Purchasing Procurement

Nature of the Industry

Employees in the purchasing procurement industry earn a living by shopping. That is right-they are the individuals who shop for the products, goods, and services required by companies and institutions. For example, retailers may buy clothes or electronics; school districts may buy books and school supplies. The purchasing procurement industry employees do the research and make the decisions about what to buy and from whom. Purchasing procurement jobs fall into two areas of specialty: resale and self-use. Employees in the wholesale or retail industry purchase items such as clothes or Christmas trees for the purpose of reselling these items to the public. Other purchasers buy items such as flour or paper for internal company consumption. In all cases, managers, agents, and buyers are responsible to making purchasing decisions based on price, quality, and accessibility. Overall, forecasters expect purchasing procurement jobs to increase at a moderate rate during the next several years. Prospects are better for managers, buyers, and agents than they are for clerks. Job growth may be due to associated market growth.

Types of Jobs

Purchasing procurement jobs include the following: purchasing managers or agents, buyers, or clerks.

Training and Education

To obtain a purchasing procurement job, a person must possess skills in the following areas: communication, analysis, mathematics, and technology. Typically, managers, buyers, and agents need bachelor's degrees in a field such as business or economics. In addition, these positions require extensive on-the-job training to familiarize candidates with industry specifics. Clerking positions require high school graduation and on-the-job training.y.