Get a Job: Five Hottest Cannabis Fields in 2017

Karson Humiston knows how to help you get a job — and how to create your own. At 24, she's the CEO and founder of Vangst Talent Network (formerly Graduajana), a company she started in college. Vangst will be holding a career fair on Thursday, January 19, to help anyone interested in the cannabis industry learn more about the available opportunities.

"Most of the country is beginning to see that the cannabis industry is a huge job creator, and it's really only going to get bigger," Humiston says. "A lot of the candidates who come aren't in the industry yet, but they like what they do and feel they can apply their skill sets to this industry. I think at this point, that's what the industry is looking for."

Here are the five areas Humiston sees as the main job opportunities in the cannabis industry.

1. Retail

Whether you're a director of retail operations, a general manager or a storefront representative, dispensaries around the country are looking for top-notch retail professionals. Retail rock stars in the cannabis industry typically have a background in traditional retail, hospitality or restaurants; there are currently 37,000 to 52,000 people employed in the cannabis retail space, according to Humiston.

2. Cultivation

Cultivation facilities around the country are looking for everything from master growers to supply-chain managers. Cultivation employees in the cannabis industry typically have a background in large-scale commercial agriculture or horticulture. There are currently 15,000 to 27,000 employees in the cannabis cultivation field.

3. Sales

Whether you're at the VP level or an entry-level associate, rapidly growing cannabis companies across the country are looking for top sales professionals to accelerate their expansion, Humiston says. Sales professionals in the cannabis industry have a wide range of experience, from pharmaceutical sales to technology sales, and the industry welcomes all types of backgrounds. There are currently 25,000 to 30,000 people employed in the cannabis sales space.

4. Extraction

Cannabis labs are looking for top talent to run their labs, from chemical engineers to microbiologists to organic chemists. There are currently 5,500 to 8,000 people employed in extraction-related roles, Humiston estimates.

5. Finance

From CFOs to financial analysts to staff accountants, the cannabis industry is in need of finance professionals to help navigate the difficulties of cannabis capital.

If you plan on attending the career fair on the 19th, enter "Westword" when signing up for tickets to complimentary entry.

The code is "Westword."