Purchasing jobs education and training can give you the skills to succeed whether you handle procurement for a large company or hope to improve the efficiency and bottom line of your own small business. Whether you purchase goods to sell or procure items and services to run your business, continued education can help you do it economically.

Hone your purchasing techniques to improve your company’s operations and profitability with continued education or get basic training if you’re looking into purchasing careers or seeking new purchasing employment opportunities. Obtain training for professional purchasing jobs by seeking to:

1. Earn a certificate or degree that will demonstrate your knowledge and experience when seeking purchasing manager jobs or a promotion within your company’s purchasing department.
2. Sign up for purchasing jobs seminars to learn specific skills that will keep you current and help you succeed in purchasing procurement jobs.
3. Find online educational opportunities to forward your careers in purchasing while you’re on the job.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Show qualifications for purchasing management jobs by receiving accreditation in the field

If you're seeking purchasing executive jobs, a degree or certificate in purchasing from a respected school or association will demonstrate your expertise in the field. Find a program that teaches you the basics if you need to learn from the ground up or one that covers updated information if you just need a refresher in current purchasing strategies.

I recommend: Next Level Purchasing offers a credential program for purchasing and supply management professionals that covers such topics as purchasing fundamentals, contract writing and best practices. Find a school or association near you that offers a purchasing certification for purchasing jobs through Education Portal.

Fine tune your skills with seminars designed to help professionals with purchasing agent jobs

If you're looking into jobs in purchasing or have specific duties in your purchasing department, focused seminars can bring you up to speed on time- and cost-cutting strategies to complete them efficiently.

I recommend: Find seminars on such purchasing jobs and supply management topics as negotiating, applied purchasing techniques, sourcing and ethics management through Nahabit. Seek hands-on procurement training in seminars offered by Calyptus Consulting Group.

Get self-paced training to learn skills necessary for higher purchasing positions

Improve the skills necessary to make your purchasing job search a success by seeking online training that you can complete without missing work at your current job. Self-paced or instructor-led courses are also an ideal way to stay current with techniques and business tactics if you're already working as a purchasing agent.

I recommend: Find online courses, webinars and training literature for purchasing jobs through the American Purchasing Society. Find online training and career development courses for purchasing agents through eLearners.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you attend seminars relating to purchasing jobs, try to network with other procurement professionals to learn their money saving tips and time-saving techniques. If you're in the same industry, you may also discover new wholesale sources and product distributors. When networking, you may also learn about new purchasing job opportunities that interest you.

Purchasing jobs are very important to all businesses. Without someone buying all the necessary supplies, workers would have nothing to do.

That's great news for people who are interested in careers in purchasing. The strong need for purchasers in all companies means that purchasing job opportunities exist everywhere and you will have an easy time finding a job wherever you go. If you have a track record showing that you have saved the company money through your purchasing efforts, then you will be in more demand.

Before you start looking for purchasing employment:

1. Make sure that your resume looks great. A professionally written resume often helps you to get the interview for jobs in purchasing.

2. Get a college degree. Competition can be fierce for professional purchasing jobs and a solid education can put you at the head of the pack.

3. Be willing to take a slight drop in pay if you are switching industries. It's important to take a lower position while you learn the ropes. Once you have the basics down, you'll be able to advance in no time at all.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Start your careers in purchasing as a junior buyer

Many people choose to start their purchasing careers as a junior buyer. This entry level position allows you to learn the ropes from someone more experienced than you. Once you have a good handle on how to run things, you will be able to advance in your career.

I recommend: Use well-known job boards such as Juju and Simply Hired to find entry level purchasing positions. In most cases, you can upload your resume and let potential employers contact you directly.

Search for purchasing jobs online to advance your career

Search for and apply for several positions in your area. You can never be sure which jobs will be a good fit. It's best to have as many choices as you can.

I recommend: PurchasingJobs.com lists the available purchasing jobs. In many cases, they show you a salary range for the position. You may also want to look at Go Jobs, which also has several available positions.

Find high level purchasing manager jobs for people with experience

Once you have several years of experience under your belt, it is time to start looking for purchasing management jobs. These jobs often come with more responsibility and a higher paycheck.

I recommend: NextLevelPurchasing.com lists management jobs available to those with an SPSM certification. If you do not have certification, you can learn more about it there. DiversityWorking.com also lists purchasing management jobs. They encourage members of minority groups to apply.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Network with other professionals whenever you have the chance. These people may let you know of purchasing employment opportunities before they reach the general public.

People who work in purchasing jobs usually buy some type of products or goods from a wholesale manufacturer. As in many industries, there are levels of employment when it comes to purchasing jobs. The type of job you qualify for may be an entry-level job, or you might have the skills needed to work in upper management. When you understand purchasing job key terms, you'll not only be able to identify the type of job you can get, you'll also know who you need to talk to when it comes to issues such as overseas purchasing.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Junior buyer

A junior buyer position can be an entry-level job opening. Usually, a junior buyer assists a purchasing manager.

I recommend: To learn more about the job responsibilities for a junior buyer, read the job description at Apparel Search Company.

Senior buyer

A senior buyer has more responsibility than a junior buyer. In this position, an employee may research and solicit new accounts instead of simply acting as an assistant. Depending on the company, a senior buyer may have some management responsibilities, but those won't be the same as a purchasing manager's.

I recommend: The City of Phoenix offers job specifications for senior buyers.

Account manager

An account manager usually has one prime account for which he or she is responsible. In some cases, an account manager may handle a specific category of purchasing, such as clothing or accessories.

I recommend: JobsInLogistics.com offers a job board specific to purchasing jobs. You can view different job openings for account managers to learn more about the qualifications and skills needed for this position.

Purchasing agent

A purchasing agent may have the same responsibilities as a junior buyer, depending on the company. A purchasing agent typically doesn't have any management responsibility.

I recommend: CareerPlanner.com provides an overview for what a purchasing agent does.

Purchasing manager

A purchasing manager can oversee other employees, or he or she may be responsible for handling the bulk of buying. In some cases, a purchasing manager may actively search for new accounts or identify the latest trends.

I recommend: CareerOverview.com offers an in-depth job description for a purchasing manager.

Acquisitions sales manager

Generally an acquisitions sales manager has worked in the purchasing industry for five to 10 years. Usually, this person has an assigned territory that they oversee.

I recommend: Learn more from Bixee, which provides information on companies looking for acquisition sales managers.