If you’re looking for a job in supply chain, you might be seeking advice on having a good job search strategy. Look no further than this article, which outlines the top seven tips to help you with your supply chain job search strategy.
1. Have a Clear Job Search Strategy
This is the first step in the supply chain job search and for good reason. It’s so important to have a clearly outlined and written down goal, which will help you develop actions to take to reach it. You can also track your results and modify your plan based on what’s happening. To create a supply chain career plan, have a well-developed job search strategy that includes your key goals and your target employer list. You can discover which employers you’re interested in via websites like LinkedIn, where employers make profiles describing their company’s values and cultures, and also list their current job vacancies.
Share this list with your network, including recruiters in supply chain, in case they have contacts at these companies. If they do, it’s essential to ask them if they’re willing to introduce you or pass your resume.
2. Optimize Your Resume, Online Profile and Qualifications
In most job searches, the resume and LinkedIn profiles are the two most important aspects of your online presence. Because of that, you need to make sure both are optimized for your target audience. Your resume should help hiring managers and recruiters quickly find out what your skills are, your experience, accomplishments and past performance.
Your LinkedIn profile should be optimized so that you can be easily discovered, so use some Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies to boost your visibility and increase how many people view it. To do that, include keywords that are relevant and popular in your industry in multiple places on your profile.
For less experienced supply chain job seekers, it’s worth considering investing in relevant qualifications to give your profile an edge. That being said, qualifications in the supply chain industry are reviewed quite often – the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) and the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) all review their courses every five years or so. In fact, they are all scheduled to make significant changes to their programs this year.
Even for more experienced job seekers, though you may already possess all relevant qualifications, you may like to keep them up to date and retake the exams. Not only will this help you stand out to employers, but you will also gain useful new knowledge, and buzzwords to use in job interviews as well.
3. Review Your Content for Errors
Your resume and online profile should be reviewed and edited for maximum clarity. If you’re not sure how to get started, or spelling is not your strong suit, check out these online tools.
- Study demic and Simple Grad are great copywriting guides to get started on your content.
- Paper Fellows and Essay roo are the editing tools you need to review all of your work.
- My Writing Way and Via Writing are grammar guides if you’re not sure of the correct terms.
- Australian Help is a fantastic proofreading tool that will make your copy more accurate
- Academ advisor and Writing Populist will give you some useful resume tips for what to include and leave out.
- State of Writing and Elite Assignment Help are the best formatting tools out there.
For more experienced job seekers, if you are certain your resume is grammatically correct and clear, make sure it contains a reference to all your extensive experience, no matter how insignificant. Even short one-day courses shouldn't be omitted when summarizing your experience.
4. Automate Steps
It can take a lot of time out of your day to search through job boards, so you can automate this task by setting up email job alerts. Define the search criteria that you want and set up daily job alerts, as many as you want. You can also set up a job search alert via Google Alerts, which will look through all new web pages for results about job postings in supply chain. Keep track of all the job alerts you receive and which you apply to in your action plan tracker. This will help you remember all the companies you applied to.
5. Go the Extra Step
Your supply chain job search should include going the extra mile because it will increase your chances of getting a job instead of posting an application and waiting. Go through LinkedIn to reach out to someone at the company and let them know that you applied. You should also develop a good elevator pitch so you can make cold calls to people you know in the industry. By being consistent and persistent with your follow-ups and going the extra mile, you’ll stand out from everyone else looking for a job that posts their CV and waits to hear back.
6. Look Into Supply Chain Recruiters
You should identify some supply chain recruiters that match your needs because some are limited to specific locations, functions and levels. Once you find a few that match your requirements, send them your CV and a message explaining your job preferences. It’s also worth connecting with them online on their social media sites. You should also check in with them regularly to get informed of new opportunities and to stay on their radar. However, stay away from reaching out too often as this can become a nuisance and will harm your chances.
7. Join Supply Chain Associations
You should also join supply chain associations and attend as many networking events as possible because nothing beats making a face to face connection with a potential employer. Many supply chain associations have local chapters that meet regularly. That’s a great place to get leads on jobs and find out more about different companies.
These tips should help you on your search for a supply chain job. Good luck, and happy job hunting!
