Purchasing agents or managers buy quantities of materials from farm products to electronic parts and raw materials for companies. They are skilled purchasers that only get the best quality at the lowest prices for the materials. The purchasers are armed with the latest information in stocks, inventory, sales records, and suppliers from around the globe. Purchasers choose their suppliers carefully in terms of reliability, the quality of the items, cost and after market support. Purchasers should have in depth knowledge about the products and services they buy.
There are many types of purchasing jobs and responsibilities. While buyers for retail and wholesale buy items like apparel, liquor, electronic goods, paper products etc for resell them, purchasing agents purchase services and goods for their company use. Purchasing managers or agents often purchase grain, coffee, tobacco and other raw materials for their products. Purchasing managers work with a group of agents who carry out complicated purchases. If they work for the manufacturing firms or the government, they are called contract specialists, agents, managers, and directors. They would often supervise a bidding process either with private contractors or in the internet and are responsible for contracts for the winning suppliers.
There is another kind of purchasing job. This job is called the merchandising manager, who is employed in the retail and wholesale trade. Merchandise managers purchase ready made items for resale. The retail and wholesale industry caters to the consumer need and an important part of the distribution industry. The merchandising manager deal with the companies that manufacture finished goods intended for resale to the general public. The purchasing managers should calculate what products the company should sell. Merchandising managers should know what the consumer needs and items that would appeal them.
These purchasers other responsibilities are to keep track of the competitor’s activities, trends, inventories, and sales levels. Some purchasers or buyers may concentrate on a few lines of items to buy if they work on large companies while smaller businesses may purchase for the entire company. Purchasers and buyers works with a group or a team. They should deliberate which items to buy and submit them to the purchasing director or purchasing manager.
Purchasing managers, buyers and merchandising managers usually work in offices. They work for 40 hours a week and perhaps more if they have a deadline to meet and especially during a sale or special occasions. Some purchasing managers travel the whole world to look for the best suppliers and also to inspect production of the suppliers for reliability.
The educational requirements for purchasing managers, buyers, etc should have a bachelor’s degree with courses of business, finance, commerce, and retailing. Some may continue taking up courses to upgrade their status and advance in their position. Top purchasing positions require a master’s degree in economics or engineering and economics. Today, the use of software is paramount to smooth and accurate record keeping, planning and financial reports including business intelligence. Advancement in training and education also makes a difference.
Purchasing jobs annual median wages:
• Grocery stores and smaller retail stores - $38,000
• Wholesalers, equipment and merchant services - $48,000
• Wholesalers of grocery items - $50,000
• Electronics parts, wholesale - $55,000
• Top managerial positions - $60,000+
If you’re a fresh graduate you can also take advantage of a part-time job so that you can build your skills that are valuable to many jobs and resume will give you an edge when you later apply for an entry level position. Many employers prefer to hire candidates who are working because it displays work initiative. If you are submitting your resume online make sure they are keyword rich so that the skills and experience you have that the companies are looking for in a candidate will be easily read by the computer.
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