1. |
Develop your
career goals. Take a reality
check of your knowledge, skills and
experience. What are the short-term
opportunities? How ambitious are you?
What is your longer term potential? How
do you get there from here? Develop
a career plan to achieve your goals. |
| 2. |
Obtain the
necessary training and education.
What skills, knowledge and experience are
needed to achieve your longer-term goals?
Is your company willing to sponsor you to
improve your education and skills?
Alternatively, educational courses can be
taken on your own volition. Many
universities and colleges offer part-time
logistics management programs.
Associations, such as:
 American Society
of Transportation and Logistics (ASTL)
Warehousing Education and
Research Council (WERC)
The Educational Society for
Resource Management (APICS)
provide excellent courses
in logistics related fields. Read magazines,
such as Inbound Logistics to keep abreast
of new ideas and technology. |
| 3. |
Assess
opportunities within your current
company. Plot a potential career
path. Are new opportunities opening
regularly, or do you need to wait for
someone to retire? Express interest in
career advancement with your boss or with
the human resource department. Determine
what you need to do to obtain a
promotion. |
| 4. |
Get involved in
project work. Become an active
team member in logistics projects. This
is a great opportunity to demonstrate
your capabilities as well as to learn
from others. The
experience gained from
participating in logistics improvement
initiatives, such as evaluating strategic
supply chain networks, improving
warehouse layouts, increasing labor
productivity, reducing inventories and
improving fleet performance is
invaluable. It
also looks great on a resume. |
| 5. |
Develop computer
and systems skills. To advance
in logistics management, you need to
acquire basic computer skills, such as
Excel (and/or Lotus), Word and
PowerPoint. You also need to be Internet
savvy. You do not need to learn how to
program. However, you need to develop
expertise in the use of inventory
management, warehouse management and/or
transportation management systems. |
| 6. |
Prepare a
professional resume. Even if you
are not actively looking for a job, it is
always worthwhile to maintain a
professional looking, up-to-date resume. You
never know when that dream opportunity
will call. The resume should be a
maximum of two pages, or three for
top-level executives. Don’t just
list your responsibilities - indicate
your achievements. In
addition, check your resume for grammar
and typos and make sure the presentation
is well laid out. Get professional resume
advice as necessary. |
| 7. |
Go to JobsInLogistics.com. Check
the opportunities available on the
Internet. Jobsinlogistics.com was the
first major career site for the logistics
profession and is now the largest
logistics career board on the Internet.
Each month, JobsInLogistics.com lists hundreds
of new career opportunities. Conduct a job
search. Apply for jobs online. Post your
resume. |
| 8. |
Use the Internet
to research companies. Most
major companies now have Websites. These
can easily be found by keying in the
company’s name on a search engine,
such as AOL.com or Yahoo.com. Many will show
open positions. Read about the company.
Check news stories about the
company’s progress and growth
performance. The more you know about the
company, the better equipped you will be
to fare well in an interview, or to avoid
boarding a sinking ship. |
| 9. |
Don’t quit
your job yet! Too often
employees quit their jobs on a whim. They
hate the job, they can’t stand their
boss and their career is going nowhere.
Then something happens. A bad day. They
quit in haste and repent at leisure. They
think that they will have more time to
spend looking for a better job if they
don’t have to spend another day at
their dreaded job. They may be right.
They will have a lot more time because it
will take much more time to secure a
position when they are unemployed. Like
it or not, recruiters
prefer to hire people who are currently
employed. |
| 10. |
Prepare yourself
for an interview. You only have
one chance to make a good first
impression. Dress smartly and act
confidently. Be prepared to discuss your
work history and achievements.
Interviewing is a double-edged sword. Ask
questions about the company and its
corporate culture. Make sure that this is
the right company for you and that you
feel comfortable working with your new
potential boss. Send
a "Thank You" letter after the
interview. This is not only polite,
but also gives you a further opportunity
to assert your qualifications and to
respond to any issues raised in the
interview. |
| 11. |
Assess the
opportunity. Now that you have
been offered a new job, stop and take
inventory. Is this
is the right job for you and your family? Is the job
challenging enough? Will you enjoy the
new job more than your current job? Are
there opportunities for advancement? Is
it a positive stepping-stone to achieve
your career goals? Is the money adequate?
If you are relocating, how comfortable
will your family be in the new location? |
| 12. |
Go for it! If
you get all green lights, go for it.
Opportunity knocks but rarely. Make
it happen! |
