Kevin Lee Jones

Degree: Bachelor of Science
Major: Agricultural Industries and Marketing

Current Job Title: District Sales Manager
Organization: Syngenta Seeds / Golden Harvest Seeds Inc.

How did you find this job?
I found my job at the St. Paul Career and Internship Fair.

Please describe your job: 
I am responsible for the marketing, selling, and development of brand awareness of Golden Harvest and Syngenta products and programs in my trade area. I manage this through a network of seed dealerships and key accounts.

What from your undergraduate educational experience was most helpful in preparing you for this career?
Classes pertaining to my major were the most helpful towards preparing me for this career. Being active on campus in clubs and extra-curricular activities also helped me prepare.

What is the biggest misconception about this occupation or field?
What surprised me the most about the seed industry is how much work actually goes into the creation of one bag of seed. There is breeding, intellectual property, marketing, supply chain, and sales just to name a few. So many people’s hard work and dedication goes into every bag of corn before it even gets to the farm.

What advice do you have for current students?
Internships! You have to get into some great internships while you are an undergraduate. I did three internships while being an undergrad and it really makes the difference from finding an "ok" job, to a great job that you love.