually big cities don’t get that much wildlife action, which is why things like botanic gardens were created – to make sure things didn’t get too urban. “The 385-acre Garden features 23 display gardens and three native habitats, uniquely situated on nine islands surrounded by lakes.” It sounds wonderful. I haven’t been there yet, but I’m in Chicago often enough that I will make a visit sooner or later. Once I go, I’ll leave a comment on this post with my observations. There are three core components to what the Chicago Botanic Garden does: collections, education, and research. There are job opportunities that touch on all three of areas, but most of the current openings are geared towards the education side.

Jobs for People Who Stop and Smell the Flowers

The good news is that the Chicago Botanic Garden has a wide variety of employment opportunities for new college grads. The bad news is that you have to look in a few different places to find them. That’s not really bad news though, because we’ve done all the hard work for you. Everything can be accessed from their Jobs page, which includes permanent, year-round positions at the Chicago Botanic Garden. There is only one job in this category that would be considered entry-level, and it’s as a Part-Time Horticultural Specialist, Plant Information Service (it’s 25 hours per week).

The next place to look for jobs is on the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Seasonal Employment page. Many of these jobs are actually perfectly suited to new grads, so they might be a great way to transition into something more permanent. Most of these jobs require or prefer a relevant college education, and they are, for the most part, only available during the summer. Current openings include: Camp CBG Instructor, College First Instructor, Plant Collections Specialist, Science First Assistant Instructor, Science First Program Assistant, Landscape Laborer, Natural Areas Land Management Assistant, Tram Tour Guide, and Visitor Services Assistant.

Finally, the Chicago Botanic Garden offers a number of different internships. That link will take you to One Day, One Internship, where we will cover the specific internships in depth. This should be of interest to new college grads because the Chicago Botanic Garden has an internship program that is specifically geared towards transitioning new college graduates into full-time employment with government agencies. That means that anyone who is looking or a full-time botany related job should not overlook internships with the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Although full-time entry-level opportunities are a bit sparse, the Chicago Botanic Garden offers quite a few interesting alternatives for a new college graduate. Their jobs website is really well done, and all of their job descriptions are well written and informative. They even put “Filled” in red text next to any job that they are no longer hiring for. That’s a really nice touch. We imagine that they’ll add more entry-level jobs periodically, so keep your eye on their website.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How is spring coming along where you are?

New York Botanical Garden

Willy Franzen — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:00:48 +0000

Most kids beg their parents to take them to the zoo. Animals are exciting. They move. They eat. They make sounds. They smell bad. Plants have none of those appeal factors. Plants don’t move, they grow. They absorb their nutrients. They’re soundless. And they smell good (most of them anyways). To most kids that spells B-O-R-I-N-G. The zoo is an 86-minute comedy movie, while a botanical garden is 142 minutes of Academy Award winning cinematic genius. It might take a little growing up to appreciate plants for all they’re worth, but when you really start to observe plants, it’s hard not to start to enjoy their “personality.” Maybe that wasn’t the best way to start off today’s post, since there’s a good chance that those of our readers who will actually want these jobs have loved flora since they were old enough to crawl around their parents’ garden.

Hopefully the plant lovers have stuck with us, because the New York Botanical Garden is a non-profit with some great entry-level jobs. We’re not going to go into too much detail – you can do the research yourself, but we have identified three positions (Graphic Designer, Group Tours Assistant, Laboratory Technician) as extremely well suited for a new college grad. You can apply through their HR contact form which allows you to attach your resume.

The New York Botanical Garden’s website is great if you’re a potential visitor, but it’s a little lacking if you’re looking for deeper information about the organization itself. Their employment listings are hidden away in a menu that we nearly overlooked, and their job descriptions are contained in weird scroll boxes that make them pretty hard to read. Still, these are great jobs for anyone who is interested in botany or who just wants to be around flowers all day (if you love flowers, but aren’t looking for non-profit work, try ProFlowers).

Note: On April 27th we revisited entry-level jobs at New York Botanical Garden.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

The New York Botanical Garden has amazing internships, so take a look at those if you’ve still got a few semesters before you graduate.