“Plenty of roles and plenty of candidates.”
The market is thriving for equestrian professional, sales, marketing and admin jobs, says a recruitment specialist.
However, prospective employers are finding it hard to lure recruits to work from HQ.
“Office-based roles get a much lesser response when advertised now compared with home-based or hybrid,” explains Emma Dyer who set up Equine Careers 15 years ago.
This “trouble spot” is compounded by a younger generation who have not had to work in an office - and trying to engineer roles to suit them, adds Emma, who largely blames the Covid pandemic.
Overall, however, the equestrian jobs market is “buoyant” with “plenty of roles and plenty of candidates,” she says.
Being horsey isn’t the be-all and end-all
Equine Careers matchmakes people and jobs outside of the ‘working on a yard’ sector of the equestrian industry.
Indeed, Emma says that being ‘horsey’ isn’t always essential for an admin, sales or professional role.
“Provided you have a familiarity with equine, your business acumen and commercial experience are more important,” she adds. “And new talent from outside the industry is most welcome.”
What are employers looking for?
“My clients want professional people for professional jobs,” says Emma, a keen, competitive rider who worked in sales and marketing before founding Equine Careers.
“Employers are looking for people with well-rounded knowledge and life experience, backed up with a proven track record in their sphere; people who are good at networking, and with a ‘can do’ attitude.”
Formal qualifications are essential for some roles, such as in equine nutrition, says Emma. But she warns that the ability to “roll up your sleeves and get stuck in” in just as important.
“Jobs within the equestrian industry are very often multi-purpose.”
How to get started
So, what’s Emma’s advice to a young person who wants to work in the sector?
“Go out and meet people; go to shows, volunteer or work on tradestands.
“Get experience working with others face-to-face, working as a team, build up your confidence and gain as much experience as possible in many different areas – be that customer services, sales, admin or marketing.”
- Read the full interview with Emma Dyer of Equine Careers in In the Hot Seat in the May issue of ETN.
