Emily Evans
Q&A
Five minutes with Research consultant Emily Evans
Emily, 25, from Northamptonshire, graduated with a BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Land and Farm Management in 2011. She is a Research Consultant for farm business consultants, The Andersons Centre.
What did you do before coming to Harper Adams?
A-level in maths, biology, chemistry and general studies
Why did you choose to study at Harper Adams?
I really liked the atmosphere when I visited the campus, the course looked great and the reputation is fantastic. Everyone in the industry knows Harper!
What were the highlights of the course?
The wide range of topics covered and the ability to choose the direction you wanted to take.
Did it make you more employable?
The time at university developed my knowledge and the placement year gave me the industry experience needed.
What sort of projects did you work on?
For my dissertation I studied the impacts of agri-envionment schemes. This gave me experience in report writing and an overview on how different experiences shape a person’s views. The report focused on upland areas and found that most upland farmers benefited financially from the scheme without heavily disrupting their farming activities.
Where did you spend your work placement year?
Andersons Northern Farm Business Consultants, as a Trainee Consultant. The job involved all aspects of farm consultancy from preparing budgets to monitoring cash flows, involvement with Single Payment forms and environmental stewardship.
What did you enjoy most about it?
Making connections in the industry and discovering where my real interests lay and what I wanted to do as a career.
Do you think placement enhanced your career prospects?
Yes, I’m now working for the sister company! It gave me the professional experience required.
Tell us about your career since graduating
After leaving university I worked for Nat West bank for a year before moving to The Andersons Centre as a Research Consultant. I hope to develop in my current role and become more involved with the business.
What sort of tasks and responsibilities does it involve?
Every day is different! It depends on the work we have on but mainly I research into changes in agricultural policy and help to produce monthly bulletins for the industry. I am also involved in the preparation of presentations given throughout the year.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The variety of projects I’m involved in; some days I’m researching climate change and the next, beef prices.
What skills/experience was your employer looking for?
Thirst for knowledge and a passion for the industry is essential. But also precision. I had worked for a sister company previously so knew what the business was about and what they did.
How did your qualification/ experiences at Harper Adams aid your career?
The placement year really secured me this role - having worked for Andersons Northern I had made connections and had proven to work to the necessary standard. Many of the staff here are Harper Adams graduates, so the company know what they are getting.
Do you think being a graduate made a difference to your position and salary?
Yes, being a graduate meant I had the background knowledge necessary in order to build on.
What advice do you have for a student interested in doing a similar job?
Get lots of experience, ask to shadow a consultant, read lots of research papers, find what interests you and dig deeper. Ask lots of questions!
What is your view of the teaching at Harper Adams?
Experienced, passionate and knowledgeable.
What are your favourite memories of university?
Meeting new people, making friends, getting to learn about what I love every day.
Would you recommend Harper Adams to future students?
Yes, it’s a fantastic platform to build a career in agriculture on. You meet great people, staff and students alike and come out with a degree from the best in the industry.
