Start a Successful Supply Chain Management Career with this Comprehensive Guide

Before we start talking about the steps on how to become a supply chain manager, it is important to know the answer to whether supply chain management is an ideal career choice for you.

There is no wonder that supply chain managers have a reputed position in the job market, and if you like the role and are good at your job, then this is one of the best careers you can ask for. Here are 3 reasons why:

• Improved Skills: Ambitious professionals are often looking for positions where they can learn and earn at the same time. And with supply chain managers, professionals are always learning skills as they are responsible for various processes. They often opt for online supply chain management courses to acquire relevant skills.
• Handsome Salary Packages: Supply chain managers are always in demand - whether you are a fresher or experienced supply chain manager, you can earn somewhere from 3 LPA to 20 LPA. The global supply chain manager's salary can be anywhere from $45,160 to $122,390 annually.
• Flexibility in Locations: Some supply chain management jobs require frequent international traveling, which can be a really dream job for many. But for those who it is not, supply chain management is also known for local job availability. 

Step 1: Complete your bachelor's degree.

A bachelor’s degree is important to become a supply chain manager. While it is not important for you to earn a bachelor’s in supply chain management, you can major in other related fields like finance, engineering or business. Additionally, you can opt for online supply chain courses specializing in specific domains. The eligibility criteria will change depending on the institute or the degree course you are enrolling for.

If you want to major in Supply Chain Management, it can be a 3 - year course depending on your country. But some of the top skills you will be learning in this course are

• Administration
• Management
• Business communication
• Marketing

Step 2: Look for work experience

It is common for individuals not to pursue further education in Supply Chain Management right away or never after completing a bachelor's degree in the same. You can pause your education to take up an internship or even become a full-time employee in an organization of your choice. While you will have comparatively lower responsibilities, you can choose to intern in product distribution, supply chain analysis, inventory management, et., to gain hands-on experience.

Step 3: Pursue further studies in Supply Chain Management

The third step of becoming a supply chain manager can be a second step for you if you pursue your master’s right after completing your bachelor's. But you can go for a master's even after completing your internship or having some relevant work experience. Having a master’s degree in Supply Chain Management also means better opportunities both in terms of roles and salary package.

Step 4: Look for suitable work experience

After earning a master’s degree in Supply Chain Management, you can go for leadership roles in supply chain management. With a better salary package and interesting job roles, professionals can build all the necessary requirements to enroll in professional certifications.

Professional certifications

Individuals can also choose certificate courses or diploma programs in Supply Chain Management.

Certificate courses

Learners can choose certificate courses to become supply chain managers. If you are choosing online supply chain certification course, you do not have to give years of your time to become a professional. You can have flexible timing while learning, or also choose online mode for studying these courses. 

If you are interested in becoming a supply chain manager, then you need to be good at the below-mentioned skills. If you are not already, these skills are extremely easy to develop and can even help you in your personal life.

• Leadership Skills: One of the top skills for supply chain management is leadership. As a supply chain manager, you will have to oversee employees or staff members along with overseeing other processes. Moreover, you will also have to recruit employees, train them in their roles, and see whether they are skilled in what they are doing. If not, you might have to be both strict and motivational, depending on the situation.
• IT Skills: You must have some level of hands-on experience or knowledge in computer literacy or IT-related technologies for almost all kinds of jobs today - including supply chain management. Whether it is collecting customer data or implementing new technology, or even training your staff in the same, IT skills will help you go a long way in this field.
• Communication Skills: While as a supply chain manager, you will do well with details and data when it comes to delivery processes, effective communication skills can help you stand out from the rest. Soft skills like communication skills for managers in any field are a huge plus - especially when you have to communicate with people. With communication skills, you might also have a great chance at promotion compared to others. Also, supply chain managers have to communicate with business partners as well - which definitely demands this skill.

With such a brief but direct guide, we are pretty sure that you will not have any problem starting your supply chain management journey right away. While it is true that the supply chain is evolving, and artificial intelligence is replacing many of the activities, the demand for supply chain managers is still high. Because with innovation comes new markets and new opportunities, and demands for the same job profiles with innovative skills.

So, we say, it is high time to gear up and learn those new skills right away. 

Explore Supply Chain Management Courses

Explore Management Category