Changing industries
The birth of e-procurement and the development of sophisticated online supply chains have placed purchasing professionals firmly in the 21st century. But has the traditionally difficult path faced by procurement professionals to change industries been eased?
Sector-specific experience
A person's skills often play second fiddle to their experience and this results in perfectly capable job candidates being overlooked before they've had a chance to show the transferability of their skills, simply because their experience doesn't quite fit the bill.
For example, the electronics industry can be highly specialised - even the differences between European and Japanese companies are too great for people to adapt to sometimes. Nevertheless, there are similarities between say the automotive and aerospace sectors that could allow staff to move between them. But this is not always as easy as it should be.
In general, some sectors are more amenable to fresh thinking than others, and the cutting-edge organisations within those sectors have had sophisticated recruitment processes in place for some time. The general consensus would appear to be that senior management need to realise that purchasing is a management skill as well as a function.
Transferable skills
As a procurement professional, you will possess a number of core transferable skills. The key is to concentrate on your capabilities in the job and that you have certain key skills that have enabled you to get to where you are today. Other important points to note include:
- Be as generic as possible - the fundamentals always apply
- If you've made a saving buying medicines for the NHS, tell your potential employer how you could do the same for them
- Draw attention to your skills and adapt them to different situations
- If your skills can save money in one sector, then the chances are they can save money in another sector too
- Negotiation and communication skills are paramount in almost any purchasing role
- Ability to establish and develop successful supplier partnerships
- Highlight your key achievements and explain the qualities and skills used
Get qualified
The overall message is one of looking at the dynamics of your sector of interest and the importance of concentrating on highlighting your core skills if you're looking to move between industries. Sector specific knowledge can be assimilated faster than core skills such as negotiation and communication.
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) offers qualifications that can further boost your chances if you're looking to cross industry sector boundaries. Being CIPS qualified gives you extra confidence and puts you on a higher level when you're looking for a new job. It might well be one of the key criteria an employer uses to sort through piles of CVs.
For more information, visit the CIPS website. Click here.
