Jul
20
Does Getting A Supply Chain Certification Improve Your Career Prospects?
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Undoubtedly there are many courses and certificates that are of little benefit in terms of career prospects, but this certainly is not the case when it comes to supply chain certification! Getting certification in supply chain management is certainly a way of turbo charging your career, so that you stand out from other candidates.
There are so many courses on offer, simply because the jobs market is so competitive that courses have grown to meet demand. For example it is now possible to undertake a post graduate course in supply management or you can even specialise in issues such as marine supply management or sustainable supply management.
So no matter where you think your career in supply chain management will go, it will undoubtedly go further if you have some sort of recognised diploma/NVQ or degree certificate with your name on it.
However, it is important to thoroughly research the type of course that you are applying for. If a course looks incredibly easy and requires little in the form of effort or application, then the course is probably not very good and more to the point, the certificate you will be awarded at the end will not be valued by employers.
Instead you should consider applying to courses that will offer a recognised certificate. It is now possible, for example, to undertake a Masters in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at various institutions within the UK.
Or you should consider thinking about undertaking a course that is offered by the CILT (Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport) or CIPS (Chartered Institue of Purchasing and Supply) which are the professional bodies that represents those involved in the supply chain. The courses offered by this body range from introductory courses to post-graduate diplomas.
The fact that there is now a professional body representing those who work in the supply chain field demonstrates that it is a professional area to work in and as with any profession, you need qualification to carve out a career.
Times have changed
Although traditionally the role of a warehouse manager used to be regarded as a fairly menial role within an organisation, it is now vital that a warehouse manager has skills to use technology and that they can order stock, deal with customers and generally juggle several balls in the air at the same time, so varied is their role.
Thus the role of a warehouse manager is now seen more in terms of being a career and most will have a degree or at least a diploma, so no matter where you want to start within the supply chain, you need to ensure that you are able to show that you have knowledge and the intellect to be able to undertake the role and what better way of doing this than through having undertaken certification?
Certification or bust!
It is certainly true that the recession has really hit the jobs market and now more than ever, skilled professionals with years of experience are often unemployed. So in a sense, there is no choice when it comes to supply chain certification ; if you want a job in this profession then you need to ensure that you have the necessary qualifications to make sure that you are employable.
If you don’t have the certification then you can bet that other candidates applying for any jobs that you are will have it, which will give them the edge over you every time. Your only real option is to ensure that you enrol on a supply chain certificate course as soon as possible, so that you have the edge over the other candidates who haven’t bothered.