Maggie Shea: The Buffalo News: Looking for a job in the pot industry? Don't say cannabis

Maggie Shea of StaffBuffalo and HRBuffalo quoted by The Buffalo News, discusses the complexities of applying for a job in the cannabis industry in New York State. Click to read the full article.

“By Samantha Christmann - Reporter, The Buffalo News

In some ways, applying for a job in cannabis is like applying for a job in any other industry. In other ways, it's like nothing any job seeker has ever done before.

That's because the industry is brand new in the state and, though it is legal in New York, cannabis is still federally prohibited. That brings a host of complications and pitfalls, and has companies walking a legal tightrope that makes for some important distinctions job seekers should be aware of.

A business using the term cannabis anywhere in its correspondence, name or online presence puts it at risk. That's why cannabis businesses will not usually use the words cannabis, marijuana, pot or weed in their job postings.

Keywords are crucial when it comes to searching and applying for jobs online, said Maggie Shea, a partner at staffing agency StaffBuffalo. Her company specializes in translating cannabis terms to the types of keywords those companies use and look for.

"You've got to get those keywords in there," she said.

If you're looking for a job at a grow operation, you'll want to use industry-specific words and phrases. 

"You might already be doing all these things, this just makes it more corporate," Shea said.

"You may have one part of the skills set we can upskill to be more valuable," Shea said.

Even if you don't have industry-specific experience, you likely do have skills that translate, she said.”