Students & Other Aspiring Talent
Your Major Has a Future in Pest Management. Seriously.
You've probably never thought about pest management as a career. That's exactly why we built LAUNCH.
The pest management industry is a $13+ billion sector of the American economy — growing every year, recession-resistant, and actively recruiting talent from virtually every academic discipline. Business. Technology. Biology. Marketing. Data analytics. Finance. Operations. HR. Environmental science. Public policy. If you study it, there's a career for it here.
At LAUNCH: Pest Management Career Summit, you'll spend three days at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, discovering what that means for you. Take on team projects and challenges. Walk the career fair floor and talk directly to employers who are hiring. Attend professional development sessions led by industry leaders from the National Gallery of Art, the USDA, private equity firms, and the country's top pest control companies. Then head to a networking reception, grab a professional headshot, and cheer on your school at the closing ceremony.
What You'll Do*
- Compete in team projects & challenges — Team-based business and technical challenges that let students put their skills to the test, with school representation and recognition for top performers.
- Take on hands-on field challenges: mock pest inspections, termite treatments, bed bug response,
- fumigation, and more
Walk the Employer Engagement Zone career fair and meet companies hiring across business, science, technology, and operations - Attend professional development sessions tailored to your discipline
- Get a free professional headshot
- Network with students from schools across the Southeast at breakfasts, lunches, and evening receptions
- Watch your school compete for university-level recognition at the Closing Ceremony
Professional Development Sessions*
Technical Track
- Pest Management as Protectors of Public Health — featuring industry technical directors
- Exciting Alternative Careers for Technical Specialists — IPM specialists from the National Gallery of Art, NPMA, and the Smithsonian share their career paths
- Entomology Research Roles and Career Paths — researchers from academia and the USDA
Business Track
- Understanding the Business of Pest Control for Future Entrepreneurs — traditional and private equity business owners discuss profitability, startups, and acquisitions
- Understanding Pest Control Policy — how advocacy and regulation shape the industry
- Marketing Matters — how AI and digital tools are reshaping pest management marketing and what career paths look like in this space
Most students who attend come skeptical. Most leave with employer contacts, new friends, and a clearer sense of where they're headed.
*Final program subject to change.
| Need help covering the cost of attending? Financial support is available to help students attend LAUNCH. Fill out the interest form below to be considered. |
Why Pest Management?
A career that matters. Pest management professionals protect homes, food, hospitals, schools, and businesses from pests that carry disease, contaminate food, and damage property. Alongside better sanitation and modern medicine, pest control is one of the quiet reasons we live healthier, longer lives. People in this industry do work that matters every day.
An industry that keeps growing. Pest management is a $13+ billion industry in the U.S., and demand doesn’t follow trends or seasons. Pests are always a problem, so companies are always hiring. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects pest control jobs to grow faster than the average for trade and skilled occupations, and exterminators made U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 list of the top 10 best maintenance and repair jobs.
More than one path. Pest control isn’t only about the technician in the truck, though those roles are in high demand and a good place to start. Companies also need people in:
- Business: sales, marketing, finance, HR, operations, and management
- Technology: data, digital tools, fleet systems, and customer technology
- Science: entomology, biology, public health, and research
- Service: field technicians, customer care, and client relations
Whatever you’re studying, there’s a place for you here.
Room to grow. Many of the industry’s leaders, including owners and executives, started in the field. Strong performers can move into supervisory, management, and corporate roles, or go on to run a business of their own.
Why LAUNCH? Most students have never thought about pest management as a career. LAUNCH puts you in the same room as the companies hiring now, so you can see what the work involves, test yourself in team-based Challenges, and leave with real connections.
| Need help covering the cost of attending? Financial support is available to help students attend LAUNCH. Fill out the interest form below to be considered. |
