Horticulture Resume Example
Starting a career as a horticulture professional gives you the chance to gain experience in cultivating plant species and conducting soil analysis. If you want to stand out with your horticulture professional applications, you'll need to create a professional resume that makes a strong impression on employers. In this article, we'll outline how to write a winning resume to boost your chances of success in your horticulture professional applications.
This complete guide to a horticulture resume will equip you with the tools you need to compete in your applications. You'll learn how to show employers you've got the relevant qualities, skills and experience for the job, all presented in a format that employers prefer to see. The article also includes tips for formatting your resume according to your experience and strengths. Read on to learn how to write a perfect horticulture resume, from the advice of careers experts at Jobseeker.
Core sections to include in a horticulture professional resume
The key sections to include in a horticulture resume are similar to those for any role or profession. If you're a candidate without much experience, you may wish to present your resume in a way that draws attention to your most valuable skills. These might not be in traditional work settings, so sections like education, projects, hobbies and skills can be more prominent.
While the content and format of your resume may vary depending on your experience levels, it's important to always include the following sections:
Resume Header
The resume header is the place to add your name and contact details, along with your LinkedIn URL if you have a profile, so employers can find more information about your career journey and skills. You don't typically need to add a photo, or any other personal information to this section. Make sure your resume header is as brief as possible and doesn't take up too much valuable space. Choose a clear, professional design that sets the tone for your application.
Only include professional, name-based email addresses in your resume header. If you have an old email address that uses nicknames, puns, references to your personal interests or anything else that could appear unprofessional, set up a new email just for your job applications. Finally, always double-check your contact details are correct and up-to-date before sending your resume.
Jacob Ross
jacob.ross@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
1313 Webfoot Walk, Duckburg, CA
linkedin․com/in/jacob–ross123
Resume Summary
Following your resume header, write a resume summary to introduce yourself and showcase some of your key skills and achievements. Alternative names for this section are 'resume objective' and 'personal profile'. While a resume summary focuses on your career experience, a resume objective covers your ambitions and career plans. Additionally, make sure your resume summary reflects the job description and focuses on qualities that are relevant to working as a horticulture professional.
Alternatively, focus on introducing your career ambitions, and why this role is a good fit, both for you and the organization.
A good resume summary is short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description, with evidence to back it up. It will also help the reader to form their first impressions of you by providing an insight into your personality and unique qualities. See below for some great examples of how to approach your horticulture resume.
Good example:
Dedicated and knowledgeable Horticulture professional with a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture and extensive experience as a Horticultural Specialist. Proven expertise in plant health management, landscape design, and sustainable cultivation practices. Skilled in diagnosing plant diseases, implementing integrated pest management strategies, and optimizing growth conditions for a variety of plant species. Strong background in client consultation, project management, and team leadership, committed to promoting environmental stewardship and innovative horticultural solutions
Bad example:
Horticulture professional with some experience in plants and gardening. Worked in roles where I looked at plant health and helped with garden designs. Have worked with different types of plants and tried to keep them healthy. Focused on making gardens better and helping with plant care when needed
On the other hand, an unsuccessful resume summary is one that mentions irrelevant skills, qualities and achievements and fails to differentiate you from other candidates. The graphic above shows some of the pitfalls to avoid when creating your resume summary.
Skills
The skills section of a horticulture professional resume is a chance to list any skills you have that match those of the job description. You could include greenhouse management systems, effective communication skills or any other skills that show you're a suitable candidate. Again, refer to the job description and make sure you include skills that the employer has listed as essential or desirable for employment as a horticulture professional.
How to include hard skills on your horticulture resume
Under hard skills, add any specialist skills you possess that are specifically required for horticulture professional jobs. These tend to be technical skills and industry knowledge essential to the position. Furthermore, an extensive list of hard skills helps to make a compelling case for your horticulture professional job applications, as they show employers your understanding of the horticulture professional role. Aim to include four or five key hard skills. If you have space, explain how and where you've used that skill to create successful outcomes in your career. These skills will demonstrate your credentials and show how you meet the job description.
The best resume hard skills sections focus on specific technical skills necessary for the job, showcasing skills that you have particular expertise in. There are some examples of valuable hard skills for a horticulture resume below.
- Plant disease identification
- Soil nutrient analysis
- Greenhouse management systems
Showcasing your best soft skills
In your soft skills list, include any personal characteristics that make you a good fit for a horticulture professional job. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, but they're no less important. Indeed, as the nature of work changes, soft skills are growing in importance, so make sure you include them in your resume. In this section, add four of five transferable skills that match the job description.
Your soft skills section should make the most of your unique personal qualities and strengths, while also reflecting the requirements laid out in the job description. See below for some examples of useful soft skills for a horticulture professional resume.
- Attention to detail
- Effective communication skills
- Problem-solving abilities
Education
The education section provides space to list your highest and most recent academic achievements that are relevant to working as a horticulture professional.
Opportunities as a horticulture professional and similar roles in the sector usually require a specialist degree. If you have a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture degree, be sure to mention this in your resume. You might also want to list any qualifications that highlight your pruning techniques or plant disease identification.
Include any qualifications relevant to the role. For each, add the name and level of the award, the institution name, its location and your dates of study. Include bullet points to show any specialist modules you studied, awards or exceptional grades and achievements that can set you apart from other candidates. These will all contribute to creating a positive impression on employers.
If you organized or participated in any clubs or societies while at university, or you took part in any voluntary work, you could also mention these here.
Bachelor of Science in Horticulture, 2017 - 2020
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
Licenses and Certifications
Your certifications section is the place to mention any relevant professional horticulture professional certifications, licenses or qualifications. You could list accreditations for certain professional roles or licenses for certain activities that help to make you a strong candidate. Therefore, make sure you list the dates of your certifications and licenses so employers can see they're up-to-date and valid.
Take a look at some example certifications for a horticulture resume below:
- Certified Professional Horticulturist, 2022
- Certified Arborist Credential, 2022
- Master Gardener Certification, 2022
Work Experience
Next, list your relevant employment history and any key achievements that show you're suitable for a horticulture professional position. Include any relevant jobs you've held in reverse-chronological order. Start with your current or most recent roles and work back through previous roles. For each job, list your title, the name of the company, its location and the dates you worked there.
For each job listed in this section, add some bullet points so the employer can understand the skills you developed, and your achievements. Focus on showcasing the impact you made on the organization, and show evidence of how you made a difference.
An effective resume work experience section is one that constantly echoes the skills and experience listed in the job description, and shows how you used your skills to positive effect in each job. Each bullet point should be carefully crafted to showcase a particular skill or achievement relevant to horticulture professional jobs, with evidence to show the value you added. There are some examples of strong resume work experience sections below.
Good example:
Horticultural Specialist, January 2022 - Present
Verdant Horizons Horticulture, Boston
- Designed and implemented a sustainable irrigation system, reducing water usage by 30% while increasing crop yield by 25%
- Led a team to successfully cultivate and market 15 new plant varieties, increasing nursery revenue by 40%
- Conducted extensive soil health research, resulting in the development of a nutrient management plan adopted by 10 local farms
Bad example:
Horticultural Specialist, January 2022 - Present
Verdant Horizons Horticulture, Boston
- Worked on various irrigation projects to improve efficiency and sustainability in agricultural practices
- Managed a team in developing and promoting new plant varieties for commercial purposes
- Conducted research on soil health to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability
In the graphic above, you'll see some examples of less effective resume work experience sections. A poor resume work experience section would typically use vague descriptions of activities in previous jobs, while focusing too much on responsibilities rather than achievements. Failing to focus on the skills and experience that match the job description is likely to harm your chances of success.
Expert Tip:
Optional Sections
To provide further information on your suitability for the role, you could add some optional sections to a horticulture professional resume. Add any of the sections below that help you showcase your key skills and experience.
Personal Interests
Hobbies and interests can be a useful way of showing your skills and experience beyond your work and education. They also help to show a different side of your personality, and can help your resume create a more memorable impression on hiring managers. If you're short on real world work experience, hobbies and interests can be a useful way of providing more information about your qualities. Just make sure any hobbies and interests you include in your resume add genuine insight into your personality, in ways other sections of the resume can't.
Volunteer Experience
Voluntary work can help you develop useful skills, so it's a valuable addition to your horticulture resume. List your volunteer job title, the organization you volunteered for, its location and the dates of your involvement, alongside a brief explanation of your responsibilities in the role.
References
References aren't a standard horticulture resume section, but employers do sometimes ask for them. Check the job advert and only include them if requested. Only include referees that you've had prior approval from, and notify them to expect contact from the employer.
References are available upon request.
Best action words for your horticulture resume
Add strong verbs to your work experience section to show the hiring manager the impact you made in your previous roles. Choose from the list of words below to increase the impact of your work experience section.
- Cultivate
- Prune
- Propagate
- Plant
- Irrigate
- Fertilize
- Harvest
- Graft
- Design
- Manage
If you want to create a resume that stands out from the crowd, use Jobseeker's expert-designed resume templates. You can also find cover letter templates that work to get you noticed by employers.
Example of a horticulture resume
Using each of the sections above, we've created this example horticulture resume, to help guide you when creating your own:
1313 Webfoot Walk, Duckburg, CA
•
jacob.ross@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/jacob–ross123
Dedicated and knowledgeable Horticultural Specialist with a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture and extensive experience in plant cultivation, landscape design, pest management, and sustainable gardening practices. Proven expertise in improving plant health, enhancing aesthetic appeal, and implementing eco-friendly practices. Strong background in client consultation, project management, and team leadership. Adept at utilizing scientific principles to solve horticultural challenges and committed to promoting environmental stewardship
Horticultural Specialist
2020
-2022
GreenScape Innovations (Laredo)
- Developed and implemented a sustainable irrigation system, reducing water usage by 30% while maintaining optimal plant health
- Led a team that increased crop yield by 25% through innovative pest management techniques and soil health improvements
- Spearheaded the successful introduction of five new plant species, enhancing biodiversity and attracting more visitors to the botanical garden
Bachelor of Science in Horticulture
2017
-2020
Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI)
Plant disease identification
Soil nutrient analysis
Greenhouse management systems
Attention to detail
Effective communication skills
Problem-solving abilities
Certified Professional Horticulturist
Certified Arborist Credential
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Best practices for a horticulture resume
Tips to write the best resume
- Tailor your resume to make it as relevant as possible to the role you're applying for. Consult the job description and adapt your resume to reflect the required skills and experience.
- Review your resume thoroughly and correct any errors before sending it, to avoid unnecessary harm to your chances.
- Use a clear resume format with professional elements, including suitable headings, line spacing, fonts and margins, to make your resume as readable as possible for hiring managers.
- Showcase your key horticulture professional qualities with a strong resume summary or objective to catch the attention of the reader.
- Quantify the impact you've made in different roles by offering evidence of your key abilities and your contribution.
Avoid these common mistakes on your resume
- Don't add work experience that's unrelated to the role you're applying for, as it isn't likely to help your chances of success.
- Don't list personal details such as your age, gender or a photo, unless these are necessary for the role. They can lead to hiring bias.
- Don't use complex formatting that makes your horticulture resume harder to read or less scannable by software such as applicant tracking systems (ATS).
- Don't use an email address that contains unprofessional content, and if necessary create a new, more professional email address.
- Don't lie or exaggerate any information on your horticulture resume, as this can cause you problems further down the line.
How to make an ATS-friendly resume
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are increasingly taking responsibility for the management and processing of job applications, helping hiring practices to become more efficient. This can include screening resumes by scanning and ranking each application according to how closely it matches the job description. When drafting your horticulture resume, there are a few guidelines to follow to give you the best chance of passing the ATS screening stage and progressing with your application.
Create an ATS-optimized resume by following these quick tips:
- Choose a resume structure that matches the traditional, reverse-chronological layout or alternatively, the functional resume structure. This should make your resume more readable for ATS applications.
- Use keywords throughout your resume that reflect the job description, so ATS resume scanners can recognize a strong connection between your skills, and those in the job description.
- Using clear, simple headings makes it easier for an ATS application to scan your resume, as it can easily identify what's in each section of your document.
- Adopt a resume design that uses clear, professional design principles and leaves white space for your content to breathe. Use the most readable fonts and incorporate subtle design elements to enhance the readability of your document.
- Use simple, concise language to keep your resume to a maximum of one to two pages in length. This will make it easier for ATS software to read.
For tips and ideas to help you draft a professional resume to get noticed by employers, read our expert career articles and check out our detailed resume examples.
Frequently Asked Questions about a horticulture professional resume
Alongside your horticulture resume, it's important to produce a professional cover letter that creates a similar positive impact on the reader.
Check the job description to see whether a full, formal cover letter is necessary. In some situations, it might be more suitable to simply send a brief email to introduce yourself and accompany your resume.
A full, formal cover letter follows a traditional letter-writing structure and format. Add your header, the recipient's address an use professional greetings and sign-offs. In your first paragraph, introduce yourself and confirm the role you're applying for, along with your reasons for applying. Next, outline your key skills and achievements that are most relevant to the horticulture professional job description. Finish by expressing your enthusiasm for the role and adding a call to action to encourage the hiring manager to contact you for further information.
For help creating an eye-catching cover letter that impresses recruiters and hiring managers, use Jobseeker's professional cover letter templates.
For an experienced horticulture professional application, the objective of your resume is to showcase the many achievements in your career to date. Your horticulture resume is likely to have a longer work experience section than resumes for less experienced candidates, and you may wish to go back further than the standard 10 to 15 years of employment history, depending on your experience levels. In your horticulture resume, think about any optional sections you could add to help prove your standing and reputation in your industry. Sections such as awards, achievements and projects can build a picture of your career successes to date.
A resume headline can catch the attention of the reader and give them a strong first impression about your suitability for horticulture professional jobs. A well-written resume headline is also a way to increase your chances of passing the ATS resume scanning stage, by referencing keywords that match the job description. Write a concise headline including the job title, a reference to your experience or track record and one or two key skills.
See an example resume headline below:
- Aspiring Horticulture Specialist
- Expert Horticulturist and Landscape Designer
- Senior Horticulture Specialist and Consultant
The most suitable resume format for you depends on two crucial factors. Firstly, whether you have a body of relevant work experience. Secondly, the type of job and its seniority level. For entry-level roles, or situations where you're changing to a new career, a functional resume is often the best option. This places your skills and education above your work experience. Once you have some relevant work experience, and for senior positions, a reverse chronological resume format is typically best. This emphasizes your work experience, which will probably be the key thing employers want to know about.
Key takeaways for your horticulture resume
The key to a strong resume is to showcase your relevant skills and achievements through your work experience and other activities. Choose a resume structure that makes the most of your relevant experience, whether through work or other activities, and be sure to tailor your resume to match the job description.
Jobseeker has a wealth of resume tools, including resume templates and examples, to help you create a winning job application. Sign up today to get started. Jobseeker's expert-designed cover letter generator can help your applications make a strong first impression on hiring managers. Find detailed cover letter examples to complement your resume and get your application noticed.
Sources:
(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx
(2) Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications, New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/resumes-cover-letters-and-job-applications
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