Meet our Education & Marketing Manager

Ashley Collins, AgCareers.com’s Education & Marketing Manager, has been with the company full-time for nearly 12 years. In 2004 Ashley worked for eight months as the first AgCareers.com intern. She works from a home office in North Carolina.
 
What do you do on a day-to-day basis in your role with AgCareers.com?
 
A typical day could include corresponding with stakeholders of our business whom I manage our relationship with such as National FFA, AFA, STEM Connector and the National Teach Ag Campaign. Or it could include working with some of the companies that utilize us that have an interest in recruiting or retaining young people into their businesses. It could also include working on market research projects like our internship benchmark survey, or high demand career profiles. Another day could be filled with conference calls or face-to-face meetings with clients, stakeholders or speaking to a group of students either attending a national conference or on their campus via a virtual visit.

What do you enjoy about working with AgCareers.com?
 
I enjoy that the core of our business helps people achieve their career goals. Our job board, the market research we publish, our social media outreach is all part of providing a service that helps people.

What advice would you give to job seekers using AgCareers.com for the first time?
 
Even if you’re not currently looking for a job, watch our website and monitor the jobs that are posted. Job demand can be a great indicator of what’s happening in the industry. You can tell a lot about the direction that companies are taking based upon the volume and type jobs that they post.

What is one of your favorite memories while working with AgCareers.com?
 
When you’ve worked somewhere for 12 years you have more than one, and more than three but here are three. One is when I taught Dwight Armstrong how to use Twitter. He at the time was the CEO of National FFA, and me being someone who was active in FFA during high school and started down the path of being an ag teacher, he was a pretty influential person in our industry. When I found myself at a business lunch with him and teaching him how to use Twitter, I had a full-circle moment. Another great memory was from the Roundtable this past year when Tina Dorner from CHS, one of our Partner clients, presented a list of reasons she liked attending the Roundtable, in front of our 230+ attendees. I’ve been a part of that event almost every year, and know how hard our team works to make the event happen. Her comments were a surprise to our team and touching to hear her speak from her heart praising the work we do. And finally, I’ve been blessed to have young professionals who’ve heard me speak at an event during their collegiate experience and thank me for advice or guidance I gave, those comments are what keeps me going and makes me love my job.

In your spare time, what do you like to do on the weekends?
 
Home improvement projects, or work in my yard.

What’s your favorite snack and name one thing you can’t live without while working?
 
I must have Trident White gum to chew while I work. I can’t live without my daily ECard desktop calendar. It starts my day off on a good/funny note and it gives me ideas for content. It speaks to my personality.

Favorite book & favorite movie?
 
My favorite movie is Almost Famous. I’m not the best about reading, but I will often listen to books on tape when I travel. I enjoy an author named Fannie Flagg who writes southern themed novels.