Internships Can Lead to Your Dream Job
Internships Can Lead to Your Dream Job
Chris Garmon and Megan Jacobsen dove into internships as agriculture students. Megan graduated from Fresno State in 2008. Chris majored in Agricultural Science at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Both put their solid agriculture education and work ethic to work. They launched careers and snagged dream jobs.
Embracing Internships: The Gateway to the Fair World
Chris and Megan are two individuals who used internships to carve their career paths. Chris knew early on that he wanted to work in fair management. He interned at the Ventura County Fair and the California Mid-State Fair during his college years. “It gives you a three-month summer experience being out in the field.” According to Chris.
Additionally, he dedicated four years to the Western Bonanza Junior Livestock Show at Cal Poly and credited his advisor, Wendy Hall, for teaching him the essentials of organizing large events.
On the other hand, Megan began her college career as an Agriculture Intern with University Communications at Fresno State, which is central to advertising, public relations, and marketing. She interned there for three and a half years, primarily writing agriculture articles. During summers, Megan pursued various internships, including paid ones at the Fresno County Farm Bureau and the California Agricultural Technology Institute. She was also eager to volunteer, stating, “Any time I could get my hands dirty and become a volunteer intern, I went after it.”
Megan credits her mentors and supervisors during her internships for teaching her the skills she uses in her career. She said it is important to be challenged by those who have stronger skills, so that you don’t lose what you learn in the classroom.
“There is only so much you can learn from a classroom. So get hands on and learn what it’s like in the real-life industry,” said Megan.
From Internships to Career
Chris began his professional career at the Ventura County Fair in 2002. He became a permanent employee with the fair in 2009 and worked there until April of 2016. Then, he took a promotion in Bakersfield at the Kern County Fair and became the Deputy Manager. Chris said he is grateful to have been given more responsibilities and opportunities, and credits his many years of internships that got him where he is today.
After working in public policy, public relations, membership associations, and the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, Megan is now doing what she set out to do when she graduated from Fresno State. Megan is the National Marketing Manager for Solutions 4Earth, a soil and environmental science company that specializes in nutrients to help farmers improve crop growth and yield.
“The job I do today is every decision, internship, job, career move I made when I was younger that led me to my goal. My goal was to be the head of marketing for an agriculture company. I am finally doing what I set out to do,” said Megan.
CalAgJobs provides free internship postings year-round. If you are looking to hire an intern let us promote the opportunity for you by posting it on CalAgJobs.com.
If you are interested in holding an agriculture internship opportunity be sure to check out our internship page. Opportunity type and quantity fluctuate based on demand and time of year.