Taking The Initiative

As admin of a handful of relief milking groups on Facebook I’ve gained some insights into how farmers and job seekers interact with one another online. One recurring pattern I’ve noticed is this: a farmer posts an advertisement looking for a relief milker, but instead of private messaging or phoning the farmer to express interest, many people simply comment on the post asking the farmer to contact them.

If you’re a relief milker, I want to take a moment to explain why this approach is counterproductive, assuming that you’re serious about securing jobs and making good money.

Firstly, let’s think about it from the farmer’s perspective. They’ve already taken the time to write and post the job. Their goal is to find someone reliable and proactive to fill the role. If you’re asking the farmer to chase you up, instead of you contacting them, it can easily come across as a lack of initiative and motivation.

After all, relief milking isn’t a passive job — it requires responsibility, punctuality, and a go-getter attitude. If you’re unable to do something as simple as contact a farmer online or pick up a phone, how are you going to cope when it comes to doing the actual job, and getting up at 4am (if not earlier) in the wind and rain to drive to work?

When you contact a farmer directly, you’re doing more than just expressing interest; you’re showing that you’re motivated, organised, and serious about the opportunity. It’s a simple yet effective way to make a strong first impression.

Imagine being a farmer scrolling through dozens of ‘message me’ or ‘call me’ comments. These don’t really tell them anything about you, your skills, or your availability. A private message or phone call, on the other hand, can include:

A brief introduction about yourself

Your experience with relief milking (or farming in general)

Your location and availability

Any relevant references or skills that set you apart

By reaching out directly, you’re making their job a lot easier and showing that you’re genuinely interested in helping them out, and you’re making yourself stand out from the crowd who just shout ‘PM me!’.

Ultimately, it’s about taking the kind of proactive approach that reflects the qualities farmers are looking for in a relief milker. When you take the initiative to contact them first, you’re not just securing more opportunities, you’re setting the tone for a professional and dependable working relationship.

So, the next time you see a job posted in our group, resist the urge to type ‘message me’ or ‘call me’ and instead craft a thoughtful, direct message or phone call to the farmer. It could be the difference between being overlooked and being hired.

As the saying goes, ‘you snooze, you lose’.

Note:

There are a few farmers who, for reasons of their own, choose to post their jobs as ‘anonymous members’, in which case it’s impossible for relief milkers to take the initiative with first contact (unless a phone number has been posted) because the farmers have decided to remain ‘anonymous’. In these circumstances, the relief milkers will have no choice but to request a private message or phone call in the comment section of the posts.