We asked Alumni to share their personal journeys in pinpointing their desired functional areas.
Here is what they shared:
- Explore Diverse Supply Chain Departments
- Pivot Career Through Tech Sales Experience
- Link Supply Chain Expertise with Sustainability
- Leverage Broad Experiences in Supply Chain
- Self-Assess and Explore Through Internships
Explore Diverse Supply Chain Departments
Figuring out which area of Supply Chain you want to pursue for your career involves stepping out of your comfort zone and actively seeking exposure to various departments within the field. Throughout my college and early post-graduation career, I have worked within Sustainability, Freight Procurement, Delivery Management, and now Strategic Sourcing. In today’s workforce, it is easier to switch jobs or departments within a company due to increased accessibility to different opportunities, evolving skill requirements, and a growing emphasis on flexibility. I have also taken advantage of this accessibility by pursuing stretch opportunities within departments outside of my own. Not only does this offer you exposure to a functional area that you may be interested in, but it is also a great resume builder. By doing these things, I have been able to narrow down the functional area of supply chain that I want to work in to Strategic Sourcing.
Michael Dowling, B.S. Supply Chain Management ‘23, Strategic Sourcing Specialist, Honeywell
Pivot Career Through Tech Sales Experience
While I attended W. P. Carey for my undergrad, I received degrees in both Finance and Supply Chain Management. I believe I ended up taking a non-conventional route, as most supply chain students work in the SCM technology space versus actually within the supply chain. While at ASU, I had the opportunity to work at JDA Software, a large supply chain technology firm, in Scottsdale. In this role, I gained my first experience in customer-facing software sales. Here, I found a passion for helping practitioners (demand planners, allocators, buyers, merchandisers, etc.) utilize AI/ML within their advanced planning systems. This experience allowed me to pivot my career into helping enterprises understand and adopt the most advanced ways to forecast and replenish goods in the world.
Andrew Hoiby, B.S. Supply Chain Management & Finance ‘21, Account Executive, RELEX Solutions
Link Supply Chain Expertise with Sustainability
As with many professionals, I am still narrowing down my functional area of expertise within supply chain. Going back to school to get an MBA, with a supply chain internship at Raytheon, helped me understand that supply chain and sustainability are intimately woven together. I learned that businesses need skilled procurement professionals with an understanding of the environmental, social, and financial impacts of what they buy. I decided to work for a large company to be able to learn and try out different functional areas and see where my passion leads me.
Haley Randell, MSUS School of Sustainability ’15, Senior Procurement Analyst
Leverage Broad Experiences in Supply Chain
Throughout my career, I’ve delved into various dimensions of supply chain, accumulating diverse experiences that have significantly shaped my professional journey. I aspired to gain insights into a vast array of supply chain areas and held positions working in procurement research, high-tech supply chain research, and supply chain data analytics. By cultivating robust experience early on, I was granted a myriad of insights into the domain, which helped me further tailor my professional interests.
Building off my undergraduate internships, part-time jobs, and supply chain research positions, I transitioned into a full-time role, working as a Supply Chain Program Manager for product operations at Cisco Systems. This role granted me a thorough understanding of our global supply chain, product design, and shipment, and the central factors driving our company. In addition to this, I gained exposure to a myriad of cross-functional stakeholders at Cisco, such as engineering, global supply management, and central teams, which strengthened my network and understanding of our business.
Reflecting on my journey, I advocate for aspiring supply chain professionals to gain broad experience in supply chain, which they can leverage in a multitude of positions, and further tailor their interest based on activities that ignite energy and align with one’s personal career goals and interests.
Nina Plunkett, B.S. Supply Chain Management & Business Law ‘21, Supply Chain Program Manager, Cisco Systems
Self-Assess and Explore Through Internships
Narrowing down my focus within Supply Chain involved a combination of self-assessment and exploratory learning. Initially, I identified my strengths and interests through self-reflection, considering which aspects of my previous roles I enjoyed most, such as planning, problem-solving, or working with technology. To explore the possibilities within Supply Chain, I gained insights into various specialties like logistics, procurement, and supply chain analytics. I also learned from industry professionals to get a taste of each area’s unique challenges and skills.
A practical tip for anyone trying to find their niche is to seek internships in different areas of the supply chain. These positions offer a hands-on preview of what daily work in each specialty entails, helping you make an informed decision based on your personal satisfaction and professional goals.
Brice Chasey, B.S. Microbiology ‘09, Associate Director, Product Management
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