Category: Professional Development
10 Common Interview Mistakes to Avoid
When it comes to interviewing within the supply chain discipline, in person or over the phone or video the competition can be fierce, and the last thing you want to do is to be ruled out of a job you are qualified for because of simple interview mistakes. While I’ve covered supply chain interviewing tips in the past, here’s a list of the most common supply chain interview mistakes I’ve seen candidates make that can negatively influence the hiring manager’s decision. Badmouthing Former Employers Criticizing a former employer, manager, or peers will only make you look bad. You will [...]
Top Tactics to Advance Your Procurement Career at Your Current Company
In planning your procurement career, earning job promotions at your employer is a great way to reach your goals sooner, as opposed to transitioning employers every two to three years. This is especially true if you can get in with a high-growth company that has a strong focus on talent development and promotion from within. Are there certain strategies and tactics you can leverage to help accelerate your procurement career advancement with your current employer? Of course! Remember, a job promotion isn’t necessarily guaranteed year to year. You’ll have to put in the proper amount of effort and work [...]
How to Explain Short Stints on Your Resume
In today’s job market, it’s extremely common for individuals, even executives, to have short stints on their resumes, and the reason as to why can be endless. However, there can still be a stigma among recruiters and employers about the nature of a short stint. The fears of looking like a job-hopping flight risk, someone that can’t hold down a job, or a bad performer, are real. The last thing you want during a job search is to be eliminated from contention due to a short stint, especially an explainable one. So what do you do?? There’s always the [...]
Top Tips for Executing an Executive Supply Chain Job Search
As we move further into this new decade, have you found yourself wondering if it’s time to explore other career opportunities? While there are fewer job opportunities at the top of the pyramid, along with immense competition, there are still various tactics one can apply to their executive supply chain job search in order to be noticed by the right decision-makers at the right time. We’re going to break down what to do to prepare for an executive job search, how to best execute, and other tactics to attract top supply chain recruiters and hiring executives to your profile. [...]
Debunking 5 Common Job Search Myths for Older Supply Chain Workers
While there are associations and organizations dedicated to supporting older supply chain workers, ageism is unfortunately still a reality in the workforce. The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission’s (EEOC) 2018 report “The State of Age Discrimination and Older Workers in the U.S.” stated that despite record low unemployment, older workers still have difficulty finding a new job compared to younger workers. According to the report “...age discrimination persists based on outdated and unfounded assumptions about older workers, aging, and discrimination.” As an older supply chain worker, what can you do to debunk these myths and overcome the stereotypes that many [...]
10 Competencies to Advance to Supply Chain Executive (Part 2 of 2)
As we discussed in Part 1, there is no magic formula to reach the most senior supply chain executive level. Every company has a unique supply chain thus requiring varying degrees of experience, qualifications and skills. Below you’ll find the next 5 core competencies that supply chain practitioners should aim to acquire in efforts to advance to the most senior supply chain executive level: Technology & Innovation In today’s digital era, customers demand a high degree of personalization and expect a rapid turnaround with every order placed. Supply chain executives need to have the strategic ability and know-how to [...]
10 Competencies to Advance to Supply Chain Executive (Part 1 of 2)
Supply chain leadership roles such as Chief Supply Chain Officer continue to grow in popularity as more companies recognize that supply chain management is central to success and a key differentiator for adding value and sustaining revenue growth. Supply chain leaders of today aren’t just focused on coordinating the company’s end-to-end supply chain and cutting costs. They are also involved with developing and supporting core business strategies, product and service innovations, customer retention programs, leading due diligence and integrations for mergers & acquisitions, margin enhancement initiatives, and more. One of the common questions I receive from rising supply chain [...]
Top Skills Employers Look for In Supply Chain Students
A student can never start preparing for the future too early. The top questions that I hear from supply chain management students are “What can I do to prepare myself for my first job?” and “What skills do employers look for in entry-level candidates?”. As supply chain recruiters, we can help pitch in some advice to help. Beyond your university’s core degree requirements, there are a few skills employers look for that I recommend that you fine-tune before walking across the graduation stage. Data Analytics From procurement to inventory planning to logistics, the ability to process and interpret data [...]
4 Ways to Enhance Your Procurement Resume
Having specialized in procurement and supply chain recruitment for about 2 decades, I’d like to fill you in on a few must-have elements that you’ll want to incorporate into your procurement resume in efforts to optimize its effectiveness. My hopes are that some of these tips will help improve your job application to interview ratio and ultimately lead to the job of your dreams. 1. Showcase Accomplishments within Procurement and Quantify Results One of the most common resume mistakes that you can make is to only state your roles and responsibilities. You must also list out your accomplishments [...]
ASCM Career Coach Webinar – Supply Chain Career Spotlight (Strategic Sourcing & Procurement)
Strategic sourcing and procurement is one of the fastest growing areas within the supply chain discipline. The career paths are expansive, spanning all industries from manufacturers, retailers, distributors and more. The diverse categories of spend cover raw materials, components, packaging and finished goods on the Direct procurement side, as well as service providers ranging from temporary labor, accounting, Information Technology, MRO and many more on the Indirect side. Attend the upcoming ASCM Career Coach Webinar:"Supply Chain Career Spotlight: Strategic Sourcing & Procurement" presented by ASCM Career Coach and SCM Talent Group President Rodney Apple and featuring two guest [...]
