The other side of farming: Harry shares his agribusiness experience

Originally from South Korea, Harry Jiwon Han moved to Australia to be closer to his family in Mildura.

As a finance administrative officer at an agricultural company, Harry spends his days working with numbers. Farming is a family business, which is what first drew him to the world of horticulture and the agriculture industry.

“I never really had an interest in working outdoors, but I wanted to get involved,” he remembers. “Since I was young, I knew I’d end up in an office. I’m more introverted than extroverted, so finance and administration has been a great fit for me.”

While Harry initially studied a Certificate III in Horticulture, he soon realised his true passion was in finance and undertook a study pathway towards accounting.

“My first six months was the Certificate IV level, the next six months was the diploma and then the last six months was the advanced diploma which is credited towards my bachelor degree,” Harry explains. “It’s been a fantastic and fast pathway.”

He adds, “I found it really practical because in a sense, it’s not really an academic qualification. It prepares you for work straight away.”

For Harry, TAFE provided practical experience and knowledge that allowed him to keep studying and enjoy the process of the course.

“I was able to save money and save time, and build my experience and my education at the same time,” he says.

Harry has found that Mildura is a booming location for the farming industry, although he could still use his skills if he ever decided to return to South Korea.

“Korea is a lot smaller compared to Australia,” he explains. “So the focus there would be horticulture and smaller scale farming, as opposed to agriculture and larger scale farming.”

Harry has been pleasantly surprised by the opportunity to practice skills that come naturally to him, while also working in an industry that is typically seen as hands-on.

“We can’t predict everything that mother nature will throw at us, that’s why it’s important to have balance and range across the industry,” he says. “The business side complements the outdoor farming side so well.”