As facilities begin opening, who is hiring?
As the cannabis industry erupts in Missouri, many people are wondering how they can work in the industry. Some facilities, like BeLeaf and Archimedes, both cultivation facilities, are starting operations, but BeLeaf in St. Louis is still looking for workers in all aspects of the business. Other facilities are waiting for inspections and can begin operations in the next few weeks or months.
BeLeaf is pretty consistent with posting openings within their company – they can usually be found on StaffedUp or Glassdoor. Some of their most recent openings include a trimmer, a bookkeeper, product specialist, cannabis sales representative, a grow tech, and more.
Judging by the job fairs that have been held in the state, there is a lot of competition and desire from Missourians to break into the industry. While some companies like BeLeaf are posting consistent vacancies on their team, many companies require a smaller team and have already made a lot of their hiring decisions at these job fairs. The idea of the job fair is to meet and greet with job-seekers in the area, so the companies that attended the event gathered a sea of resumes and names. This doesn’t mean there is no shot for you in the industry, browsing Indeed and other job boards are good ways to stay up to date on local jobs, too.
Currently, Kansas City-based manufacturing company, Clovr, is seeking a Sales and Distribution Manager. According to the job listing, these are some requirements to secure the position, like “direct the actual distribution or movement of a product or service to customers, establish sales territories, quotas, and goals, coordinate sales distribution, analyze sales statistics to determine sales potential and inventory requirements.”
Another company on Indeed is hiring for a director of retail in Columbia, and another one is taking applications in Kansas City for “general interest” candidates. While some companies are taking applications now, others aren’t ready to hire until maybe six months from now.
Aside from these openings, Greenway has a few tips to stand out among in the crowd in Missouri’s industry.
1. Network with Missouri’s Industry
LinkedIn and other social media platforms are great tools to meet a specific demographic or group of people. LinkedIn is especially a great tool for business-to-business connections.
LinkedIn takes pride in being niche-focused, so determine what exactly it is you want to do in the industry and tailor your profile to meet that need. If you have been a retail manager for the last decade, your LinkedIn profile might read “Retail Manager in Missouri Seeking to Break Into Cannabis Retail” or something along those lines.
LinkedIn profiles can also feature an about me section, a section to put your past professional experience, a skills section, and an area where former colleagues and professionals can endorse you for the skills you have mentioned.
2. Follow-Up with Employers You Applied To
As time goes on, you may notice that potential employers are not responding to your submitted application. This is a very busy time for facility owners and management right now, it is a long day’s work nearly every day in order to prepare the launch of their brand-new business. It doesn’t hurt to send one or two follow-up messages a week or a few weeks after applying to the job you want.
Keep it simple, short, and infrequent, however, so you are not taking time away from their already-packed schedule.
3. Polish Your Skills
It is easy to get fired up about the cannabis industry and want to work where all of the action is – most people think their only option is to work at a dispensary or cultivation operation.
This isn’t the case, however, and the cannabis industry (like any other) is multifaceted. The industry needs accountants, salespeople, compliance professionals, security teams, delivery drivers, bookkeepers, receptionists, medical staff, and more to keep the entire operation afloat.
Think about your skills, what have you been trained to do? What are you in school for? Determine if it is something transferable and seek out opportunities in that area.
Above all, remember that this industry is brand new in Missouri. There will be a lot of bumps in the road before smooth sailing, so if you don’t land your dream job right away, that is okay. Keep up-to-date with Missouri’s companies and be ready to jump in at any time.