International Agribusiness and Trade
Bachelor of Agribusiness and Business Administration
Career opportunities
IAT professionals are eligible for a range of careers related to the trade in agricultural inputs and products. Our graduates work all over the world and in all kinds of companies and organizations. They feel confident working within various cultural environment as traders, commercial and marketing managers, import and export managers, account and sales manager. That is why it is important that the IAT'er can realize his/her possibilities optimally in work (and in the world) with the necessary room for difference of opinion. Central in this are the entrepreneurial competencies with empathy towards customers, suppliers, competitors, etc. Important are competencies relating to marketing and financial responsibility, formulation of policies (goal and strategy) and translation to operational decisions. Especially calculation to optimize the result and re-calculation to calculate the consequences and to sharpen the putting into operation for the following period are necessary skills for this. Proficiency in English and German and/or Spanish is important too, as well as the competency to master another language quickly. What it boils down to is entrepreneurship in any form, from starting one's own business, being part of the commercial system of a trading company to being able to reliably organize a business internally.
In the beginning of your career, you might work as a junior manager for a company exporting flowers to the Far East. Or you might become an account manager at a food-processing company in Spain, or conduct market research for a soft drinks company in Eastern Europe. Later in your career, you are likely to become a senior manager or to start your own company. For example, you might become the owner-manager of a company exporting exotic fruits to Europe, or work as a senior advisor in the cut-flower sector.
Paul Brinker from The Netherlands
student
"I think my future lies in logistics. At the moment I am employed in logistics, and my work placement also takes place at a logistics service provider in Barneveld. Studying at VHL for me is mainly a chance to develop myself. You have a great deal of freedom, and if you really want something, you can make it happen. My advice is to build a network very quickly. It is really super important that you know where you can find people that can help you if necessary.
The most fun about my study so far has been the work placement and the second year project. For our project, I and 3 other students founded a company, aimed at the import and sale (in the Netherlands) of Eastern European wine. We went to Slovenia, bought wine there, and sold it in the Netherlands (at a 'company market' at school, and in a wine shop in Wageningen). Studying at VHL is a true group experience. Since you have a different project every term, you closely work together with a project group for 10 weeks to let the project run as smoothly as possible."
Rob Westerhof
Head of logistics and processing for Barenburg Holland BV
"Our company is an international player in the development, production and sale of grass seeds. As head of logistics and processing, I lead various departments, monitoring the whole chain from production to delivery to the customer, both in the Netherlands and abroad. "Though I spend much of my time at our office in Oosterhout, I also get out of the office quite a lot. Not long ago, for instance, I was involved in establishing a new distribution company in Hungary. That was a real pioneering job - just what I most enjoy! "Have the skills I acquired at Larenstein proved useful to these activities? Definitely! Working in project teams, learning to organise and to work independently, doing the international work placements: you bet! They were a fantastic preparation for my later work."
"Enter the dynamic World of Food and Flower trade."