If you’ve been looking to make a move into the food industry lately, then perhaps you’d be interested in a food broker position. A food broker is a sales professional who specializes in helping food manufacturers get their product on store shelves. They use their business contacts and experience in the industry to make sure that manufacturers are getting a fair price for their product, and that it is being promoted properly in stores.
Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? It gets even better – the average food broker’s gross salary in Canada is almost $77,000 a year!
Ah, now we’ve got your attention! Before you start applying, though, it’s important to make sure you have the correct qualifications and experience for the job. Keep reading to learn about the steps to becoming a food broker.
Step 1: Earn Your High School Diploma
Most food brokers start their journey by graduating from high school. While this isn’t necessarily a highly technical field, it is helpful to have some basic education if you want to be successful.
It’s also not a bad idea for prospective food brokers to start getting some experience under their belt during this time. Many grocery stores will hire high school students on a part-time basis, so this would be a good place to start learning about the industry.
Step 2: Get a Bachelor’s Degree in a Related Field
While post-secondary education isn’t technically a requirement, it can certainly help you stand out in a competitive industry. If you do decide to go this route, try and choose a field that would be useful in a food broker position.
For example, a bachelor’s degree in agriculture or food science may help you understand more about the food production process. On the other hand, you could also go for something like finance or business. These may be helpful in your future negotiations with wholesale and retail stores.
Step 3: Obtain Certifications (If Required)
You may be required to obtain certifications in order to become a food broker in your area. Now, these requirements can vary considerably depending on where you live, so get in touch with your local health department to learn more.
Step 4: Get Some Experience
While having the right education and certifications are important, having the right experience can be extremely valuable for a food broker. In fact, having strong person-to-person sales skills is practically essential to finding success in this type of position.
If you don’t already have considerable skills in this area, then you may want to look into some entry-level sales jobs before applying at a food brokerage. While a lot of food brokers work independently, it is extremely helpful to build up connections through a brokerage before attempting to make it on your own.
Step 5: Earn Money
Even though you don’t necessarily need to have a bachelor’s degree or a ton of experience, these things will almost certainly help you out when it comes to making money. Food brokers typically work on commission, so your annual income is directly dependent on your ability to obtain clients and make sales.