With an exhilarating and high-pressure environment, a job in retail can be both rewarding and challenging; offering opportunities to learn valuable life skills. The skills acquired from a job in retail can help you grow within a dynamic and expanding industry or be your launch pad into something bigger.
Have you considered making the leap to a career in Supply Chain Management or Logistics?
Did you know that the experience gleaned from your retail job has armed you with valuable skills that employers people are looking for?
As you consider your next steps, we’ll break down the top skills you already have from your retail experience and how they apply to a career in supply chain management and logistics.
But first, what is supply chain management and logistics?
According to Tech Target, supply chain management can be defined as “the broad range of activities required to plan, control and execute a product’s flow, from acquiring raw materials and production through distribution to the final customer, in the most streamlined and cost-effective way possible.”
Why choose a career in this field?
- It’s a growing industry looking for motivated individuals with opportunities for career growth and advancement.
- Job diversity: There are many facets to the supply chain industry and a variety of different career paths within the industry – there’s something for everyone.
- Job security: with the need for qualified individual in a growing industry, the opportunities for skills training and career advancement are endless.
Now that we’ve convinced you to pursue a career in supply chain management and logistics, here’s what you already know that makes you the ideal candidate for the job.
- Customer Service: Your daily engagement servicing customers translates to skills development in a multitude of areas including communication, relationship management, people skills problem solving, multitasking, people skills, sales and marketing and more. According to a survey performed by Indago, people skills and communication skills are the second and third most important attributes for a career in supply chain management and logistics.
- Supply and Demand: As you noticed what items were out of stock, which items were selling fast and which were selling slow, you were learning supply and demand. Understanding and analyzing how to manage retail inventory according to actual sales information developed your analytical skills – the number one most important skill employers look for when hiring in the supply chain management and logistics field. Additionally, a strong grasp of supply and demand demonstrates an understanding of business and economics.
- Computer and Software Skills: Learning to use the point-of-sale technology is a transferable skill into the supply chain and logistics field as it relies heavily on technology.
- Money Handling: Effectively handling money means that you are trustworthy and implies you have solid math skills.
- Attention to Detail: Much of your job in retail requires a keen eye and attention to detail; whether it be delivering exact change to a customer or ensuring the floor is stocked well and neat.
- Work Ethic: Retail jobs require endurance to stay on your feet, to keep a smile on your face, to physically manage the role of stocking the shelves or retail floor and that work ethic shapes you for your next career. Potential employers want to see proof that the job will get done no matter what.
Your job in retail gave you life and work experience that is unmatched and can help you land the career of your dreams in a field such as supply chain management and logistics. If you aren’t sure where to begin, visit PipelineAZ.com and take the career assessment. Explore the various career paths within these industries and check out the entry level jobs posted looking for qualified candidates such as you.
