Hey everyone, I'm in a bit of a bind and need your thoughts. I've spent about ten years working in horticulture and groundskeeping, but my experience isn't typical in the commercial landscape realm. I've done everything from managing golf courses (where I honed skills in irrigation and turf management) to serving as a Park Ranger and working at botanic gardens. Currently, I supervise a 14-acre campus for a nonprofit and handle everything from irrigation to event coordination.
With a solid education in turf and agriculture, I thought I'd be an ideal candidate for commercial landscape companies like BrightView or LandCare, yet I keep getting overlooked for positions. My résumé feels ignored, and as the cost of living rises, I'm starting to feel trapped in my current nonprofit role without prospects for advancement.
Has anyone else faced this hurdle? Are there biases against hiring people without a traditional background in commercial landscapes? Should I switch my focus to more specialized roles at botanic gardens or universities instead? I'd love to hear from anyone who has insights, whether you're in hiring or have made a similar career transition yourself.
4 Answers
It sounds like you might be seen as overqualified for those labor roles, and some companies might assume you'd want a higher wage than they're willing to offer. Networking could help a lot—talk to some landscape companies directly to gauge their needs instead of just submitting a résumé.
For sure! You're more likely to find roles that match your experience that way.
Honestly, it sounds like you know too much for those companies. They're often looking for workers who can just follow orders without questioning the status quo. Your expertise might make them feel threatened or too expensive to hire. It’s a shame because people with your knowledge should be leading the charge for better practices in landscaping!
Right? They often just want someone who can work for cheap rather than someone who will demand quality.
Exactly! It's frustrating that knowledge can be a double-edged sword in this industry.
Have you thought about starting your own landscaping business? I know it comes with a lot of extra responsibilities like marketing and bookkeeping, but it could also let you implement the high-quality work you want to see.
That sounds good until you're overwhelmed with paperwork and not actually landscaping! Just a thought.
Haha, yeah, running a business is no joke! But still, it could be rewarding to put your ideas into practice.
Consider other venues like nonprofits, botanic gardens, or universities, where your broad experience can be a huge asset. They often value diverse backgrounds much more than commercial companies do.
Exactly! Those places might also appreciate your holistic knowledge and give you better opportunities.
I think you're right. There's a lot of potential in those sectors.
Definitely! Sometimes a direct conversation can open doors that applications can't.