The legal cannabis industry in the US employs nearly 430,000 professionals (up from 240,000 in 2021), with that figure expected to double in the next few years. With even more states poised to open up legal recreational (adult use) markets and talk of a Federal decriminalization bill on the table, now is a great time to consider how your skills can help you break into the cannabis market.
That growth will span all sectors of the industry, from finance and accounting, to cultivation and manufacturing, operations, retail sales, marketing, legal, and other areas. Jobs will be created at both the corporate level, with large consumer goods companies already leading the way, to smaller micro-businesses and mid-sized organizations.
Breaking into the Cannabis Job Market
If you want to capitalize of the growth of the industry, start networking and building relationships with other professionals in the field. Follow national and market leaders who are already involved in the industry, and keep an eye on the types of job opportunities and skill sets those companies are looking for. Reach out to recruiters like FlowerHire that specialize in cannabis industry jobs and talent. And if you’re pursuing opportunities in a market that has yet to legalize, stay informed of legislative and policy changes impacting cannabis legalization in your region.
Create a Resume that Reflects Transferrable Skills
The legal cannabis industry is still in its infancy, and that can mean good news for job seekers. The talent pool of professionals who possess previous cannabis experience is extremely limited, and more so than other industries, employers recognize the value of candidates with transferrable skill sets.
A cannabis resume should clearly communicate your most relevant experience, transferrable skills, and articulate how your previous achievements can apply to the cannabis space. Consider what skills and experience you can bring from a previous industry that would translate well to your desired specialty, whether that’s sales, marketing, law, finance, or other areas.
Related: How to Write a Cannabis Resume Based on Transferrable Skills
Transferrable skills can include “hard skills” – the day-to-day capabilities you employ in order to do your job, such as marketing, customer service, sales, accounting, relationship building, product knowledge, or packaging design. They can also include “soft skills” – personal attributes that add value, such as startup mentality, work ethic, willingness to learn, or adaptability.
Write Your Resume to Match the Job Description
Your resume should be tailored to the individual role and company you are applying to, which means integrating the keywords and language used in the job description. Identify the most relevant keywords – skills, attributes, job titles – that are used to describe the ideal candidate, and make sure those are used liberally throughout your resume.
Related: How to Tailor Your Resume to a Cannabis Job
While tailoring the resume to each role is time-consuming, it will also increase your chances of making it through the filter. Language and keywords can differ between job postings – what one company refers to as a “software engineer”, another may refer to as a “programmer”. It’s important to match your resume to the language in the description.
Convey Your Passion for the Industry
Employers in the cannabis space want to hire candidates who are passionate and knowledgeable about the product and the industry. Use your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile to highlight those things, and talk about what drives your desire to break into the industry.
The cannabis industry is growing and opportunities are opening up across all specialties and sectors. If you want to stand out in today’s ultra-competitive job market, focus your resume on transferrable skills and how your previous accomplishments can translate into the cannabis space. Tailor your resume to each job opportunity you apply to by matching the language and keywords in the job description. Start to build your network, and remain abreast of what’s happening in your market, who the key players are, and who they’re hiring.
What Next?
Build a winning cannabis resume that gets hiring managers’ attention, and conveys your most relevant and marketable skill sets. Contact us to get started.
