Last week, I had the pleasure of being invited back to my old school to give a talk about my career since leaving (I know , right!)

One of my old mates is actually REALLY high up in AVIVA and there’s me rocking up to talk about career advice!

I sat for an hour with a dozen “bright, young, things” and was quizzed on things like - the ideal CV length (2-3 pages), what are agriculture colleges like (Young Farmers 24/7) are apprenticeships better than going to university (Yes / No depending on what you would like to do) and finally, is AI going to be able to write my CV and Covering Letter for me - YES. It will. And IT WILL BE CRAP.

Since the middle of last summer, I have noticed a steady rise of what I call “Automated Robotic Shocking English” applications.

Or A.R.S.E Apps. To be short.

The thing is that they stand out like a sore thumb.

The first giveaway is the spelling - Chat GPT is American - and so too is it’s English. “ I really enjoy spending time watching my favorite movies” or “ I play in defense for my school soccer team” Ugh.

The second giveaway is that AI is over enthusiastic about EVERYTHING.

“I’m really passionate about the opportunity this role offers”

Really?

Passionate about selling farm insurance?

Oh do fuck off. No one is passionate about it. Not even the people who sell it!

Finally, the writing has no soul.

You might have the same grasp of English as a German Sausage but when you write a letter, it’s your personality that comes through - You might not use punctuation or spell things correctly but the content and message will be yours.

“I am applying for this position because after 12 years of waiting at Sir NeverDies Estate, I want to create my own opportunity”

Boom. Honesty. Heart.

Take that ChatGPT - you soulless wonder.

Yes, AI is convenient and it can help speed up some really mundane things but when it comes to your career and job applications you need to give yourself time to do it properly.

I’m happy to go through these things with you.

TikTok

In other news, I spoke with a couple of experts on Tik-Tok this week because I am down with the kids and asked why my videos weren’t getting the love that I think they should.

And no, it’s not because they are crap - well, it’s a bit of that - but the problem is the length….not the first time I’ve heard that. Apparently, I go on too long…. Enough of the double entendres.

What this means is that I’m going to change the look of my videos and see how things change.

Basically , instead of waffling for 2 mins - I need to waffle for 90 seconds but to keep it relevant to the audience.

Like this:

@the.ag.recruiter

5 Reasons Why you should definitely consider a career in UK Ag #fyp #agrijobs #agriculture #agrijobs

Truthfully, I’ve seen more activity in the last 24 hours than in the previous 24 days and interaction, so I’ll carry on and see how it goes.

News

News in the trade this week saw a significant agchem / seed producer make some internal “adjustments” or redundancies to you and me as it seeks to make itself more appealing to suitors.

It’s not going to be the last one to do this either.

It’s no secret that Agriculture is suffering across the EU. And this means eventually manufacturers and distributors will have to make decisions that reflect the lack of investment we are going to see on farm - wheat at £140/mt… blinding.

It also explains why at the moment we are only seeing “replacement” roles being advertised - not expansion.

Which is as frustrating as it is ridiculous.

If I can bring you someone that can generate a margin of 2 people or run your operations so efficiently they cover their costs in year one , why wouldn’t you want them?

I have a “stable” if you like, of such candidates - all itching for the next move but absolutely nowhere for them to go.

I’m not so much Jerry Maguire but more like Harry Maguire

And Finally,

I was, like many, absolutely gutted at the shock passing of Steve Wright, this week.

For me, he was a constant source of amusement and distraction whilst my teenage self manoeuvred my Case IH 885 or John Deere 6400 across the fields.

I never felt alone and would shout out replies to him and his posse as the afternoons passed.

The news gave me an excuse to find up one of the many tape recordings I made of his show.

My favourite one, which I had always kept safe and marked to not tape over.

It was perfect. If it wasn’t for MC Hammer and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie theme, you would have thought it was made yesterday , not 1990.

He was timeless. Or always ahead of his time.

Wrighty will always be ,in my mind, at the Radio 1 Roadshow during the hot summer weeks and with the sun always shining. #Seriousjockin (no g)

Jobs

Anyway, here’s the shop window this week.

Closing dates are looming for some of these so if you do have a desire to know more, get in touch!!