The Results-Oriented Forestry Workplace

Forestry jobs, whether planting, pruning or fighting fires, are involved in a lot of detail. When forestry people are so engrossed in the details of their jobs, it's easy for them, for anyone actually, to lose sight of the job's major contribution.

A Results-Oriented Forestry Job Description is different from a traditional job description because it focuses an employee on the several job results that answer the question: What results must this forestry job accomplish for the organization?

Forestry Job Standards added to job expectations tighten management controls by clarifying how well and when results must be accomplished.

Forestry Job Objectives establish management and employee plans by highlighting important current and future results needed.

Job-specific Forestry Employee Management Forms maintain consistent and legally sound management actions by basing manager-employee interactions on job results.

The Purpose of Forestry Jobs

Stated in a results-oriented, three-line style, forestry jobs--

DEVELOPS AND MAINTAINS FORESTS by

surveying and mapping forest areas; estimating standing timber and future growth; planning forestation and reforestation projects; planning cutting programs; implementing flood control, soil erosion, tree disease, and pest control programs; enforcing laws; fighting fires.

Types of Forestry Jobs

One forestry job watches over the growth and destruction of forests in order to maintain their vitality-recording topographical and environmental data, tree species and population, disease and pest damage, seedling mortality, and timber available for harvest.

Other jobs collect seed cones and plant seedlings. Still other jobs patrol forest areas, enforce laws, identify fire danger conditions, prepare fire breaks, and fight fires. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the forestry people and processes.

Forestry Job Management Tools

Here are actual job examples of how forestry job actions can be focused on results and kept on track using each of our job management tools:

Results-Oriented Forestry Job Descriptions form the foundation of all job management tools. Our uniquely structured job descriptions focus on the result to be accomplished first and prominently, followed by the duties performed in order to accomplish the result. For example,

RECOMMENDS FORESTRY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Forestry Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the forestry results must be accomplished and what benchmarks will be used to measure job results. For example, for the job result above, the job standards might be:

• Forestry situations are correctly understood.
• All options are identified and evaluated.
• Forestry recommendations are ready when needed.

Forestry Job Objectives point the direction for employee actions by focusing job efforts on current and future forestry issues. Job objectives are written in the three-line, results-oriented structure. For example, for the job result above, a job objective might be:

SPEED-UP DECISION MAKING by

reducing time to deliver forestry recommendations by 10% by (date).

Forestry Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each forestry job description are more helpful (and legal) than generic forms used for all different kinds of jobs. Job-specific forms are used to state job qualifications, guide job interview questions, orient new employees, plan job training, and appraise job performance.

Forestry Job Qualifications are stated in the same terms used in the job description. They are not translated into generic (typically behavioral) terms. For example:

RECOMMENDS FORESTRY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Forestry Job Interview guide questions are inserted directly below each job result in the job description: For example:

• "What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?"
• "Where did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "When did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?"
• "What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?"
• "In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?"
• "How did you overcome the challenges?"

The Forestry Job Orientation guide reformats the job description sequence so that job explanations, policies, protocols, processes, and procedures are logical and complete and can easily be checked off. For example:

RECOMMENDS FORESTRY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Here's the procedure and format we use to analyze and present forestry recommendations."

The Forestry Job Training plan guides a thorough examination of actual job knowledge, skills, and abilities as described in the job description that need improvement or that might be enhanced. For example:

RECOMMENDS FORESTRY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Analytical skills would be improved by enrolling in a statistical analysis class."

The Forestry Job Performance Appraisal guide is a job-specific form. It is not a universal form used for all jobs. The guide adds an appraisal scale below each job result in the job description so that attention can be drawn to each job requirement and expectation. For example:

RECOMMENDS FORESTRY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

__ Great! Just want we wanted.
__ We have a problem.
__ Improvement is needed.
__ Much, much more than we asked for.

Comments: _________________

Forestry Résumé Template

Potential employers want to know what a job applicant has accomplished in his/her forestry work career. They don't want to be bored with minor details. Our Résumé Template provides:

• an outline to help assemble personal background information.
• a Results-Oriented Job Description to provide the forestry job language-focused on results-needed to write an effective résumé.
• Forestry Job Objectives to orient thinking in terms of accomplishments.
• instructions on how to use a Results-Oriented Forestry Job Description and Forestry Job Objectives to express job accomplishments.

Use the forestry job description responsibility statement as a base:

RECOMMENDS FORESTRY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Select the forestry job objective that fits your experience:

REDUCE COSTS 10% by

improving forestry processes.

Combine the two into a résumé statement:

Reduced costs 10% by analyzing, identifying, and recommending new forestry system controls.

Forestry Career Links

Society of American Foresters, A Career in Forestry

Provides access to information and networking opportunities to prepare members for the challenges and the changes that face natural resource professionals.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Forest, Conservation and Logging Workers

Learn about the training and education needed for forest, conservation and logging workers jobs, earnings, expected job prospects, what workers do on the job, and working conditions.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Conservation Scientists and Foresters

Learn about the training and education needed for conservation scientist and forester jobs, earnings, expected job prospects, what conservation scientists and foresters do on the job, and working conditions.

About.com, Career in Forestry

Sources for forest employment, forestry career help, and ways to get needed forestry education and experience.

Mississippi State University, Department of Forestry

Academics, salaries, private opportunities, government opportunities.

Tree Foundation of Kern, 50 Careers in Trees

Dedicated to neighborhood enhancement by planting and caring for trees.

State of Virginia, Department of Forestry

Jobs and employment information.