Frequently Asked Questions 💬

Depending on your background and experience, your journey to becoming a greenkeeper or a member of groundstaff can vary. Many careers and activities under the horticulture umbrella often cross reference and become relatable to other topics. Plants are plants, and most require a similar form of maintenance. 

For somebody with experience in another sector of horticulture or even agriculture, you may find searching for a job in sports turf slightly easier. That’s because you likely already have experience with machinery, irrigation, maintaining lawns, and other relevant skills. In this scenario, we recommend looking for either standard greenkeeper or groundstaff positions or an apprenticeship if you’re looking to attend college alongside your work.

For somebody without an experience, we recommend starting from the beginning. No matter your age, an apprenticeship is a good option to consider, Alternatively, greenkeeper or groundstaff positions are the best places to start looking.

Yes. Volunteering in your preferred job role is one of the easiest and quickest ways to boost your experience. This helps you to avoid the cycle of needing experience to get a job, but being unable to get experience because no one will hire you. Top-class venues often take on volunteers during busy periods or large-scale events. It’s a great way to learn new skills and meet others within the industry. You never know where you’ll be working, or who with, next! 

Understandably, not everyone is able to juggle a full-time job with caring for their family and taking on a voluntary role. Online courses are a good opportunity to gain knowledge, if not practical skills, in the industry. Most associations, turf-based colleges, and leading bodies now offer some form of education. For grounds, we recommended visiting the GMA website. Courses can be found for as little as £25, with a large variety of sports, including football, rugby, cricket, race courses, and more. For golf related courses, we recommend speaking to BIGGA. Links below.

https://www.thegma.org.uk/learning/qualifications

https://www.bigga.org.uk/education.html

One of the easiest ways to find apprenticeships is to search on your local government websites. If you’re applying from overseas, this may be more difficult and you may need to consider gaining experience in your current place of residence. You can also check our Useful Links section to find advertised positions:

https://internationalgreenkeepers.com/useful-links/

The process of obtaining a work visa depends on your country of residence and where you’re planning to work. Some temporary overseas visas are relatively easy to obtain, while others are more challenging. We recommend searching on the government website of the country you wish to work in. Visas can be very complex, so it may be worth contacting an agency to help with your applications and choice of visa. 

We’ve put together a useful links section on our website under the careers board, where you can find a range of job listings from around the world. That way, you’ll only need one saved link in your bookmarks.

https://internationalgreenkeepers.com/useful-links