Preparing for Your First Landscaping Job

You've landed your first landscaping job with a professional landscape company. Awesome! So what now?

What should you expect, and how can you prepare for your first day at work as a landscaper? Is it any different from doing yard work around your own house? We're going to look at these questions and give you some tips about how you can prepare for your first day working as a landscaper.

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Working in the Landscape Industry

Working at a professional landscaping company is significantly different from doing yard work around your own property. You may have grown up gardening with grandma every summer and doing your own yard work, but that doesn't mean professional landscaping will be a breeze. Once you're employed by a landscaping company, it's not just about being able to do the work. It's about being able to do the work profitably.

As a landscape professional, you must be able to deliver quality work with maximum efficiency so the customer is happy and the company is profitable. Working on your own yard, you can take your time, go inside for a break, and choose the time of day you want to do the work. Working at a professional company, you have to go non-stop in a race against the clock, while making sure everything is done properly without cutting corners. You are getting paid, so you're expected to produce results.

​You will need to continuously push yourself to go faster and work harder. Your body can and will adapt to the strenuous labor, but the first few weeks will be very tough for most new landscapers. You just have to have the will-power to push through the physical discomfort and pain you will feel at first. This is why many people quit during their first week, if not the first day.

What You'll be Doing

Since you're "the new guy" you'll probably start out doing work such as trash collection and pulling weeds if you're working on a lawn crew. On an installation crew, you can expect to be running a shovel, pushing a wheelbarrow, and stacking pavers. You will have to prove you're capable of this work first.

​During your first few days, you will likely receive minimal training. The crew supervisor needs to see that you're not going to quit before they invest the time into giving you hands-on training. As time goes on, your crew supervisor should begin training you in other, more detail-oriented tasks.

You may act as a "floater" for a while if the company has several crews. You should come prepared to do any number of jobs each day. If the company does lawn care and installation work, you may be cutting grass one day and laying patios the next. This can last for a while until you get a permanent crew assignment.

What to Bring

Crew weedeating a roadway

As a landscaper, the most important thing to bring to work each day is a good supply of water. Bringing a gallon jug of water or more is NOT overkill, especially in the summer. You will be going through A LOT of water everyday. In summertime, you are soaked in sweat from the time you set foot on the yard to the time you pull out of the gate to go home. Wash out an empty milk jug and fill it with water to bring with you each day. Consider investing in a hydration pack to easily keep water with you while you're working. It's worth every penny when you have a two or three mile walk back to the truck after weedeating a roadway in triple digit heat.

Drink plenty of water beforehand as well. You can ask your employer if they supply the crews with any refreshments or provisions for the day. For example, during the summertime at Real Turf Solutions, our crews are provided a cooler and a daily bag of ice for each truck, but crew members must bring their own drinks. 

Do NOT drink caffeinated drinks! They will dehydrate you more!

During the summer months, you should plan to bring everything you need to beat the heat each day. The heat is not something to underestimate, especially if you're in a climate where summer temperatures consistently climb to 90+. Many landscape workers go to the hospital every year due to heat exhaustion, dehydration, etc.

Don't be shy about packing a backpack with everything you need and keep it with you in the truck.​

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Here are the essentials to have each day:

• Water
• Sunscreen
• Work Gloves
• Snacks
• Lunch or money to buy lunch
• More water

​You may also want to consider bringing other supplies to fight the heat. Some guys bring towels, their own mini-cooler, and other things. The sun will get very intense beating down on you on clear days. In the middle of summer when you are out all day with the sun constantly shining down on your neck, investing in a wide-brim hat with a neck shade will make life much more pleasant for you. The shade it provides will be your best friend at 3:00 P.M. on a day in late July when it's 110 degrees with 100% humidity.

Perhaps the most important thing to bring each day is a positive, can-do attitude. If you tell yourself that the job is going to suck, it will. If you tell yourself you can't do it, you'll end up quitting. Show up to work with a positive attitude, and smile on your face, and you'll have a much better day out on the truck. Nobody is going to expect you to run circles your first day working as a landscaper. Just give it your best, and be open to learning new things.

Are you looking for a job in the landscaping industry? If you live in Middle Georgia, we'd love for you to apply with us here at Real Turf Solutions! We are always looking to hire committed, hard workers. Check out our careers and job opportunities page at the link below to browse current job openings, learn more about working at Real Turf Solutions, and submit your job application today!

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