Advancing Your Procurement Career
When it comes to advancing your career in any field, it can be difficult to know which way to turn. It’s also amazingly easy to succumb to inertia and remain static in your career – how many of us have had a job which we swore would be for a few months only to blink and find a year has disappeared?
There are some ways you an avoid these situations though and we are here today to present some of our top tips for advancing your procurement career.
#1Have a Plan
The best way to keep yourself on track is to actually write down what it is you want to achieve out of your time in procurement. Are you looking to become a manager and raise up into the C-suite ranks, or would you prefer to spend your time working in data science, analysis, or other technology focusses sector of the industry? There is no right or wrong answer but be honest about where you want to end up and you stand a far greater chance of ending up there.
#2 Keep Track of Your Successes
All too often when we succeed at work, it can end up being forgotten. By keeping track of all your accomplishments within the business, when it comes time for performance review and promotion opportunities, you will be able to sit down and objectively lay out the many ways you have brought increased value to the brand. It’s rare you’ll find people who will laud you at work – not out of spite, people just have their own lives to deal with – so make sure you are ready with the facts you need to big yourself up.
#3 Take Ownership of Your Mistakes
We all mess up at work sometimes – this author still regularly misspells the word “maintenance” for example – and its important that you take ownership of your mistakes.
However, frame them as opportunities for growth and development and focus on those areas when it comes to furthering your training and development. It’s a cliché that, when asked about weaknesses, candidates often retort with, “I can be too much of a perfectionist,” whereas an employer would much rather hear about a genuine mistake you made and that you took proactive steps to make sure it wouldn’t happen again.
#4 Be Positive
Many people believe being positive means remaining upbeat about every situation and never engaging with anything on a critical level. Call to mind a #GoodVibesOnly kind of person and you’re in the right ballpark.
These people are wrong.
Being positive doesn’t mean you can’t be critical and point out flaws in a plan or strategy, and it definitely doesn’t mean pretending that every idea which flows from the mind of your superior is mana from Heaven. However, it does mean not being critical for the sake of it and, when you do identify an issue, make sure you have an actionable solution in mind. When it comes time for promotion, superiors want people who can solve problems, not ones who only create them, or pretend they don’t exist.
Final Thoughts
Advancing your career in procurement takes a special mindset and you need to make sure you are on the right path. However, if you note your successes, admit your weaknesses, remain positive, and seize the right opportunities, you can go as far as you like in the exciting and challenging world of procurement.