Agriculture

Farmer and farm worker CV: example and sample

This example is for people looking for work on a farm, a market garden or an orchard, with livestock or as an agricultural machinery operator, in Poland or abroad.

Farm work often takes place on a family farm, without a contract or a job title. We show how to describe this kind of experience so the employer sees right away what you can do.

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Example CV: farmer

All the details in this example are fictional. Treat it as a model of layout and wording, and replace the content with your own experience.

Tomasz Kaczmarek

Farm worker, machinery operator

Kalisz +48 123 456 789 tomasz.kaczmarek@example.com

Professional profile

Farmer with more than 10 years of experience in crop production and dairy cattle. I operate tractors, a combine harvester and tillage machinery on my own, carry out crop protection treatments and do minor equipment repairs. I am looking for a permanent job on a large farm, ideally with arable crops.

Work experience

Agricultural machinery operator

03.2020 – present

Farm, 400 ha of arable crops, near Kalisz

Plowing, cultivating, sowing and fertilizing with GPS-guided tractors.
Crop protection treatments with a field sprayer and keeping treatment records.
Harvest: operating the combine, transporting, cleaning and drying grain.
Daily maintenance and minor repairs of machinery, preparing equipment for the season.
Working with the farm manager on planning field work.

Co-running the family farm

2012 – 02.2020

Farm, 35 ha, dairy cattle, Kalisz county

Looking after a herd of 40 dairy cows: feeding, milking, monitoring health.
Growing cereals and maize for silage, preparing feed.
Settling accounts with the dairy and buyers, applications for subsidies with an adviser.

Education

Agricultural technician

2008 – 2012

Agricultural Education Center school complex

Skills

Operating tractors and a combine harvester
Tillage machinery and seed drills
Field sprayer, fertilizing
GPS guidance in machinery
Minor repairs and maintenance of equipment
Dairy cattle husbandry

Licences

Training in the use of plant protection products (valid)
Category B and T driving licence

Languages

German: A2 (basics for work)

Additional information

Ready to work longer hours in the season

I hereby consent to the processing of my personal data for the purposes necessary to carry out the recruitment process, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (GDPR).

How to write a farmer CV

Professional summary

Say what you have the most experience in: arable crops, vegetables, fruit growing, livestock or operating machinery. Give the scale (hectares, number of animals) and whether you work on your own. An employer in agriculture wants to know quickly whether you can manage without lengthy training.

Orchard worker with 5 years of experience with apple and pear trees. I prune trees, pick, sort and pack fruit and operate a forklift in the cold store. I am looking for work for the whole season with the option to extend.

Experience: duties and achievements

Put work on a family farm on your CV like normal employment: name the role (for example co-running the farm), give the years and describe what you were responsible for. Numbers make an impression: the area of crops, the number of animals, the types of machinery.

Weaker: Field work.

Better: Plowing, sowing and fertilizing 120 ha with a GPS-guided tractor.

Weaker: Looking after animals.

Better: Looking after a herd of 40 dairy cows: feeding, milking and monitoring health.

Weaker: Repairing machinery.

Better: Preparing machinery for the season and minor repairs that reduced downtime during the harvest.

Skills worth listing

In agriculture, practical skills and licences count above all. List the machines you operate on your own and the work you do without supervision.

Professional skills

Operating tractors, combines and tillage machinery
Spraying and fertilizing, treatment records
Sowing, planting, harvesting and storing crops
Breeding and feeding animals
Basic mechanics and welding
Operating a forklift or a loader

Personal skills

Resilience to physical effort and work in all conditions
Independence and responsibility for equipment
Ready to work in the season and longer hours
Accuracy when working with chemicals
Teamwork during harvest

Licences on a farmer CV

List only licences you have and that are valid. In agriculture the most useful are a category T, B or C driving licence, training in the use of plant protection products, forklift licences and agricultural qualifications if you have them.

Category T, B, C or C+E driving licence
Training in the use of plant protection products
UDT licence for lift trucks
Agricultural technician diploma or agricultural qualifications

CV for farm work with no experience

For seasonal work such as picking fruit or vegetables, employers often take on people with no experience. Write about helping on a family or friends' farm, gardening, previous physical work and that you are not afraid of hard work.

Add your driving licence and availability: when you can start and for how long. This often decides whether you are hired for the season.

Tailoring your CV to the job offer

A farm with arable crops looks for machinery operators, a livestock farm for people to look after animals, and an orchard or greenhouse for workers for care and picking. Move the experience that matches the job ad to the top. For work abroad, prepare your CV in the language of the country you are going to or in English.

The most common mistakes on a farmer CV

Leaving out work on the family farm because there was no contract.
No information about the machines you operate on your own.
No scale: hectares and the number of animals show experience better than vague statements.
Listing expired licences without the date.
No availability for seasonal work: the employer does not know how long you can come for.

Questions and answers

How do you describe work on a family farm on a CV?

Like normal employment: role title, period, size of the farm and a list of your tasks. You do not need a contract for it to be real work experience.

What licences should a farmer put on a CV?

A category T driving licence and any others you have, valid training in the use of plant protection products, UDT forklift licences and an agricultural school diploma or agricultural qualifications.

Do you need a CV for seasonal farm work?

More and more often, yes, especially on large farms and for work abroad. A short one-page CV with your availability and experience is more than enough.

Create a farmer CV in the builder

In the CV Majster builder you enter your details step by step and see right away what the document looks like. You can copy the wording from this page and adapt it to yourself. The finished CV as a PDF costs a one-off PLN 5, with no subscription, and you see the preview before you pay.

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