Articles and Presentations

CSCMP Supply Chain Comment March/April 2005
Assess Your Career in the New Year— What's Your Value to Your Industry? (Part 2)
by Don Jacobson

As you learned in management school, when you do a thorough analysis of anything, you must evaluate the elements from two perspectives--the little picture and the big picture.

In the January/February 2005 issue of Supply Chain Comment, we reviewed the components of assessing your value to your company--the little picture. In this issue, we're going to take a look at the big picture. How valuable are you--or can you be--to the industry as a whole? What's your personal market value?

Before we get into specifics, it's important to stress the fact that your market value is not generally written in black and white, but rather in shades of gray. The same skill set can be viewed by an interviewer as ideal...or too limited.

For example, one hiring authority may decide that a candidate's vast experience in supply chain management and computerized warehouse management software applications is sufficient for a particular position, understanding that if one can get a box from Point A to Point B in one piece and on time, it doesn't matter what's in the box.

Another manager may disqualify this same candidate because getting a box of frozen food from Point A to Point B is different than transporting a box of hammers. What you say and the way you present your skill sets and experiences can make a difference.

Most of us look at our industry as the supply chain management industry. However, in reality, this is our discipline. The industry in which you work is different for many of us, whether it's food, building materials, apparel, or chemicals. There are important competencies that are the same, regardless of what industry you're in, that will increase your market value:

• Controls: Being able to analyze the mechanics of critical functions such as receiving, shipping, inventory, transportation, and manpower is a primary foundation of efficient and effective supply chain management. While some industries may require a variation of this theme, the most effective manager must know the theme to begin with. These skill sets and experiences in the discipline can outweigh a less than ideal training in the industry.
• Technology: The 21st century demands a working knowledge of computer software. Managers must know industry--specific software--but what this really means is discipline-specific software.
  
  The first step is to know your way around any brand of each key type. RFID, bar code readers, warehouse management systems, and transportation management systems are the generic terms for software applications prevalent in supply chain management. Add to this any possible accounting and spreadsheet programs and you will have a well--rounded technological education.
  
  The more specific brand name experience you can garner, the better chance you'll have of answering the interview question, "Are you familiar with the program XYZ?" Even if you reply that you aren't familiar with that brand name specifically, you should explain to your interviewer about all the knowledge and expertise you possess in similar programs, and how easy it will be for you to learn their system. This also covers you if the company has a custom--made application.
• People: Different disciplines attract different personalities. Oftentimes, you can identify a person from the accounting, sales, or marketing department within the first few minutes of meeting them. What this means is that your people management skills will work just as well in a food processing distribution center as they will in a building supply distribution center. It's a manager's job to fit an employee's personality with the proper job function.
• Education: Some HR directors insist that a candidate possess a degree in supply chain management, while others easily accept a candidate's degree in management, coupled with experience relevant to the position. Your degree is what it is and this is a bit harder to decorate with a new perspective...or is it?

Look at what we've discussed here. All of these components are management components, not just components of supply chain management. However, if you believe that a general management degree is diminishing your career opportunities, look into a professional or graduate certificate to give you that higher educational edge in your specialty without having to spend several more years in school.

The value to your company, as you calculated from our last article, is an important part of your big picture value as well. But as you examine each asset that you've documented, you now need to look at it from the broader perspective. Look for the similarities between your industry and others.

Remember: every cover letter and résumé can--and should--be custom written for the specifications of the position to which you're applying. This will help you showcase your numerous assets in a much more effective way.

Editor's note: This is the second in a two-part series on managing your career by.

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