Making Career Decisions Through Enterprising Ideas Stephen J. Swain, ATP Rural Rehabilitation Specialist Breaking New Ground Outreach Program.

Making Career DecisionsThrough

Enterprising Ideas

Stephen J. Swain, ATPRural Rehabilitation Specialist

Breaking New Ground Outreach Program

Session Overview

• The Professional’s Responsibilities• Career Decision Map• Decision Process– Personal Information– Self-Assessment– Action Plan– Identifying Resources– Alternative Enterprises

The Professional’s Role

• Explain the process

• Assist in the evaluation process

• Provide support during the process

• Accountability – help set a time-table and hold accountable to times – challenge clients answers and provide input

Career Decision Roadmap

Transitions

college, economy, family...

Past Work Experienceskills, abilities, training, interest, & values

CrossroadsChange farming enterprise

expand, new, different...

Continue current farming or

career path

Additional training or

education

Begin career

with new skills

and qualifications

Take part-time job

Begin new enterprise

Lifelong learning

Personal Information• Name:_______________________________ County:_____________

• Address:_____________________________ Phone:_____________

• City:_____________________ State:_____ Zip Code:________

• Social Security Number:___________________________

• Cell Phone:_____________

• E-Mail address:_______________________________________

• Sex: M___ F___ Birthday:_____/_____/____ Veteran: Y__ N____

• Beside yourself, how many wage earners are in you household?_______

• Do you own or rent where you live now? Own____ rent____ other_____

• How many years have you been farming? ________________

Personal Information

• Off-farm work experience:• Employer/Job Title Dates Salary

Duties/Responsibilities • Education and training:• What is the highest grade completed?• List any additional training or education received since

high school:

Personal Information

• Military service (including technical training received) and approximate dates:

•  • List any other formal non-farm skill training

(vocational technical school, apprenticeship classes, etc.):

• Leadership skills:• List organizational involvement and indicate

any offices held: (e.g. Farm Bureau, Grange, Extension, 4-H, leadership programs):

Personal Information

Job interests:Circle the jobs that interest you:

___Agribusiness ___Communication and Media ___Construction___Recreation/Forestry ___Health Manufacturing ___Marketing___Personnel Services ___Public Service/Self Employed ___Other

Personal Information

• Explain your disability and its significance in your job search and future employment.

• What types of skills, tools, or resources do you need to accomplish the type of job you are seeking?

Personal Information

Overcoming barriers – what do you think you need help with?___Deciding what to do ___Obtaining job leads___Improving my skills ___Earning my diploma___Dealing with medical problems___Obtaining other training___Improving my job search skills___Overcoming my disability___Securing a job___Other

Personal Information

• Do you have transportation available? Yes ____ No ____

• Involvement with other agencies (Placement, Workforce Development, VR, SS, etc.). Please list.

• Benefits received from other agencies:

Personal InformationCheck any of the following that you need more

information on:___Government programs ___Handling utility bills___Food stamps ___Veteran’s benefits___FHA, VR, or other mortgage information___Social Security benefits___Retirement planning___Investment counseling___Medical counseling ___Stress counseling___Family counseling ___Legal counseling___Other________________________________

Self Assessment

• Agricultural Skills – Grade your proficiency– Farm Management

• Record Keeping – records, budgets, cash flow• Financial Management – profit/loss statement,loan

application, sources of credit• Marketing – store vs. sell, futures marketing,

commodity contracting• Computers – report generation• Labor – payroll, communication,

economical/efficient us of labor• Estate Planning – is there a plan?

Self Assessment

• Crop Production– Plant Nutrition and Growth – soil analysis,

cropping system– Fertilization – selection of system– Preparation – method of ground

preparation: no-till, ridge-till, conventional– Diseases and Pests – identification, control

methods– Planting and Harvesting – equipment, field

loss, maturity

Self Assessment

• Livestock Production– Production and management systems –

pasture, confinement, organic,– Feeding – feed ingredients, complete,

pelletted, micro-packs, wheat, corn, milo, dried distillers grain

– Housing and Handling – system, age of facilities, ventilation control

– Disease and Pests – identification, treatment

Self Assessment

• Agricultural Mechanics– Agricultural Equipment Maintenance– Small Engines– Buildings– Concrete– Electricity– Hand Tools–Miscellaneous Tools

Financial Analysis

• Sales and Inventory values• Variable costs to each enterprise• Fixed costs to each enterprise• Cash flow projections• Outstanding loans and obligations• What would happen if changes were

made?

Career Awareness

• Background:– Father’s occupation– Father’s highest level of education–Mother’s occupation–Mother’s highest level of education– Number of moves your family made– Types of communities in which you

lived.___Rural ___Suburban ___Metropolitan

Career Awareness

• Accomplishments:– High School and College (academic or

extra-curricular)– Other Training Accomplishments

(academic or extra-curricular)– Volunteer Accomplishments–Work Accomplishments– Other Accomplishments

Career Awareness

• Activities:– High School and College (academic or

extra-curricular)– Other Training Activities (academic or

extra-curricular) – Volunteer Activities–Work Related Activities– Any Other Areas (hobbies, recreation,

clubs, etc

Career Awareness

• Skills:– Used in High School and College

Accomplishments– Used in Other Training Accomplishments– Used in Volunteer Accomplishments– Used in Work Related Accomplishments– Used in Other Areas (hobbies,

recreation, clubs)– Used in Past Work Experiences

Self Assessment

• Transferrable Skills– Leadership– Organization– Sales and Marketing– Decision-making– Self directed – will work independently– Teamwork– Take responsibility

Career Awareness

• Interests: Likes/Dislikes of Accomplishments– School Accomplishments – Likes/Dislikes– Other Training Accomplishments

–Likes/Dislikes – Volunteer Accomplishments –

Likes/Dislikes–Work Related Accomplishments –

Likes/Dislikes– Any Other Areas – Likes/Dislikes

Career Awareness• Values – List/Rank Top 5 in Importance– Such as: dependability, trustworthy,

independence, rural setting, remain on farm

• Review and List Top 5 Skills• Review and List the Top 5 Likes and

Dislikes

• What do you want to do?

Career Action Plan• Rank 5 most important factors

related to the job.

• Challenge• Opportunity for advancement• Training program• Salary• Security• Initial job assignment

Career Action Plan

• Hours per week• Size of the company• Type of industry• Independence of action• Travel• Educational opportunity

Career Action Plan

• Prestige• Work Environment• Co-Workers • Type of boss• Frequency of moves• Job location• Seeing results of job• Others

Career Action Plan

• 5 Most Important Non-Job Factors– Climate– Proximity– Cultural activities– Recreational activities– Spouse’s career opportunity– Type of community

Career Action Plan

– Commuting distance– Frequency of moves– Cost of living– Adult education activities– Public schools– Other (list)

Career Action Plan

• Describe your ideal non-job environment

• Your ideal job and ideal non-job environment make up your desired lifestyle.

From here, you can make more intelligent decisions for where you want to go and how to get there.

Family Resources

• Is there effective communication?• Does the family work and play together?• Is positive self-esteem encouraged?• Is there pride in the family and priority for family

activities?• Does the family act as a support network?• Is there a willingness to accept temporary help

from outsiders?• Is there flexibility in family roles?• How are the problem-solving skills of the family?

Family Resources

Assessing Farm Resources

• Resource Inventory– Capital Resources – accumulated goods

and assets devoted to the production of other goods• Earning capacity• Debt ratio• Cash flow

– Labor and Management Resources

Resource Inventory

Resource

Size (Building/equip.) Amount/No. Value Comments

Cropland         Row crops         Small grains         Pasture         Other        Livestock         Cattle         Swine         Sheep         Other        Buildings         Livestock         Machinery         Other        Machinery         Trucks         Tractors         Implements         Other        Labor         Family Other Capital Earning capacity Debt ratio Cash flow Other Miscellaneous

Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses

  You   Other 1   Other 2   Needed

SkillsStrength

Weakness

Strength

Weakness

Strength

Weakness  

Crop management              

Livestock management              

Marketing              

Purchasing              

Mechanical ability              Building construction skills              

Personnel management              

Financial management              

Securing resources              

Physical endurance              

Emotional endurance              

Decision making              

Accepting risks              

Others              

Labor Resource RequirementsLabor Resource Allocation by Use Month of the Year   Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total

HOURS NEEDED TO COMPLETE TASK

Cropland

Corn                          

Soybeans                          

Wheat                          

Other                          

Cropland (Total)                          

Livestock

Cattle                          

Swine                          

Other                          Livestock (Total)                          Enterprise Totals (Cropland + Livestock                          

LABOR HOURS AVAILABLE

Month of the Year

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total

Full-time Labor

Person 1                          

Person 2                          

Part-time Labor

Person 1                          

Person 2                          

Available Labor (Total of Part and Full)                          

Excess or Deficit Labor (Subtract available labor from enterprise labor requirements)                          

Assessing Farm Resources

• Sources of budget information:– Agricultural Marketing Resource Center:

http://www.agmrc.org/• Business Development<Enterprise

Budgeting Tools• Crop Conversion Calculator (link is on above

web site): http://www.tritrainingcenter.org/code/farmselect/

Assessing Farm Resources Exercise

• Client: – 40 year old male, single, teenage son

lives nearby but near college age– Back impairment, limited to lifting 20 lb.– Background in field crops and livestock–Wants to purchase 10 acres to raise and

sell organic produce

Assessing Farm Resources Exercise

• What are the potential labor and volume needs to earn $20,000 per year over production costs?

• How much of each product does he raise?

Alternative Enterprises

• Field crops• Fish and Game• Forest Products• Poultry• Fruits• Horticulture/Nursery• Livestock and Animals• Service and Recreation (Agri-Tourism)

•

Alternative Enterprises

• Resource Information:– National Sustainable Agriculture

Information Service: http://attra.ncat.org– Agricultural Marketing Resource Center:

http://www.agmrc.org– Small Farms Alternative Enterprises:

http://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu/planning_and_management/budgets.html

Alternative Enterprises

• Missouri Alternatives Center: http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/

• National Agriculture Library: http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/altlist.shtml

• Enterprising Ideas for Farmers, Ranchers, and Rural Families with Physical Disabilities

Enterprising Ideas for Farmers, Ranchers, and

Rural Families with Physical Disabilities

• Bed and Breakfast• Dog training• Horse breeding and training• Insurance agency• Real estate sales and appraisal• Wood and metal shop

Enterprising Ideas

• Bee production equipment• Cabinet Making and Woodworking• Small engine repair service• Soil fertility consulting• Seed corn dealership• Grain marketing, commodity brokerage• Llamas• Organic produce

Enterprising Ideas

• Maple syrup food products• Mobile concession stand• Farm drainage and backhoe service• Fish farm and hatchery• Animal cages• Feed supply store • Handmade crafts• Farm implement assembly

Case Study

• Client is 35 years old, married with two children

• Post-traumatic stress syndrome• Lives in a modular home on about 1

acre bordering on a woods with a small stream running behind the house

• Has chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, hogs

• Wants to farm on a larger scale

Case Study

• VR authorization to develop a business plan to farm

• Client visit– Learn about family, what he wants to do– Present VR small business enterprise

program and the required business plan and cash flow

– Learn where the land to farm is coming from

– Learn all the livestock he wants to raise

Case Study

• Client visit– Learn what he knows about livestock

production– Run some rough financial projections on

cattle and hog production– Learn how he intends to market the

livestock– Project volume sales for desired income– Leave instructions for information needed

for the business plan and cash flow

Case Study

• Communicate by e-mail and telephone• Client decides that he cannot deal with the

stress of marketing and handling the number of dollars required for the projected farming operation

• Changes the farming operation to contract livestock production

• Still cannot handle the stress from the dollar amounts

Case Study

• Third business plan and cash flow–Wildlife control business• Fewer dollars involved – less stress• Has always hunted and trapped• Had some of the equipment already

for the business• Authorized and funded by VR• Business started and operating

Questions