Whether you’re coming into the space from an outside or ancillary field, a green-thumbed cultivator, or an enthusiast looking to make your passion into a career, seeking employment in the cannabis industry can be a daunting task.

Many of the mainstream employment websites are warming up to cannabis-related job postings, but in reality, cannabis businesses are often looking for a different kind of employee from those browsing the mainstream outlets. Read on to learn everything you wish you knew about finding your dream job in cannabis.

Considerations for Candidates

Several professional skills and personal traits are key in the cannabis industry that are treated as “nice-to-haves” in the business world.

According to Rachel, founder of GreenSeek, “Job seekers looking for marijuana jobs might face challenges in this field compared to others. This field has a very close community, and many employers don’t feel comfortable looking for new hires outside their individual networks. Job seekers may also have a difficult time trying to find the right position or right company to look for, because this industry is still developing.”

Ever fancied working at a trendy startup, with tight deadlines, chaotic teamwork and constant upheaval? Then the cannabis industry might be for you.

“The entire cannabis industry is in “start-up” phase; the bulk of cannabis companies have been around for less than two years,” says Karson Humiston, founder and President of Gradujuana. “That being said, attractive candidates for the cannabis industry are individuals who operate well in a start-up culture – have the ability to wear multiple hats, work in an environment where all the systems ARE NOT in place, and best practices are still being established. Most importantly, they have the flexibility to work in an industry that is rapidly changing, and are prepared to adjust as needed.”

Other baseline requirements for a cannabis job? Since it’s still a sensitive political subject in many states, your new employer expects you to be trustworthy to a fault, educated about the plant and the business processes around it, and understanding of the basic nuances of local, state, and federal government. While you may not get a job directly related to cultivation or policy, it’s still important to understand the larger ecosystem in which the cannabis industry operates.

Depending on the type of position you’re applying for, direct experience with the plant, either in cultivation or retail, may very well score you the position over another applicant whose only work experience is behind a desk. However, always remember to keep the emphasis on the professional skills you bring to the table, and not your smoking prowess.

“Passion for cannabis is not a skill, experience or talent!” says Humiston. “Nothing makes me or my recruiters hit ‘delete’ faster than a resume with the title ‘I love marijuana.’ Yesterday I interviewed a candidate for a graphic designing position and the first thing he said was, ‘I have been smoking everyday since I was 14, this is my dream!’ Newsflash, pal. Our client’s dream is to find someone who has a lot more going for him than 15 years of hitting the bong! We are recruiting educated, professional, talented individuals who possess the skills needed to help our clients succeed. Companies are looking for people with the skills to get the job done correctly, and that’s what is important to express on your resume and in the interview.”

You may also want to start considering relocation if you’re dead set on a job in this space, as the legal markets are few and far between, and the emerging markets are rapidly changing.

Cannabis-Friendly Staffing Agencies

There are several staffing agencies whose sole focus is connecting cannabis industry employers with the perfect candidates. Viridian Staffing and Ms. Mary Staffing are two of the top names in this space, working with companies on a client-by-client basis.

Getting in with one of these organizations can help guide a job seeker in the right direction, though most of the jobs available through these agencies end up posted on a number of channels online for those who know where to look.

Cannabis-Friendly Job Sites

Just like in the mainstream job market, the cannabis industry has its own lineup of job database websites for candidates to browse by keyword, job type and geography. While many of the sites feature duplicate postings from across the web, they have their differences as well.

GreenSeek, a site that mainly serves cannabis tech companies, dispensaries, and cultivation companies, bridges the gap between employers and job seekers by only accepting pre-screened trustworthy candidates into the Talent Network. GreenSeek’s Talent Network candidates have impressive resumes with marketing backgrounds, legal experience, social media, web development, trimming, finance, sales and many more.

“The site hosts positions from budtenders to Chief Operating Officers – we have a little of everything. We’re seeing more and more jobs on the professional services side like sales, marketing, administration, and finance, and we’ve had a few security positions posted recently as well,” Rachel said. “I get really excited seeing these skill sets and backgrounds filter into Greenseek’s network; it shows that this really is becoming a commercialized industry and we’re attracting beyond the cannabis community.”

Gradujuana, another industry-specific site, provides direct hire, contract to hire, and temporary staffing solutions to dispensaries, grow facilities, kitchens, and ancillary cannabis companies, recruiting staff from entry- to executive-level in a wide variety of areas.

“We’ve found that cannabis business owners and managers are so busy operating and growing their companies, that they do not have the time to post on job boards, go through hundreds of resumes, interview candidates, and perform reference and background checks,” said Karson Humiston, Gradujuana’s founder. “These owners and managers end up hiring the first person who comes through their door, and this contributes to the 74 percent employee turnover rate within the cannabis industry. We know where to source top candidates, we know the questions to ask in the interview process and we save our clients hundreds of hours, and thousands of dollars in hiring mistakes.”

“Dispensaries come to us looking for typical positions such as budtenders and store managers; but also come to us looking for higher level positions such as marketing associates, accountants, regional managers, graphic designers and security personnel,” said Humiston. “The dispensaries that are truly establishing a brand operate their stores like any other high-end retail store, and staff accordingly.”

Gradujuana staffs for ancillary businesses too, for which the most common positions are technical writers, marketing associates, accountants, and executive assistants.

Other major job search sites for the cannabis industry include WeedHire, THCJobs, 420 Careers, and Stonius, launching this month.

Mainstream Job Sites

Though not the highest concentration of cannabis employment opportunities, you can still find a good deal on the same sites you’d browse for a “regular” job. What’s more is that the corporate or “white collar” type jobs, or those brokered by a staffing agency, almost seem to be more prevalent on the mainstream job sites, since they’re looking for more professional or classically-educated candidates.

The old standby Indeed has a wealth of cannabis-friendly positions listed at any given time, many of them from Viridian Staffing. Just search for “cannabis” and browse. Monster has cannabis jobs, too, and you can search either “cannabis” or “marijuana” to find them.

LinkedIn has several shortcomings when it comes to dealing with the cannabis industry. You still can’t use Sales Navigator to find industry insiders or sales prospects, nor can you “tag” your expertise or your published work with the word “cannabis,” but luckily you can still search it as a keyword in the user-friendly job search function. Some of the jobs can be applied for with just one click; just make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date with all relevant experience, and always include a targeted and tasteful cover letter.

Typically, on the mainstream sites, search on a national level rather than within your zip code, because the jobs in your area will likely be a short list.

Advice For The Job Hunt

“Compared to other industries, cannabis is basically the same as far as job seeking goes. You decide what you want to be, and begin the quest, whether you use Weedhire.com, Craigslist, Google, or just word of mouth to see what is out there.” – Ted Knapp, WeedHire

“Be patient if you don’t immediately see an open position that interests you; they will come as the market continues to mature.” – Rachel, GreenSeek

“Candidates who are used to going to work, and going through the same “nine-to-five” structured routine, don’t stand a chance in the cannabis industry – they will have a heart attack on the first day!” – Karson Humiston, Gradujuana

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David Bernstein: WeedHire International, Inc. (OTC:WDHR)

The foundation of any successful company is its team. Without a driven, dedicated, and well-equipped team, the execution of an idea only goes so far. There are a number of facets that need to be implemented into the cannabis industry in order for it to grow to be respected – A key facet is developing a secure and reliable platform for employers and candidates to interact and build vital teams of skilled professionals. David Bernstein, CEO of WeedHire International, Inc. (OTC:WDHR), has a vision to do just that by solidifying the future career path for professionals seeking to work in cannabis.

What was the deciding factor for you to join this particular industry?

I think, like any industry, you look at the long-term opportunities for growth and you look at the landscape for the business and personal satisfaction you could get from being a part of it. The cannabis industry has a promising future, both personally and professionally for me. When you look at the benefits of what this plant can do, it’s hard to argue that, medicinally, at the very least, it is a tremendous asset to the general population.

What skills from your previous experiences helped you in what you are doing now?

Well, WeedHire is a jobs board, much like Monster.com. Having owned a small business for over 20 years, I realized that the most important thing you can do is surround yourself with quality people. We realized that for this industry to be legitimized and for it to move forward progressively, we would need to retain the best possible workforce. And to ensure that, you have to create a credible industry in which people can have a future. This will enable these businesses to have the best possible employees and staff and thereby grow their businesses and help the industry grow!

We realized that for this industry to be legitimized and for it to move forward progressively, we would need to retain the best possible workforce. And to ensure that, you have to create a credible industry in which people can have a future.

Tell us about the point in the time you realized the coming of the ‘green rush’?

Well for us, it was early January 2014 when we saw the amount of people lined up at a job fair in Colorado, where there was an overwhelming number of people looking for employment and just a small handful of jobs available for them. The realization for us was that there’s got to be a better way – There’s going to be tremendous growth in this industry, which created the opportunity for us to create a model that connected employers and candidates, so they could start careers together.

Describe your work ethic to us in one word.

Persistence. I think with any industry, especially this one, you have got to look at the long-term. It’s going to require persistence and patience.

Who is a person that you consider as a role model? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?

Well, there’s been a number of people, but there are two that I definitely need to credit: my parents. My parents have clearly played a huge role in helping me understand how to live my life in the best and most reasonable way, how important it is to surround myself with family and friends, and how to always appreciate what I have around me. Those would probably be most defining people in my life; they have been instrumental to me as mentors.

How do you find inspiration in this industry? What have you found that has inspired you?

So, obviously cannabis presents the opportunity for people to make decisions on their own, adult decisions, but the medicinal benefits of what cannabis represents is so much more than that. It can’t be ignored! When you see that there are children and adults suffering with diseases that don’t have access to this, it’s infuriating – And to know that it’s more of a political issue than a real health issue makes me work even harder to create a company that will help others run their business better for this industry.

When you see that there are children and adults suffering with diseases that don’t have access to this, it’s infuriating – And to know that it’s more of a political issue than a real health issue makes me work even harder to create a company that will help others run their business better for this industry.

Tell us about an esteemed achievement of yours.

Just recently we launched the first ever marijuana jobs app, both on iTunes and Android; they are the very first apps for individuals seeking an employment opportunity in the legal cannabis industry. We think those are tremendous milestones because it’s helping legitimize the industry and push it forward, while also bringing valuable technology to the space.

How would you advise someone who wants to join the industry?

Planning is important. I think it’s crucial to obtain a skill that you feel will be beneficial to the industry and to yourself. There’s not a lot of people with industry experience, so you have a unique opportunity to understand and gain experience in areas that are touching the industry. A lot of people want to touch the plant or be around the plant, but candidly, whether you are in agriculture, water filtration, lighting, or hydroponics, or in sales, marketing, design, or IT, there’s ways to experience cannabis. As the industry moves forward, more opportunities will present themselves.

Where do your great ideas come from?

My ideas come from past experiences and lessons learned. The best way to learn in life is to make an effort, fail, learn from the failure, and build from it. Warren Buffett once said, “Somebody sits in the shade of a tree because someone else planted that tree.” We believe that what we do today, whether it be a success or failure, will benefit generations in the future.

What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader in this space?

I continue to be innovative; I continue to work on partnering with other reputable organizations in and outside of the industry, and I strive to always bring value to our customer base by implementing tools to help them grow their businesses. One of the most important things we do and how we ensure that we continue to grow is by publishing our quarterly Cannabis Jobs Report, which seeks to educate the population about opportunities for employment in the industry. Most of the reports out there for this industry are more about the numbers, amount of sales, and amount of tax revenues; they don’t cover the business development opportunities at hand. Our Cannabis Jobs Report focuses on what the other reports leave out.

If we are sitting across from each other a year from now, how will our conversation about the ‘green rush’ be going?

I think there will be lot of excitement about the November elections in 2016. That’s where we are hoping to see a lot of momentum. Our hope is that a lot of states poll positively for that initiative to pass; that’s going to be a defining moment for this industry.

Photo Credit: Startup Stock

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