6 answers
thanh
Student
Ona, West Virginia
1
Question
Asked
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How can I start building relevant experience now if I want to work in supply chain or operations in the future? #Spring26
I previously studied Management Science and Finance in Taiwan, and I am now settling in the United States. I am interested in supply chain management, but I am new to this major and would appreciate advice on how to start gaining useful experience while balancing study carrer and work. What skills, part-time jobs, internships, or learning opportunities would be most helpful, and which U.S. states currently have the strongest opportunities in supply chain management?
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6 answers
Nereida Lizeth Gonzalez, MBA
Associate Relations Manager
7
Answers
Riverside, California
Updated
Nereida Lizeth’s Answer
Congrats on your journey so far! The great thing about supply chain or Operations Management is most jobs have interchangeable experience for supply chain work. My past experience, before Supply Chain, was Retail Management! I worked at local retailers and moved up to a leadership role. Manager positions are great for Operations Management because in both roles, I was responsible for managing payroll, employee productivity, moving the goods to the right area for processing, and coaching employees along the way.
Some skills that are helpful would be:
- being multilingual
- strong organization skills
- being empathetic
- problem solver
For US locations with strong supply chain, think about the major ports: California, Georgia, and New Jersey.
Some skills that are helpful would be:
- being multilingual
- strong organization skills
- being empathetic
- problem solver
For US locations with strong supply chain, think about the major ports: California, Georgia, and New Jersey.
Adam Fuda
Senior Consultant
1
Answer
Denver, Colorado
Updated
Adam’s Answer
Great question! I also was late into learning about Supply Chain and had to start from scratch. I was able to get an internship as a continuous improvement intern at an HVAC manufacturing facility. The skills it provided me was to be able to communicate with people from different backgrounds, and also made me realize that any process can be improved after reviewing it with Team members. There are also a lot of companies always looking for employees doing rotational programs that can give you multiple skills across the supply chain industry!
Nicholas Owens
2
Answers
Cleveland, Ohio
Updated
Nicholas’s Answer
Supply chain is an exciting field to explore. There are many paths you can take, making it a dynamic and rewarding career choice. Think of it not as a career ladder, but more like a jungle gym with lots of areas to discover and learn.
Different roles require different skills, but the most valuable ones are problem-solving, adapting to change, and understanding data. Learning tools like Power BI and AI can also be very beneficial.
For internships, look for companies with development programs. These programs let you try different parts of the supply chain, helping you see the big picture and find what you truly enjoy.
Different roles require different skills, but the most valuable ones are problem-solving, adapting to change, and understanding data. Learning tools like Power BI and AI can also be very beneficial.
For internships, look for companies with development programs. These programs let you try different parts of the supply chain, helping you see the big picture and find what you truly enjoy.
Shawn Tay
Supply Chain Planning
5
Answers
Camas, Washington
Updated
Shawn’s Answer
Supply Chain is a fantastic place to be right now. The huge disruptions we are facing globally have really increased focus on supply chain operations. For a lot of companies, supply chain is the their biggest expense and C level officers are now realizing that supply chain needs to be managed as a source of competitive advantage. That means that a lot of jobs are now opening up in this field. I attend a lot of supply chain events and one of the top 3 concerns is always talent shortage.
Consider supply chain associations like the ASCM as a place to go to for skill development and networking.
I'm not sure what level you're planning to enter at, but this is one of those fields where you can enter at the ground level and make your way to the highest ranks. Here are a few examples from HP:
1) I've spoken to at least 2 Senior VPs and 2 directors who started in HP as manufacturing line workers and made their way up. Their advise: keep learning and put your hand up when opportunities come by.
2) One Senior VP who joined us from HR as an individual contributor and used the skills he learned in HR to make his way up
3) One Senior VP who I personally worked with for many years had a degree in education, joined HP as a planner. Only work experience before that was working for Disney and Club Med.
So for advise, I would say find something in Supply Chain that you think you would enjoy doing and get in at the ground level. There's such a talent shortage here that good motivated people make their way up very quickly. Find out on the job what you enjoy and what skills are needed, learn as you go and keep volunteering for stretch opportunities.
For location, I would add to Nereida's answer:
Other Port Cities like:
Houston
Seattle
Los Angeles
Chicago
But also consider where the head offices are if you are more interested in planning and strategy. Those happen at head office, not the ports:
Portland has Nike and Intel
San Francisco has Google and Apple
Seattle has Costco, Amazon and Microsoft
Michigan has the auto companies
Walmart is in Bentonville
Just to name a very few.
Consider supply chain associations like the ASCM as a place to go to for skill development and networking.
I'm not sure what level you're planning to enter at, but this is one of those fields where you can enter at the ground level and make your way to the highest ranks. Here are a few examples from HP:
1) I've spoken to at least 2 Senior VPs and 2 directors who started in HP as manufacturing line workers and made their way up. Their advise: keep learning and put your hand up when opportunities come by.
2) One Senior VP who joined us from HR as an individual contributor and used the skills he learned in HR to make his way up
3) One Senior VP who I personally worked with for many years had a degree in education, joined HP as a planner. Only work experience before that was working for Disney and Club Med.
So for advise, I would say find something in Supply Chain that you think you would enjoy doing and get in at the ground level. There's such a talent shortage here that good motivated people make their way up very quickly. Find out on the job what you enjoy and what skills are needed, learn as you go and keep volunteering for stretch opportunities.
For location, I would add to Nereida's answer:
Other Port Cities like:
Houston
Seattle
Los Angeles
Chicago
But also consider where the head offices are if you are more interested in planning and strategy. Those happen at head office, not the ports:
Portland has Nike and Intel
San Francisco has Google and Apple
Seattle has Costco, Amazon and Microsoft
Michigan has the auto companies
Walmart is in Bentonville
Just to name a very few.
Maya Augelli
Logistics/Supply Chain
4
Answers
Merchantville, New Jersey
Updated
Maya’s Answer
I work in Supply Chain, and one of the great things about it is that there are so many different aspects to it - everything from the more customer/vendor oriented side to the numerous aspects of logistics and transportation to supply chain analytics to the Distribution Centers, and each plays a pivotal role. The skills would vary from role to role, but I'd say some key skills would be:
-Customer/vendor/client service
-Communication
-Organization and planning
-Problem solving
-Adaptability/the ability to pivot quickly
Depending on which area of supply chain you want to work in, learning about some of the systems frequently used could be helpful as well.
In terms of opportunity, there are numerous places within supply chain to start, so I suggest thinking about what skillsets and activities are most interesting to you, and finding a position that utilizes these. From there, you can see the opportunities from growth and expansion, both within different positions and the industry as a whole.
-Customer/vendor/client service
-Communication
-Organization and planning
-Problem solving
-Adaptability/the ability to pivot quickly
Depending on which area of supply chain you want to work in, learning about some of the systems frequently used could be helpful as well.
In terms of opportunity, there are numerous places within supply chain to start, so I suggest thinking about what skillsets and activities are most interesting to you, and finding a position that utilizes these. From there, you can see the opportunities from growth and expansion, both within different positions and the industry as a whole.
Jack Schmidt
Consulting
2
Answers
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Updated
Jack’s Answer
thanh, I second the idea of exploring Supply Chain education and certification with The Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM). It is the largest non-profit professional association for supply chain, logistics, and operations management. You may be able to qualify for a student rate in professional education and testing. They also have many local chapters where you can network, meet mentors and learn about internships.
You could also look into the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). It is a professional association for the logistics and supply chain management industry. They are headquartered in Lombard, Illinois and they thousands of members globally by connecting, educating, and developing supply chain professionals throughout their careers.
Two other things to consider - in my career a deep focus on business analytics and insight have been really important. The ability to analyze data and visualize the data to support decision making is critical for leaders.
The application of Ai Solutions in Supply Chain is also a game changer in that they enable applications of machine learning, automation, dramatically faster analysis and decision making. If you want to stand out - understanding how Ai is helping companies manage Supply Chain information is a new frontier.
Hope this is helpful!
You could also look into the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). It is a professional association for the logistics and supply chain management industry. They are headquartered in Lombard, Illinois and they thousands of members globally by connecting, educating, and developing supply chain professionals throughout their careers.
Two other things to consider - in my career a deep focus on business analytics and insight have been really important. The ability to analyze data and visualize the data to support decision making is critical for leaders.
The application of Ai Solutions in Supply Chain is also a game changer in that they enable applications of machine learning, automation, dramatically faster analysis and decision making. If you want to stand out - understanding how Ai is helping companies manage Supply Chain information is a new frontier.
Hope this is helpful!