Home » Working Women » Careers - Other Options » Qualifications to Enter Tea Industry Being away from the city is adequately compensated with handsome salary and perks. Sometimes much beyond a counterpart in the city.

While it was true that until a decade ago anyone with a good educational background could get an employment in the tea industry and learn the skills on job, the trend is different today. Preference is given to Graduates in agricultural sciences. A degree in Agricultural Science or a B.Sc. in Botany, Food Sciences, Horticulture or allied fields is the preferred background today. Candidates who have specialised in business management or marketing are recruited for marketing jobs.

Tea tasters are trained on the job. Besides honing their skills in tasting, they need to whet their managerial and marketing capabilities too. The Tea Tasters Academy in Coonoor in the Nilgiris offers training for new entrants.

Usually new entrants are taken on as assistants at the plantation level. Only after he has had enough experience and competence will an assistant be promoted as manager. This could mean a period of twelve to fifteen years.

Those academically inclined may get into research positions open at many tea plantations. The Tea Research Association at Jorhat (Assam) is a premier organisation where pioneering work is being done in the field of research.