If you love the outdoors, enjoy working with your hands and have an eye for design, landscape gardening could be a great career choice. Landscape gardening is the perfect career path for those who value a job where no two days are the same — you could be working on parks, home gardens, new housing developments, and public areas.
Additionally, you’ll also get to utilise or learn some construction skills – you’ll need to know how to build fences, trellises, pagodas and park benches. So, how do you get started? Well, if landscaping experience is what you lack, then the best first step is usually to become qualified with a landscape gardening apprenticeship.
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So how do you get a landscape gardening apprenticeship? Here’s what you need to know:
Short on time? Skip Ahead!
The best place to find landscape gardening apprenticeship opportunities is through trade association sites, online job boards, and vocational colleges in your area. It also pays to reach out to local landscaping companies to express your interest. Many potential employers will be happy to have awesome apprentices helping out, so don’t be shy! You can also take advantage of government resources for useful information to get you started and help you find companies actively looking for apprentices.
While there is no limit to how old you can be to become a landscaping apprentice, each country has its own employment laws and minimum age requirements. In most cases, you can apply for an apprenticeship toward the end of secondary school. Chances are that you’ll have more luck picking up apprenticeships as you get closer to 18 or older, though.
Generally, it takes two to three years to graduate from apprentice to landscape gardener. Once you’ve finished, you’ll be ready to confidently start your chosen role.
Your CV is an opportunity to get your foot in the door, so it’s important to sell yourself. If you’re serious about finding a good job with an experienced mentor, a well-written CV can make all the difference. Here are some tips:
Underneath your name, address and contact details, write a little about your personality, work ethic, goals and attributes, to show potential employers what it would be like to work with you.
All work experience is important to share on your CV. Even if you’ve just finished secondary school and your experience doesn’t seem relevant, holding down a job shows a good work ethic.
Think about the skills you learnt in each job, and include them under the job title.
Beginning with your most recent qualifications, list your education in descending order. Include grades you’re proud of and put emphasis on courses you’ve studied that may be relevant, like design, science, or math. Include any certificates or awards you may have won during your school years.
Be confident! Your CV is the one place where it pays to brag. Are you a great communicator? Are you known for being reliable under pressure? Alongside some soft skills, include hard skills specific to landscaping. For example, if you’ve done some woodworking or landscaping work in the past (no matter how small), let it be known! Whatever skills you have, use them to your advantage!
A cover letter is a great way to make your application a little more personal and relatable. Demonstrate that you understand the role and how your skills would make you successful. You should tailor each cover letter to match the business and job you’re applying for.
There are many online resources you can use to gain a deeper insight into the landscaping industry. By thoroughly researching your chosen trade, you’ll pick up useful terminology and knowledge to boost your confidence. Our YouTube videos and podcasts will show you what it’s like working in the trades too.
Once you’ve wowed them with your CV, you’ll likely have an in-person interview. Here’s how you can prepare:
Over the past two years of COVID-19 lockdowns, many households developed a green thumb and set about creating great outdoor spaces in their homes. But now that everyone’s starting to head back into work, the time for DIY landscaping has seemingly come to an end. This is good news for landscaping professionals, as they’re likely to be in hot demand from here on out.
Although it’s possible to work as a landscape gardener without formal qualifications, a formal apprenticeship will help you level up as quickly as possible and potentially reach the stage where you might consider starting a landscaping business yourself.
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