Networking the vast MMJ network
If you are reading this blog, you most likely want to get a job in the medical marijuana industry or maybe even want to know how to open a marijuana dispensary…You have customer service and cash handling experience or you may have been a nurse or therapist working in the medical field AND you took a medical marijuana training class or two and still—no one is contacting you in response to your resume submissions. WHY???
The Medical Marijuana Industry is still very close knit and networking is the real “key” to getting in. Most people don’t get a medical marijuana job on the first application they submit unless they already knew someone, trust me. I hear it after every class we teach—”I submitted my resume and I’m not hearing anything back”. Well we’ve mentioned how popular this industry and the vast volume of resumes submitted for each position posted so you have some serious competition in getting that medical marijuana job at that dispensary that just opened up.
So – how do you get to “know” the right people in the medical marijuana industry to help your chances of starting a medical marijuana career? You volunteer-that’s how! We know everyone is busy with work and their friends or family, but if you really want to get in, you are going to have to put some time in so that you are “that person” who was in the right place at the right time.
Initial resume’s can look very similar from a skills and even desire point of view so it sometimes comes down to the final resume details that showcase tenacity and professionalism. You could just sit on your couch or behind your laptop and hope to get noticed, but when that doesn’t work, you are going to need a plan B. If you are in a state that is currently working on a petition to get Medical Marijuana on the 2016 ballot, like Florida for example, there are plenty of opportunities to work with groups, like United for Care. This advocacy group is out there trying to collect the signatures needed to ensure the Florida residents get a second chance to get out there and vote. There are also eleven states getting their initiatives together for a recreational bid in 2016. Get out and support ideas like “The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol” in MA which is backed by the Marijuana Policy Project out of DC who advocate religiously for reform and legalization. These groups all need volunteers to help get the message out. Just think of the elbows you are rubbing when you put yourself in places with a myriad of like minded medical marijuana professionals. I heard one job seeker complain that “all the people in those groups are old and boring”. Hmm – in my experience, those are the future business owners that you are referring to, so perhaps some respect and attentiveness may be a better option for you than complaining. Are you articulate and outgoing? There are plenty of “Canna-Conferences and Hemp Events” around the country now—and some of these marijuana seminars are local not-for profit advocacy groups and even NORML that could use help to man their booths and educate the people that stop by from potential business owners to card holders. Get involved with the signature drives where you walk around an event with a clipboard, getting voters to sign it in support. Now, you don’t have to be the “talker” if that’s not where your comfort lies. If you are the quieter type and prefer to be behind the scenes, these groups also need schedulers and organizers for these events so all skill sets are welcomed! Search medical marijuana events in your local area on the internet and via social media to stay up to date on what’s happening in your state.
We understand that your time is important, but if a job in the Medical Marijuana Industry is what you are striving for, you may have to carve out some of that time for your future career. #learntoearn
