Precision Agriculture Technicians

Apply geospatial technologies, including geographic information systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), to agricultural production or management activities, such as pest scouting, site-specific pesticide application, yield mapping, or variable-rate irrigation. May use computers to develop or analyze maps or remote sensing images to compare physical topography with data on soils, fertilizer, pests, or weather.

On the job, you would:

Document and maintain records of precision agriculture information.
Collect information about soil or field attributes, yield data, or field boundaries, using field data recorders and basic geographic information systems (GIS).
Use geospatial technology to develop soil sampling grids or identify sampling sites for testing characteristics such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium content, pH, or micronutrients.

Personality

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Characteristics of this Career
		88%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
		88%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
		82%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
		77%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
		76%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
		74%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
		74%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
		74%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
		73%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
		73%	Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
		70%	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.
		68%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
		64%	Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
		61%	Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
		60%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Strengths
		83%	Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
		78%	Investigative - Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
		61%	Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Values of the Work Environment
		64%	Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
		61%	Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
		56%	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.
		56%	Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Aptitude

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Abilities \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		75%	Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
		75%	Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
		72%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
		72%	Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
		72%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
		72%	Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
		69%	Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
		66%	Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
		60%	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 that there is a problem.
		53%	Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
		53%	Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
		53%	Perceptual Speed - The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
		53%	Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
		53%	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).
		53%	Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Skills \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		57%	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
		55%	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.
		54%	Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
		52%	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Job Details

Responsibilities

Calibrate scientific or technical equipment.

Research crop management methods.

Calibrate scientific or technical equipment.

Maintain laboratory or technical equipment.

Collect geographical or geological field data.

Analyze environmental data.

Prepare maps.

Conduct climatological research.

Record research or operational data.

Prepare maps.

Advise others on the development or use of new technologies.

Apply knowledge or research findings to address environmental problems.

Develop agricultural methods.

Advise others on the development or use of new technologies.

Analyze environmental data.

Analyze geological or geographical data.

Prepare operational reports.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent
		97%	Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
		96%	Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
		87%	Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
		84%	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?
		79%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
		78%	Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
		77%	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?
		77%	Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
		76%	In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment - How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?
		75%	Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
		73%	Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
		72%	Outdoors, Exposed to Weather - How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
		66%	Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
		64%	Outdoors, Under Cover - How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (e.g., structure with roof but no walls)?
		62%	Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in non-controlled environmental conditions (e.g., warehouse without heat)?
		61%	Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
		60%	Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
		60%	Very Hot or Cold Temperatures - How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
		59%	Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
		59%	Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
		59%	Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
		56%	Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
		56%	Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
		54%	Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
		54%	Consequence of Error - How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable?
		54%	Spend Time Sitting - How much does this job require sitting?
		54%	Level of Competition - To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
		53%	Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
		51%	Letters and Memos - How often does the job require written letters and memos?
		96%	Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week.
		61%	Work Schedules - How regular are the work schedules for this job?

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Tasks & Values
		86%	Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
		83%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
		77%	Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
		76%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
		76%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
		74%	Communicating with People Outside the 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.
		73%	Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
		72%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
		71%	Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
		70%	Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
		69%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
		66%	Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
		66%	Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
		66%	Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
		65%	Providing Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
		64%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
		63%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
		63%	Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
		61%	Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
		60%	Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
		60%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
		56%	Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
		56%	Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
		54%	Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
		54%	Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
		54%	Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
		53%	Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
		53%	Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
		53%	Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
		52%	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.
		52%	Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Getting Started

Education:

35%

Bachelor's Degree

30%

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)

Precision Agriculture Technicians

What they do:

On the job, you would:

Personality

Characteristics of this Career

Strengths

Values of the Work Environment

Aptitude

Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality

Skills | Cognitive, Physical, Personality

Job Details

Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent

Tasks & Values

Getting Started