Career pathways
If you are not a New Zealand citizen or resident please click here to find out more about moving to New Zealand for a career in horticulture.
So where could a career in horticulture take you?
You could aim to be a horticultural consultant, a science technican or become a marketer selling produce. Or picture yourself running a packhouse or being responsible for quality control. The range of career opportunities is broad and the pay is good!
Horticulture is all about growing things - fruit, vegetables and wine grapes - but it involves much more than a shovel and a watering can. These days it's a very high-tech and sophisticated business.
While this burgeoning industry will always need skills in fruit, vegetable and viticulture production, career pathways also include business management, marketing, post-harvest packaging, logistics, biotechnology, engineering, product development, and plant physiology to name just a few.
Click here to view career pathways poster
Career stories
Packhouse manager Robert Humphries
Science technician Dominique Zivkovich-Brady
Orchard manager Kris Robb
Vegetable farm manager Gareth Holder
Horticulture consultant Carla Emms
Horticultural contractor
Mat Johnson
Crop production manager Nigel McCartin
Marketing manager Jamie Russ
Insectary Manager Anne Williams
Leading handLayton Dunn
Quality controller Loretta Salvation
Featured career stories
Carla Emms,
Horticulture Assistant
"Summer's great! I like the Hawke's Bay heat. It's harvest time, everything builds up to that time and you can see whether you've got a good crop or not, and whether all your work's paid off."
Read more
Jamie Russ,
Produce Import Manager
"I deal with a huge amount of people and relationships are very important in my role. It's a simple business, if you get on well with each of those buyers, look after them and give them what they want then this will be reciprocated by them purchasing off you."
Read more
