Well organized and trustworthy individuals are suited for an inventory management career. Inventory controllers have charge of making sure that the products necessary to run the business smoothly are always readily available. This entails keeping frequently used items in stock and having an ordering process that is quick and reliable for items the company needs more sporadically. All of this requires keeping track of inventory usage rates and costs.

Inventory management jobs education and training will help you to further your career. Additionally, people who hold inventory jobs must be well versed in the best supply options and inventory control skills. The following resources will help you obtain the necessary education for inventory employment:

1. Expand inventory management employment opportunities by gaining a degree or certification.

2. Keep apprised of the latest inventory management job trends through publications.

3. Sign up for conferences and seminars to further your understanding of effective inventory management careers.

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

Obtain a degree for inventory control jobs

While a degree is not required for an inventory management position, certification and/or a bachelor's degree are very helpful. The courses these programs provide can help you to skip the entry level position and avoid having to work your way up the corporate ladder. With accreditation and certification, you can obtain a management position in inventory control much more easily.

I recommend: A degree in Operations and Supply Management from Ferris State University covers inventory management as well as planning and scheduling, supply management and quality management. The Association for Operations Management offers certification in production and inventory management. Consider taking the Fundamentals of Inventory Management and Control course offered by the American Management Association.

Read publications relevant to inventory management jobs

Many organizations offer tips, techniques and advice through publications or blogs that will help you to excel in an inventory management position. Reading these articles regularly will help you to maintain a current knowledge of more effective inventory control techniques and perform your job more successfully.

I recommend: Access recent articles written by John Schreibfeder of Effective Inventory Management. Check out the articles about inventory management on the Inventory Operations Consulting website. Read the Inventory Management Review, a blog specifically geared toward inventory management, including case studies, implementation strategies and more.

Attend seminars and workshops that discuss making inventory management positions better

Inventory management workshops and seminars will help you to see what resources are available to assist in the organization of your company's supplies, as well as finding out what trends and applications work best to keep track of product storage, usage and costs.

I recommend: Hire the Center for Inventory Management to conduct its Fundamentals of Inventory Management Seminar at a date and location of your choosing. National Seminars Training offers a similar on-site conference for warehousing and inventory professionals. Check the seminars and workshops calendar to see what events Effective Inventory Management has upcoming.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Asset management jobs are along the same lines as inventory management. However, these individuals keep track of company assets, such as equipment, investments and real estate.

Inventory management jobs are a necessary part of any business. It's very important for businesses to keep track of their inventory at all times to make sure that they don't lose any money. Those who are interested in inventory management careers should be honest and detail oriented.

Inventory is not just about the products that you sell. It's also important to track the physical assets that your company has. People with asset management jobs keep an eye on your computers, office supplies and other things that employees may "borrow" and forget to return.

In order to get the best jobs in inventory management:

1. Study for an inventory management degree. While not always necessary, having a degree in inventory management shows that you have the skills you need to perform the job properly.

2. Network with people you meet. Since almost all companies offer inventory jobs, you can literally find your next job through anyone.

3. Get your resume written by a professional. There's always competition for inventory control jobs, but a great resume could put you on any company's short-list. It's important to always take the steps you need to stand out.

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

Start your career with entry-level inventory jobs

If you don't have much experience in inventory control, it will be hard to convince a manager that you have the skills needed for a management position. In any field, it's always best to start with an entry-level position. When you do this, you get a better understanding of what the position entails and how each particular company runs their business.

I recommend: JobCircle.com lists inventory jobs that are in the Northeast US. Jobster lists jobs throughout the US, including entry-level and management positions.

Use job boards to search for inventory management employment anywhere

There's no doubt that the Internet is making it easier to find a job. You can use job boards to easily search for jobs anywhere in the US, which makes it easy to find a new job if you are considering a move.

I recommend: Inventory Management lists many types of inventory management jobs, including purchasing and warehouse jobs in addition to jobs in inventory management. MySpace Jobs also lists a number of inventory management positions.

Use an employment agency to find inventory management jobs

If you don't have the time to wade through the many job listings posted on inventory employment websites, then you should apply with an employment agency. A professional recruiter will work with you to find the company that best matches your needs.

I recommend: Management Recruiters of Kinston helps job candidates find potential employers. First Source/PurchasingRecruiter.com also matches candidates and employers in the purchasing and inventory industry.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You can also sometimes find inventory control jobs at job recruiting fairs. If there's a job fair coming to your city, pay attention to what types of employers will be there. This could be a great place to find your next job.

Learning inventory management jobs key terms not only helps you sound knowledgeable when talking with others in the industry, but it also offers insight into strategies you could implement to increase your profit margin. Use the terms to make inventory decisions that work best in your unique situation.

Knowing inventory management jobs key terms gives you a glimpse into the inner workings of the industry, and helps you communicate better with other businesses and distributors. It also shows others that you know what you are talking about when you use the terms.

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

Activity-based costing

Also called ABC, this term refers to a manager's job of breaking down overhead costs, distributing costs into specific activities in both vendor and customer management.

I recommend: ICMS offers insight for businesses looking to cut costs and improve profit margins. It recommends activity-based costing and demonstrates how this increases profits.

Blanket order

This term refers to an order a manager places for a certain quantity of a specific product for a pre-determined timeframe without a specific delivery date. For example, a business might order a group of supplies it plans to purchase over a one-year time period. This often reduces costs and increases the chances of shipment arriving in a timely manner.

I recommend: The phpBB Group offers a forum where business owners discuss topics like blanket orders. It demonstrates the benefits using this method of ordering.

Commodity

This term has several definitions in the inventory management industry. Sometimes it refers to standard products a manager knows are generally available for consumers from a variety of sources. The term also refers to a specific category in inventory. When this happens, managers and suppliers need to know commodity codes for unique groups of items in order to make their analysis and reports.

I recommend: Integrated Publishing discusses ways to work with specific commodity inventory as opposed to other types of inventory.

Distribution requirements planning

Distribution requirements planning, also called DRP, is a process where a manger determines requirements for inventory in an environment for several warehouses and plants. The term sometimes refers to the task of determining requirements for space in a warehouse.

I recommend: SlideShare offers a short video explaining distribution requirements planning. It also offers a transcript of the presentation for those would rather read the information than watch the video.

Excess inventory

Businesses use different criteria for determining excess inventory. Some managers count it as inventory held beyond a specific time period and others count it as inventory that exceeds order quantities. Part of the manager's job is to identify excess inventory and to decide how to handle it.

I recommend: Forbes.com details ways businesses work with excess inventory. It also mentions how the Internet aids distributors in selling excess items.

Inventory turn

This term refers to the amount of product sold and consumed within a year. Most businesses managers determine this by dividing the year's inventory usage by the average level for inventory.

I recommend: Attard Communications offers an in-depth look at inventory turn strategies and calculations. It demonstrates ways methods have changed from the past.