Finding Your Niche

When I came to Purdue in the Fall of 2021, I was set on having a career in agribusiness, like seed sales or grain marketing. This has all changed, as I am now in my spring semester of junior year. I changed my major to agronomy in the spring of 2022 and was set on an agronomic career. In the summer of 2022, I had an internship with Beck’s Superior Hybrids as a crop research intern. Although it was a great experience, I learned that was not the path I wanted for my future career. I decided to take an internship as a field specialist this past summer with Advanced Agrilytics. It was yet another great experience, as I learned a lot being in the fields every day. At the end of the summer, I realized that it still wasn’t my “niche”. College is about finding your way and finding the things that bring you enjoyment. I decided that my junior year was going to be all about me finding what makes me happy, and finding my future career path. This coming summer I will be an intern for Rain & Hail working the claims side of crop insurance. This is a whole different role than my previous internships, but I am looking forward to it. My dad has been in the crop insurance business for 30 years, and this fall I began working with him part-time. I enjoy working with his customers and getting a healthy balance between the field and office time. Finding your “niche” is something that does not happen overnight, and it is not an easy thing. Take advantage of college and all the opportunities you are presented with. Learning from your mistakes is one of the best things you can do. Just because your major is in a certain area of ag doesn’t mean that post-graduation you have to stick to your major. Agronomy is a helpful major that will set you up for success in any “niche” in the agriculture field.