The extensive span of the supply chain sector offers a plethora of possibilities to employees for career progression. The role of supply chain workers is required to contribute in order to manage the process of producing the goods and ensuring facing the end-consumer at the right time, keeping customer satisfaction intact while being profitable. An astounding majority of people are no longer working for one company for the whole of their career, as the average person switches jobs many times in his or her career. But it can be challenging because of plenty of options available and one wrong move can set you back in your career. Professionals possessing technical and soft skills can switch to the supply chain field as they can be an apt fit for this growing industry, with millions of new employees being added to the workforce. Professionals are not required to go under any formal or rigorous training if they find themselves interested in a supply chain career. Dynamic industry resulting in growing and rapidly changing career paths at the speed of light.
The 5 key skills necessary to fit into the supply chain role:
Continuous Improvement with neat techniques to improve the current role.
- Sound Understanding of Data Management –
Can analyze and utilize data for factual consideration and to be able to use it for improvements.
- High Learning Curve Aptitude –
Involves learning new concepts while implementing a career change and use this learning to improve the process
- Ability to Learn on the Job –
The mindset of being willing and able to learn on the job, when promoted for a new role in the same company. Quickly gets adjusted in a role to carry out the responsibilities on the job.
- Being a Team Player –
Vital trait to help a team alone is a prerequisite for anyone wanting to be a team leader/manager.
6 Strategies To Make a Career Change To Supply Chain:
Learn the Supply Chain Competencies, skills and demonstrate traits you need for the Supply Chain role.
Supply Chain Technical Skills – Supply Chain Management covers fields such as logistics management, materials management, and procurement.
Soft Skills such as communication, leadership, presentation skills, and emotional intelligence. Soft skills decide how you deal with people in your business and how well you connect
Technological skills: Grasping the emerging technological applications like cloud computing, Robotic Process, Smart Automation ensures that you are equipped with the latest digital and technological trends.
Show Supply Chain Competencies in Your Current Job
Gaining experience in a current role that has nothing to do with the supply chain field.
Try to understand the skills and competencies needed in a supply chain and traits that can be easily molded into your current role.
Start indulging in supply chain-related projects, and improve the material planning processes. Learning new skills and getting involved in projects helps you develop different skills and competencies to what you are currently trained for, and your desire to adopt for this progression within the company.
Compensating Lack of Experience in Supply Chain
How to compensate when you don’t have enough experience required for a career shift or job promotion, as they are based on an appropriate amount of experience that is typically required for applying for a job different from your existing job function?
Actively showing interest in the supply chain for example actively posting on social media accounts, getting engaged in conversations within the supply chain community, knowledge building through joining a network of the current trends in the supply chain.
This will provide you enough exposure to employers looking for a candidate with a broader perspective than just a specialist in the Supply chain.
Learn about Roles and Responsibilities in a Supply Chain
Understanding deeply the different levels and categories involved within the supply chain makes you fit for the roles that exist within the supply chain processes.
Each role has a specific set of functionalities and responsibilities. So, for procurement jobs, you have commodity managers, buyers, and quality engineers. Logistics & warehousing require supply chain planning, demand planning, forecasting. Candidates need to identify the new career path for better understanding to close the gap in knowledge and experience between your current role and the role you wish to embark upon for your career.
Customized and Tailor-made CV for the Supply Chain Industry
The CV and social profile must exhibit the skills you require for the role that you are applying for. Always emphasize on the key competencies and skills that can be tailor-made with transferable skills that are relevant for the job you are applying for.
Previous experience, along with the research and initiative should be mentioned clearly along with actual experience you have gained by applying for project opportunities.
Continual Growth – Learn, evolve, and grow in Supply Chain as Much as Possible
Even after possessing insurmountable years of expertise and knowledge in the Supply Chain, you can still opt for the advanced course imparting knowledge about best Practice Guides & Tools available in the Supply Chain Risk Management workshop, that will provide you with all the necessary hands-on knowledge you require from Career Change To Supply Chain.
Continued learning, networking, qualifications, and career transition makes your future ready to take advantage of opportunities as they arrive or as you create them in a constantly changing, ever-expanding industry. With suitable experience and skills, as a supply chain professional, you can help clients identify problems and implement solutions
I am also student of PGDM course in supply chain management and doing this form distance learning center and this blog really helped me.
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