Why Choose a Career in Supply Chain Management: Top 5 Reasons

Supply chain management might not even be something you’ve ever heard of, but a career in supply chain management can be rewarding, personally fulfilling and can be one of the most accessible high-paying careers on the job market. Read on to discover the five top reasons why supply chain management might be a good fit for you. 

Supply chain management involves uniting the production, manufacturing and distribution of goods; to put it simply, supply chain management is responsible for the journey which makes it possible for raw materials to be transformed into tangible goods, so they can then be sold safely on the shop shelf. Supply chain management covers everything from working with suppliers, supervising manufacturing, handling distribution, to dealing with customers in a retail or service environment. Working in supply chain management can be thus varied and diverse, helping you develop a wide-ranging set of skills and competences. 

One reason to choose a career in supply chain management is that it comes with a certain degree of job security: the security of knowing that jobs in the supply chain industry will almost always be in high demand; especially as e-commerce and globalisation become the new normal and more people than ever are purchasing goods online. 

As developing economies begin to globalise in order to compete in the world markets, supply chain jobs will only continue to diversify and increase; for example, revenue in the logistics industry in China grew by almost a quarter in 2017 alone. A career in supply chain management is also – in part -immune from the threat of automation, a change that will markedly alter the future of commerce and logistics in the 21st century. 

Whilst certain jobs in manufacturing might find themselves outsourced to new technologies in the future, the essential work of cultivating deals between suppliers, overseeing manufacturing and dealing with the needs of clients remains exclusively the domain of human beings, and these kinds of jobs are abundant in the logistics sector and the supply chain industry. 

There is nothing worse than feeling trapped in a role at work where you no longer feel challenged or appreciated, unable to advance through the ranks of your company or industry. A supply chain career offers plenty of opportunities for advancement; advancement which can be procured both through exemplary work and through the undertaking of certain academic courses specific to the supply chain industry. 

There are many supply chain management courses or courses relating to supply chain management that permit hard workers to advance through the ranks of the industry; courses in logistics, customer service, warehouse management, logistics management and business management, and these courses can be taken at every qualification level, meaning that no matter your academic background, there will be opportunities for advancement and career growth.

In working in supply chain management, you can be sure to develop a set of indispensable skills that are easily transferable if you one day wish to switch career paths. Supply chain management professionals will develop skills in negotiating, problem-solving, logistics, understanding the technicalities of manufacturing and quality control, as well nurture their ability to process data and patterns, as well as come to understand the new technologies of the future which will soon become an intrinsic part of the manufacturing industry. 

With a skillset that is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the future, you can be guaranteed that the skills and competences you develop in your supply chain career will not outdate themselves and that your skillset will be transferable should you wish to change industries or career path in the future. 

One major downside to higher education is the hefty tuition fee costs that are unfortunately now obligatory with most major bachelor’s degrees or full-time courses. However, a career in supply chain management requires no particular degree, just an understanding of data, pattern-following and impeccable people skills. 

Whilst there exist bachelor’s degrees and undergraduate programmes that would help anyone wishing to get their foot in the door in the supply chain industry, there is no mandatory academic background one must accomplish to begin or pursue a career as a supply chain professional. Although a degree would obviously be advantageous to employers, those with certain business and management experience could also easily transition into a career in supply chain management: those with experience in business management, warehousing, purchasing and customer service would make ideal candidates. 

As described above, advancing in the supply chain industry is simple and can be easily facilitated with various academic courses and by maintaining a high job performance. But what is also great about supply chain management is the ability to specialise your area of work, finding the niche area of the supply chain industry that is best suited to your skills and interests, and advancing into it. 

Those with great organisational and data skills might want to look into logistics jobs, where their knack for problem-solving and critical thinking would be put to best use. Those with great listening skills and communication skills might be best served to work in the customer service section of the supply chain sector, whilst those with great management and people skills might look to advance into warehouse operations and warehouse management. 

For each sector of the supply chain industry, there are courses, degrees and training programs to help you advance and enhance your skillset, freeing you from the all-too-common feeling of stagnation that can often develop as you persist for a long time along one specific career path.

A career in supply chain management demands critical-thinking, quick-thinking and an inevitable fostering of people skills; a competence that comes from interacting all day with others in the chain of command, whether it be with customers, suppliers or manufacturers. In return for these competencies, a career in supply chain management promises easy advancement, flexible pay and the ability to keep your skillset and CV up to date with the latest technologies, allowing for flexible career transition and promotion.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Check out our supply chain management courses and get yourself a great career!