25-9021.00 - Farm and Home Management Advisors

Updated 2010

Summary Report for:
25-9021.00 - Farm and Home Management Advisors

Advise, instruct, and assist individuals and families engaged in agriculture, agricultural-related processes, or home economics activities. Demonstrate procedures and apply research findings to solve problems; and instruct and train in product development, sales, and the use of machinery and equipment to promote general welfare. Includes county agricultural agents, feed and farm management advisors, home economists, and extension service advisors.

Sample of reported job titles: Extension Agent, Agricultural Extension Educator, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development Specialist, Family Development Extension Specialist, Family Life Field Specialist, Family Resource Management Extension Specialist, Farm Business Management Agent, Farm Management Specialist

View report: Summary Details Custom

Tasks

Collaborate with producers in order to diagnose and prevent management and production problems.
Conduct classes or deliver lectures on subjects such as nutrition, home management, and farming techniques.
Advise farmers and demonstrate techniques in areas such as feeding and health maintenance of livestock, growing and harvesting practices, and financial planning.
Research information requested by farmers.
Prepare and distribute leaflets, pamphlets, and visual aids for educational and informational purposes.
Collect and evaluate data in order to determine community program needs.
Maintain records of services provided and the effects of advice given.
Schedule and make regular visits to farmers.
Organize, advise, and participate in community activities and organizations such as county and state fair events and 4-H Clubs.
Collaborate with social service and health care professionals in order to advise individuals and families on home management practices such as budget planning, meal preparation, and time management.

Tools & Technology

Tools used in this occupation:

Desktop computers

Digital cameras

Notebook computers — Laptop computers

Overhead projectors — Overhead display projectors

Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers — Personal digital assistants PDA

Technology used in this occupation:

Electronic mail software — Microsoft Outlook

Graphics or photo imaging software — Image editing software

Internet browser software — Microsoft Internet Explorer *; Web browser software

Map creation software — ESRI ArcGIS software; Geographic information system GIS software

Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel

* Software developed by a government agency and/or distributed as freeware or shareware.

Knowledge

Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Food Production — Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

Communications and Media — Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Skills

Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Learning Strategies — Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Instructing — Teaching others how to do something.

Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities

Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

Work Activities

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Work Context

Electronic Mail — How often do you use electronic mail in this job?

Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Structured versus Unstructured Work — To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?

Duration of Typical Work Week — Number of hours typically worked in one week.

Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

Deal With External Customers — How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?

Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

Work With Work Group or Team — How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?

In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment — How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?

Job Zone

Title	Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Education	Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related Experience	Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job Training	Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Job Zone Examples	These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, wildlife biologists, school psychologists, surgeons, treasurers, and controllers.
SVP Range	(8.0 and above)

Education

Percentage of Respondents	Education Level Required
79	Master's degree
18	Bachelor's degree
3	Doctoral or professional degree

This occupation may require a background in the following science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational disciplines:

Life Sciences — Animal Sciences

Interests

Interest code: SRE

Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Work Styles

Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.

Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Work Values

Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Related Occupations

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13-1141.00	Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
19-3011.00	Economists
29-1031.00	Dietitians and Nutritionists
29-2051.00	Dietetic Technicians
35-1012.00	First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Bright Outlook
45-1011.07	First-Line Supervisors of Agricultural Crop and Horticultural Workers
45-1011.08	First-Line Supervisors of Animal Husbandry and Animal Care Workers

Wages & Employment Trends

National

Median wages (2011)	$21.84 hourly, $45,430 annual
Employment (2010)	13,000 employees
Projected growth (2010-2020)	Average (10% to 19%)
Projected job openings (2010-2020)	5,000
Top industries (2010)	Educational Services Government

State & National

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2011 wage data and 2010-2020 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2010-2020). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Summary Report for: 25-9021.00 - Farm and Home Management Advisors