Pia carves a career with purpose

As a university student, Pia Piggott admits it was the handsome $15,000 scholarship that first piqued her interest in the Rabo Tertiary Pathways Scholarship – yet little did this Perth student know how fateful her decision to apply would prove.

A successful applicant in the program’s 2021 intake, Pia spent her final year of an economics and agricultural science degree at The University of Western Australia interning with Rabobank.

The scholarship money, she said, also took the pressure off during her final year of study.

Today, 18 months later, Pia is now part of the globally-renowned RaboResearch team, working out of Rabobank’s head office in Sydney, in an industry she loves.

“For final year students, there are a lot of internship opportunities, however not many specifically catered towards agriculture, and I couldn’t find any with such a generous scholarship.”

“For me the Rabobank internship was the perfect opportunity to access the industry,” she said.

Growing up in Fremantle, with no formal farming background, she laughs that McLeod’s Daughters may well have been agriculture’s PR masterstroke of modern history.

“The lifestyle of rural Australia really appealed to me, I loved McLeod’s Daughters when I was young, and I guess that really stayed with me – although I now live in Sydney!”

Ultimately it was her enjoyment of economics and biology that opened the door towards a career in ag.

“In a sense agriculture is really just the business application of biology, and it was a path I was keen to explore, and includes so much scope to move around.”

“All I really knew throughout university was that I wanted to keep my career options open – an ag science and economics degree affords such a diverse skills base, and agriculture encompasses such a broad scope, the prospects were always going to be exciting.”  

Pia is also passionate about maintaining a purpose-led life, and believes ag is one of the most purposeful jobs in the world.

“We need to be supporting the farmers who feed and clothe the world, particularly as we face the challenges of feeding a growing population more sustainably – it’s an area I’m proud to be contributing to, that makes a meaningful difference to households across the globe.

While her internship, which she completed in the Perth office, provided her an opportunity to learn the ins-and-outs of rural banking, it also exposed her to the breadth of opportunity within Rabobank, with RaboResearch emerging as an ideal fit.

“I worked on a few land values and horticultural projects and found it so fascinating, I really enjoyed the process, and the team who were so generous mentoring me during my internship.”

When the opportunity to take on a full-time role as Rabobank’s RaboResearch horticultural analyst presented, Pia didn’t hesitate.

“Horticulture is so broad, and encompasses so many sectors, it’s been a really challenging and rewarding role and I’ve learnt so much already.”

With the RaboResearch team also frequently out on the road presenting insights to local farmers, and working with the national media to further spread knowledge, Pia said she loved the opportunity to work in the data and analytics space creatively.

“You can research all you want, but to make your insights impactful you need a good story behind it.”

“I enjoy working with the media to help share our findings, and ensuring Australia’s agricultural industry is armed with the most up-to-date research to help them make the best decisions for their business.”

She encouraged university students interested in agriculture to apply for the Rabo Tertiary Pathways Scholarship, and said you just never know where that path may lead.

“This program led to my first job in the industry, and is a great opportunity for young people keen to start their career in agriculture”.