All that means “a lot of people are trying to transition into the industry right now,” says JR Hindman, founder of Marijuana Resumes, which has been providing job seekers with resumes and cover letters coded for the industry since 2016. “They’re unemployed, sitting at home, and thinking, ‘what is my next move? Why not switch gears and pursue a career I never thought possible?’ These are weird times, so why not get weird with it?” QUANTITY DRIVING QUALITY In July, HempStaff advertised a customer service job in Los Angeles. More than 1,600 people applied. “Companies are running into the issue where they have an abundance of people applying for jobs, and they have to sort through them,” says Arfsten. “There is definitely an increase in the talent pool—like the old saying goes, quantity drives quality.” In addition to all the newcomers from shuttered restaurants and retail hubs, the cannabis industry was already accumulating a stable of experienced workers laid off as the young industry went through some necessary reality checks in the months leading up to Covid. After being out of work for upwards of six months, Yagielo says, these professionals are willing to take a pay cut if it means steady employment. He has seen master growers’ salaries drop from upwards of $100,000 to $80,000. “I used to tell people it would take six to eight months to break into the industry,” Yagielo says. “Now, who knows how long it’s going to be. We’re seeing people with industry experience take six to eight months to find a job.”
“EVEN THOUGH THERE’S TONS OF OPPORTUNITY IN CANNABIS, IT HASN’T BECOME EASIER TO GET IN.”
LEAN OPERATIONS Industry recruiting platform Vangst surveyed 39 US companies about their hiring intentions this year and found that 36% reduced headcount while another 33% used temporary employee furloughs in response to the pandemic. SOURCE: 420 Intel
—Brian Sekandi, cofounder of Careers Cannabis
LOW AND SLOW Wildly uncertain economic times certainly aren’t helping job seekers right now, as a lot of companies take a more conservative approach and slow down on hiring until they have a better sense of what the future holds. “Unfortunately for individuals in this market, even though there’s tons of opportunity in cannabis, it hasn’t become easi-
er to get in,” says Sekandi. On top of all the barriers to entry, the type of jobs available and how much they pay have both been diminished since the pandemic hit, Yagielo says. Budtending jobs, which pay between $12.50 and $18 an hour, are the most abundant and available. Budtending has been the most common way of breaking into the industry since the beO C TO B E R 2020
S E N S I M AG .C O M
59