Procurement jobs are increasingly becoming respected career positions, which can take you all the way to Chief Procurement Officer. If you want a long-term professional career in this area, you will need a four-year college degree related to logistics and procurement. However, for the top jobs you will generally also require a Master's degree in an appropriate field. Many Chief Procurement Officers have an MBA along with a relevant Bachelor's degree.
A job search in logistics can be easier for college graduates if they have undertaken appropriate internships during college. It can be a frustrating experience to graduate with good grades only to discover that employers still want relevant experience. This can leave college leavers scratching their heads and wondering at the unfairness of the systems of the world. Internships are a solution to this problem if you take action early enough in your college career. Some internships are more valuable than others, so it is important to choose an opportunity, which will give you valuable experience that can help you into a real job. It is important to remember that internships are not jobs that start at the bottom, so don't buy the argument that everyone has to start out sweeping floors or making coffee. You are working for nothing or very low income in an internship. In return, it is quite reasonable to expect to receive genuine work experience.
For new graduates, the college careers office should be your first port of call to find suitable entry- level procurement jobs. Ask if the college has positive relationships with alumni who might be willing to give you a helping hand. This is often the case, so it is worthwhile checking out. Alumni associations often have social get-togethers with current students and encourage their members to create workplace opportunities for new graduates.
The next step in your job search in logistics should be to contact your internship supervisors. These individuals trained you and monitored your performance so they will be in a good position to recommend you to other employers or to contact the human resources department in their own organizations about employing you. Once you have completed an internship, remember to send a note thanking your supervisor for the experience. Try and maintain workplace relationships, to the extent possible. Many jobs are offered as a result of whom you know rather than what you know. So make the best use of your internships.
Once you have done these things or if you have been working for a while, your job search in logistics should take you to online job sites. There are specialist sites for procurement and logistics jobs and there are large generalist job sites that advertise positions across all job types. You can locate these job boards by simply doing an Internet search for them. When you search for the smaller specialist sites add the location you are interested in working in to find sites, which are relevant to you. The large job boards allow you to search on their sites by region as well as category and even salary making your job search easy. Online job sites generally allow you to apply online and most offer an email alert service to notify you when new jobs become available, which match your specifications.
Professional associations can also be a source of procurement jobs. It's worth becoming a member of both state and national organizations for the many benefits they can offer. You can also record your memberships on your resume, which can add to your credibility and increase your job prospects. Their online websites often advertise vacant positions.
If you have already been in a long- term career in this area, you can start looking for top jobs in logistics procurement. Ideally, you should take the opportunity to network in your various procurement jobs. Building relationships with colleagues, suppliers, clients, and others related to your business can lead to job opportunities and help to keep your career on track.
If you are looking for top jobs, your job search in logistics should also include executive recruitment agencies and recruitment companies specializing in procurement and logistics. Specialist recruitment agencies can also benefit anyone looking for procurement jobs from new graduates to more experienced individuals. You can get an idea of which recruitment companies specialize in logistics procurement by doing an Internet search.
As the economy slows, procurement jobs become more important. Companies need to slash costs and centralize spending. If you have the qualifications and experience to work in this field, it only makes sense to do so in these difficult economic times. Why would you settle for a less secure job when you can get one in logistics procurement?
