When you are looking for a new job, or perhaps a new career, it can be challenging to know where to start. Important is that you look at a combination of what you enjoy doing. And what you are good at. If you find that together in a job, you can consider yourself very lucky! So if you love working outdoors and manual work, and you have natural green fingers. Then maybe, could being a gardener be your dream job? Find out here!
What Is a Gardener Job
So to see if being a gardener could indeed be your dream job, let’s have a look first at what a gardening job actually means.
As a gardener, you can either work as a domestic household gardener, or in the commercial sector. As a domestic household gardener, you work for private households. This can be extremely varied. There are domestic household gardeners who are full time employed for one household, and they have accommodation on the land too. But you can equally also work freelance hours for many different families and households as a self-employed gardener.
If you work in a more commercial setting, there can be many different setups too. You can, for example, work for a local council, the national trust, or office buildings. Where you – and normally here you would work in a team – would maintain and upkeep the gardens and outside spaces.
Gardener jobs can differ from maintenance and upkeep to more soft and hard landscaping, to full design and build too. It really depends on what you enjoy doing, and what your skillset is too.
Do You Need a Specific Degree?
The short answer is no. You do not have to have a degree, or a specific qualification, to be able to start working as a gardener. The longer answer, however, that qualifications and training will help. Especially if you are new in the industry and want to find a new job. As you become more experienced as a gardener, your experience might overtake qualifications on your CV. But if you are starting out in the industry, it is worth looking at some form of qualification. It will give you a basic level of knowledge and skill. And it will also give your employer the confidence that you can actually do the job at hand!
Could Gardening Be Your Dream Job?
So now we understand a bit more about what a gardener is, and how you can get started – could it be your dream job? Gardening is a very specific profession and it definitely is not for everybody. You really need to enjoy certain things, and not mind some things too. Have a look at the list below to see if this may resonate with you.
Working outdoors in any weather
This is the first, and perhaps one of the key elements of being a gardener. This is not a 9-5, office-based role. You need to be happy to work outdoors for sometimes long periods of time. In whatever weather! Whether there is a snowstorm, a heatwave of it is pouring with rain. Gardeners do not get a day off if the weather is not nice. So if you don’t mind, or perhaps even enjoy, being outdoors a lot. Then it might well be suited for you!
Heavy, manual work
Being a gardener is not an easy job to do, especially physically. You really do need to be physically fit and able to carry out the job. You will be working long hours, carrying heavyweight and sometimes work in awkward positions. It does not mean you need to be a fitness model to be a gardener! But your body needs to be strong and capable enough to deal with daily heavy work. And that simply is not for everyone.
An affiliation with plants, trees etc
Do you have to be an expect the minute you become a gardener? Of course not. There are lots of things you can learn, for example on courses as mentioned above. As well as from being on the job, and working alongside other gardeners. But to be able to do this job, you want to have at least some level of interest in nature, plants, flowers and trees. Again, you do not have to be a specialist in every single subject. But if you do not know your tulip from your oak tree, there might be a problem. But if you have the interest to learn, soak up all the information you can and that way you can become a successful gardener. It might even indeed become your dream job!
How can Polo & Tweed Help?
Do you think being a gardener could be your dream job? If you are ready to explore what gardening as a job may look like for you, or if you are looking for a gardening job, we can help! Polo & Tweed work with many clients who are looking for great gardeners to join their household. There will be many different jobs, all over the world. From part-time, full time, and freelance job roles. Our highly professional recruitment consultants will be able to match your skills with the right job that will suit you. Why not contact us here now to register with us or to find out what job we currently are recruiting for. And we look forward to speaking to you and finding the right gardening job for you.