The purchasing field is quite vast and offers an excellent diversification of jobs. Some of the most common purchasing jobs include purchasing managers, agents, and buyers. To these people, purchasing is a way of life. They buy goods and services and subsequently resell them for a living. Agents, however, do not resell; instead they acquire goods and services for their own companies or organizations. For instance, they may purchase raw materials that will be converted into products for sale.
Purchasing jobs are somewhat demanding, requiring continuous dedication as well as commitment. Those in the field sometimes work beyond the traditional working hours to beat deadlines. Patience and hard work are also key factors that contribute to one's success in the purchasing field. People interested in these positions should be able to work with minimum or no supervision to meet deadlines; failing to meet these deadlines could be fatal to the business. Consequently, people in these positions might have to endure a tremendous amount of stress. The purchasing field also involves extensive traveling, sometimes outside the country and for a considerable period of time. Thus, flexibility is required to be able to comfortably fit in the purchasing field.
Although no set standards exist for a person to qualify in the purchasing field, candidates should not only possess the relevant skills and experience in the purchasing field, but also a college degree in a business-related field. Qualifications and requirements for purchasing jobs vary with organizations, with large organizations requiring a candidate to be a degree holder in a business-related field. Some organizations, however, prefer to train people before hiring them; this is seen as a way of improving the market by ensuring that the people employed are up to the standards of the organization, thereby enhancing efficiency.
Candidates should be organized and able to make decisions to ensure that the organization is able to get the services and products within the required timeframes. Time is of the essence in the business world. For example, people in the purchasing field must ensure that deliveries are made on time; the failure to do so may result in huge losses on the part of the organization.
The purchasing field is one of the most congested fields globally. A recent survey indicated that at least 30% of all workers in the corporate and business world are involved in purchasing. Indeed, the various products and services in which an organization deals serve as the backbone of that particular organization. As such, all measures must be put into place to ensure the availability of services and goods and keep organizational operations going.
Recently, business reports have indicated a decline in growth in the purchasing field. Business analysts have attributed this decline to the development and consequent incorporation of technology in the purchasing field. Thanks to technology, human labor is no longer in as high demand as it was in the past. Consequently, growth is limited in terms of employment in the purchasing field, and employers have devised means to reduce the number of people they employ in purchasing by giving strict requirements for any person desiring to join the field. Currently, degree holders in a business-related field stand the best chance to get an opportunity in the purchasing field.
People in the line of purchase are well compensated compared to other work groups in the business world due to the significant and key role they play in ensuring the continuity of the organization's business operations. A recent survey indicated the starting salary in this field averages around $70,000 annually. In addition, people in the field acquire exceptional experience from the exposure that comes with the nature of all purchasing jobs.
The purchasing field—and, indeed, all purchasing jobs—is actually a chain in which every job title operates with support and in an interrelated manner with other people. Purchasing jobs as a career is not a solely operational job; people must be able to interrelate with others effectively to succeed.
