So Many Positions and Careers

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There are so many career opportunities in our industry, I learn about new task and positions within the logistics field every week!  Could you imagine planning and controlling the routes of container ships as an example? Today’s container ships may be something like 1200 ft long, with a draft of something like 50 foot and carrying as many as 14000 TEU. A TEU means Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit, which is a 20ft container, or a container that is 20ft long by 8ft wide and 8ft 6in high.  A 40ft container would be 2 TEU’s and a 45ft container would be 2.25 TEU’s. Can you imagine seeing 8k containers stacked on a ship and watching them being unloaded?  Some of the largest container ships can carry up to 24k containers.  From what I’ve read these larger ones can’t utilize our present canals and have additional travel times though.  Some ports are even too small for them to dock.   

I’m Marty and I appreciate you visiting Warehouse and Operations as a Career today. I am at what I thought was a job festival 

 this afternoon but I think it’s actually more of a music and food party. I hope the background isent to awfully bad! Ok, where here it is. 

 We’re always talking about advancing within the warehouse and the more conventional positions, or those that we see advertised every day on job boards and job groups.  But in today’s supply chain and logistics fields there is an endless route to advancement and growth potential.  Picture yourself being the Vessel Traffic Controller, being responsible for the coordination of ships and vessels entering your port or harbor.  Getting them docked so they could be unloaded.   

And think about those computer programs.  We talk a lot about our WMS or warehouse management systems to keep our warehouses running smoothly, tracking productivity, inventory, and capturing our available cube, velocity and movement of the merchandise.  With today’s VTS or Vessel Tracking Systems, software that can determine a ships position and the positions of other ships as well as weather events and dangers within and around our ports. Information Technologies or our IT fields is a whole other career leg to be explored.  

Lets look at a few other positions real quick:  I found a great article at https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/high-paying-logistic-jobs  that discussed 22 High-Paying Logistics Jobs you can pursue.  We’re not going to review each one word for word, but I urge you to check out their article, it’s well written and can help point us in the right direction, I’ll put the link in todays show notes.   

1. Logistics Coordinator – A logistics coordinator analyzes the movement of products in the supply chain and works to improve the efficiency of the workflows and processes in each stage. That go to person. The one checking inventories, the orders, and the shipment progress.  

1. Supply Manager – They’ll oversee that supplies are ready.  

1. Merchandiser – Sometimes referred to as a purchasing agent, a buyer handles material, product or equipment Purchasing. 

1. Logistics Manager – The logistics manager oversees product and material purchasing and distribution for a business. One of personal recommendations! 

1. Logistics Analysis – These professionals study the supply chain of an organization and implement changes to make it more effective and efficient.  

1. Fleet Manager – A fleet manager oversees the transportation department of an organization. Hiring drivers and keeping all the regulatory issues up to date.  

1. Facilities Manager – A facilities manager may oversee the operations of one or many offices, manufacturing or distribution locations for a business. As you know I somewhat fill the role of a facility manager from time to time. 

1. Distribution Center Manager – Also referred to as a distribution manager, these professionals oversee the receiving, storage, order fulfillment and shipment processes of a business’s distribution center.  

1. Production Manager – A production manager handles the manufacturing processes and workflows in an organization.  

1. Contract Administrator – A contract administrator handles all of the negotiations for an organization with suppliers, buyers and third-party transportation and delivery. They write the legal contracts, monitor progress of contracts and ensure contract fulfillment.  

1. Purchasing Manager – A purchasing manager oversees a team of buyers in an organization. They’re responsible for hiring and training buyers, setting purchasing standards and budgets, evaluating potential vendors and suppliers, monitoring and approving contract negotiations, holding vendors to contract terms and providing financial reports to senior management. 

1. Operations Analysis – An operations analyst helps businesses evaluate current processes, determine issues that impact efficiency and recommend solutions.  

1. Commody Manager – Commodity managers analyze the market to find and act upon the best deals for buying and selling goods, materials and equipment for an organization’s supply chain.  

1. Management Analysis – A management analyst, sometimes called a management consultant, reviews a business’s operations and recommends improvements to spending, HR processes, workflows and other aspects of the organization.  

1. Configuration Manager – A configuration manager typically works for technology-based businesses to support product development by creating and monitoring the configuration management system (CMS).  

1. Supply Chain Manager – A supply chain manager oversees all aspects of an organization’s supply chain, including material sourcing, production and order fulfillment.  

1. Director of Operations – The director of operations is a senior manager responsible for ensuring the organization is as efficient and profitable as possible.  

1. Sourcing Manager – Sourcing managers handle an organization’s supply portfolio to ensure transparent financial reporting that aids in accurate revenue and expense projections.  

1. Vice President of Supply Chain – The VP of supply chain leads the efforts in creating effective policies and procedures across the entire supply chain, such as for waste and disposal, material sourcing and distribution. They also set standards for utilizing the budget for each department, ensuring the supply chain keeps up with demand and enforcing regulations across all offices, manufacturing plants and distribution centers. 

I really encourage to check out their article. I didn’t mention several of the positions, and actually added a few of my own, but there’s a few thoughts to get us all thinking.  

I briefly mentioned Information Technology earlier. With computers being mounted on all kinds of equipment these days, with us employees wearing things like wrist mount computers, laser triggers, even headsets that speak to us, not to mention our WMS, or warehouse management systems, and TMS, the transportation management systems, and as we learned today things like the Vessel Tracking Systems out there, well, those are great fields to get into. 

Oh, here’s another thought. What about all the vendors that support the supply chain and all their activities? 

As we recently learned, our industry, whether it be in Manfacturing, Production, or Distribution are essential positions. The supply chain is truly the backbone of commerce. 

A friend told me today that if you can dream up a job or task that you’d like to do they’ll be a facility somewhere hiring for it! 

That brings up travel. If one loves traveling, there are tons of positions that offer it up! We’ve all heard of the traveling order selection positions. I have a great friend that only works or travels for order selecting assignments. 

Rack installers travel from state to state building our warehouse racks and slots. 

All those regional manager positions can do a lot of traveling as well. They may be responsible for 5, 6, or even more facilities across as many states.  

There are many 1000’s of positions in our industry. Check out the world wide web. I believe this industry is the industry to work and grow in.  

Well, I have to get packed up and head out myself.  

Please share any thoughts you may have with us by sending me an email to host@warehouseandoperationsasacareer.com or run on over to our Facebook or Twitter feeds using @whseandops, we check both of them throughout the week! 

What is our Priority One? Safety of course.