Career opportunities

This program is supported by Hart, the South Australian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SA Drought Hub) and the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), a division of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA)

April 2020...

Hart’s 2020 regional intern Brianna Guidera has experienced first-hand the benefits of the Hart regional internship, joining the team as a post-graduate student in February last year.

She has recently completed her internship with the Hart Field-Site Group and has now moved on to further employment in the agricultural industry on Eyre Peninsula.

Brianna said the regional internship developed her skills and opened up a wide base of industry networks.

“I gained so many valuable skills as a researcher, such as understanding how to plan and manage trials, and I also became much more confident in my abilities as a young researcher as well as gaining some great connections in the agricultural industry,” she said.

“The internship gave me a really solid start to my career and it has certainly been advantageous, both in terms of finding employment and also in gaining skills.

“Undertaking the Hart Regional Internship in Applied Grains Research showed me there is so much more to research and extension than you would probably expect.

“It was a fabulous opportunity to work with a great group of people, and it sets you up well for a career in agriculture.”


August 2019...

The initiative is already paying dividends for graduates keen to pursue a career in grains research and development, and 2019 Hart regional intern Jade Rose says the experience has been positive on all fronts.

“I have found the internship very beneficial in terms of improving my research skills, practical skills, and understanding agriculture from a research/industry and grower perspective,” she says.

“It has enabled me to gain a lot of new skills in field trial research and management, communication and I have learned a lot about agricultural research.

“Learning practical skills, working regionally and having interaction with numerous researchers, industry, agronomists and growers has been extremely important to my development as a researcher.

“Living and working in the Mid North has been great for personal growth, putting me outside my comfort zone and learning a lot about myself. I’ve loved working at Hart, everyone has been very welcoming and helpful and are a great and passionate group of people to work with.”  Read the full story...

2018...

A desire to gain experience in agricultural research and to expand her networks in a new region inspired Emma Pearse (pictured left) from Miling in WA to apply for the 2018 regional internship.

Whilst not quite half way through her time with Hart, Ms Pearse has already been involved in trial planning, sowing and early crop monitoring.  She is excited about knowing she’ll be a part of this research right up until final analysis and reporting.

When asked about her favourite aspect of the role so far, Ms Pearse couldn’t narrow it down to just one thing.

“The interaction I’ve already had with a wide range of people in the ag industry; farmers, researchers and consultants, has been really valuable,” she said.

“I’ve been able to work directly with growers who’ve enabled me to survey their paddocks or host trials.”

“The internship has also helped increase my knowledge of grower issues in this region and helped me understand how that varies from farm to farm depending on soil, crop and disease history,” Ms Pearse said.

“This really puts our research into context - it’s easy to see the link between our research and how it benefits growers which is a great motivator,” she said. Read the full story...
 

2017...
 

Dylan Bruce, Hart’s 2017 intern, saw the position as a chance to bridge the gap between university and industry research and something that could help expand his knowledge, experience and professional development when he applied this time last year.

“Right from the start of my internship I have been able follow on with my interest in cereal variety performance by focusing on the management of early sown long season wheats in the Mid-North as one of my main projects,” Mr Bruce said. 

“I have been able to apply the knowledge I gained during my degree and honours and put this into practice at Hart. This season has also thrown up a number of challenges such as mice, frost and dry conditions which has furthered my understanding of variety performance,” he said.

Mr Bruce also said he really appreciates the opportunities to collaborate with leading industry researchers and growers, and develop extension skills through the communication of trial progress and results to different audiences.


 

2016...

Rochelle Wheaton was the recipient of the first twelve month internship based in Clare beginning in 2016 and has always been interested in research and communication aspects of agriculture.

“The reason I applied for the job was to figure out if a career in research was something I wanted to pursue,” Ms Wheaton said.

During my time at Hart I have been exposed to a range of research projects that have included cereal agronomy, pulse diseases, soil science and weed management.”

“Even though my time at Hart doesn’t finish till the end of February I have already had a few conversations regarding potential job offers which is pretty exciting,” she said.