14 Things to Know About Finding the Ultimate Logistics and Supply Chain Management Jobs

Are you considering starting a management career involving logistics and supply chains? You've chosen the perfect time to start finding one.

According to Fortune, by this year, 1.4 million logistics and supply chain management jobs will be open and ready for applications. With so many opportunities available right now, you should get started as soon as possible!

What do you need to know before you can take up one of these jobs?

That's a good question and we are here to help answer it!

Keep reading to discover 14 things that will help you land the perfect supply chain and logistics management position.

Know Exactly What Logistics and Supply Chain Management Jobs Entail

Before you can even get started applying for jobs, you need to understand what exactly a logistics and supply chain manager does.

Supply chain and logistics work revolves around producing goods of a certain kind and delivering them to a customer at a set time. This work also needs to be completed efficiently and affordably. It also needs to bring ample customer satisfaction.

There are many branches of this work, including product design, storage, transport, and sales. As a manager, it will be your job to oversee one of the multiple parts of these branches.

Understand the Three Flows of Supply Chain Management

In order to completely understand and succeed in any logistics and supply chain management job, you need to understand what the three flows of supply chain management are. This can help you get around just exactly what your job will likely focus on.

The first flow is called product flow. It involves the movement of a product from a supplier to the customer. It also concerns any product returns made by the customer.

The second flow is known as the information flow. This flow deals with the tracking of all deliveries and also involves keeping all delivery statuses constantly up to date.

The final flow is finances flow. As the name implies, this flow includes processing and scheduling payments. So, you need to have a good understanding of money to deal with this.

Find the Supply Chain Job That Suits Your Needs

When it comes to logistics and supply chain management jobs, you may be surprised to discover that they can vary greatly in terms of activities involved.

These activities can include anything from raw materials management to customer invoicing. Be sure that any managerial position you apply for is clearly defined in terms of the responsibilities involved. This is so you can be certain it's something you are interested in aspiring towards.

You Need Industry Specific Knowledge

Despite being so diverse, you will need to have some general supply chain skills and knowledge if you wish to get one of the many available logistics and supply chain managerial jobs.

These could include contract work or industry-specific training programs, anything that could make your CV stand out among the many hundreds that handed in for supply chain jobs every week.

You Also Need Knowledge of Data and Processes

As a fundamental part of supply chain managerial work, you need to have a good grasp of the facts and figures. For a supply chain to function correctly, everything needs to be measured and calculated correctly right down to the final number.

In this job, you'll need to not only understand the data you receive but also be able to draw conclusions from it and take justifiable action with it in mind. You may also need to be able to utilize IT and other tools in order to do this.

If this sounds doable to you, this might be the type of role for you!

Networking is Good

This may be surprising, but networking can actually assist you in finding one of many logistics and supply chain management jobs. Through conferences and talking to past and present colleagues at different jobs, you may find that you will discover job positions you never even knew about.

Therefore, networking is a practice you should keep close to heart. If you don't have the time or stamina to build a great network yourself, you can reach out to professional services who will utilize their network to help you find that next job. 

Get Supply Chain Certification

If you want to guarantee yourself one of the hundreds of available logistics and supply chain management jobs, you should consider getting official certification.

There are a variety of certifications you can get, including Certification in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) or you can become a Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM). With something to prove your knowledge of supply chain managerial work, you're much more likely to get noticed.

You Can Start from the Bottom

If you're not in a position to earn any sort of certification, you can work your way up into one of many logistics and supply chain management jobs available on the market. You can start at an entry-level position as a warehouse operative or a supply chain analyst.

It may take a while and require changes in job types, but not only will you gain valuable knowledge, you'll also be seen as a reliable worker and you will reap the rewards for it. If you need assistance finding a supply chain related job, you can get help right here.

Prepare Yourself for Workplace

As a supply chain manager, you may find yourself working in an office environment that is close to a related manufacturing area or production floor. You may also be expected to travel to other sites if you are visiting new manufacturers.

If this is something you aren't used to, you might like to do some research or talk to some people currently in the business to get an understanding of what the workplace is like. That way, you won't receive any shocks when you step into the workplace for the first time.

Know the Job Market You Are Entering and Be Flexible

The scope of industries that utilize supply chain jobs varies greatly too. These industries include healthcare, aerospace, defense, electronics and even packaged goods.

As market requirements and technology changes, be sure to expect these supply chain managerial roles to evolve and change as well.

In fact, it's highly beneficial to you if you are aware of these changes and are flexible to them. According to a 2017 salary survey by Logistics Management, managers who were highly knowledgeable about the new e-commerce were on average making an annual salary of $105,000.

Compared to their less knowledgeable counterparts that only make an average of $73,500 a year, this tiny bit of flexibility in technological knowledge certainly goes a long way.

Know Your Own Strengths and Talents

If you want to start a successful career in one of many logistics and supply chain management jobs, you need to be aware of your own strengths and talents.

If you are currently studying at a university, you may find that their career assessment tools can help you discover what your hidden strengths and talents are. You can also talk to guidance counselors who can help you discover where your strengths lie.

With so many different supply chain management positions available, there is bound to be one where you can let your strengths shine.

Keep Up with Supply Chain News and Trends

With news and technologies constantly updating, it's important to stay up to date with any new information you can find about supply chain management positions. This can help you decide which path you want to focus your career on and it can make you stand out during an interview.

The best way you can find supply chain information is by doing regular Google searches, bookmarking websites which keep up to date with supply chain related news and also by setting up an RSS news reader which searches the internet for articles you're specifically after.

Get Some Real World Experience

As the job market gets more popular and competition grows, you may find it difficult to get yourself one of the logistics and supply chain management jobs available. To help set yourself apart, consider trying to find an internship which aligns with the type of supply chain job you want to apply for.

Not only can it give you real-world experience, but also it can show you people who may be looking to hire someone in your line of interest.

These internships can be available through various universities as well as with a supply chain association job board.

Don't Doubt Yourself For a Single Second

According to Teddy Lee Knox, who worked in marketing before going onto a supply chain job, you shouldn't doubt your abilities even if you don't have a degree that involves supply chains.

She has a great point with this. Even if you don't feel as though you have the skill set or the knowledge, you will gain this experience as you continue with your supply chain job.