Career selection has a major impact on your skill marketability and earning potential. As such, students should purpose to settle for a career path that is high on demand.
Supply chain management and logistics rank among the career paths, with a projected demand in coming years.
Why is Logistics Increasing in Demand?
There has been a surge in E-commerce following the shift by many businesses to an online platform. Most companies are seeking help to cut their production costs and maximize profits. As a result, the demand for logistics managers is high.
This article will tackle the required qualifications and tips to become a logistics manager as a student. If you're ever overwhelmed with academic tasks, you can always ask professionals to "write my essay" on this or any other related topic.
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What is logistics?
Logistics is a supply chain management field involving the distribution of goods and the storage of inventory.
For this, logisticians plan and maintain efficient product flow and warehousing. As such, the model, analyze, visualize, and test business operations under various scenarios.
They then optimize business operations by minimizing resource expenditure for maximum profits.
Who is a logistics manager?
A logistics manager is crucial in successful business operations. The manager is in charge of purchases and distribution of products to meet the demand.
For this, the logistics manager comes up with transport routes and processes shipments as per the available resources. As such, a manager should be familiar with various factors to find optimal operation strategies.
Responsibilities of a logistics manager
There are many tasks required of a logistics manager to yield maximum efficiency and profitability. Among these responsibilities include:
1. Vendor selection and negotiations
Logistics managers are in charge of negotiating suitable terms for various production factors. A manager should engage many vendors to determine one that offers affordable products and services.
2. Distribution and transportation:
The manager schedules the distribution of goods according to various market needs.
3. Inventory control:
A logistics manager oversees the warehousing of products according to various needs. This ensures a continuous supply of products and curbs losses arising from changes in the production process.
4. Management of subordinate staff:
A logistics manager should test and allocate employees according to their skills. This brings about the optimal operation and ensures maximum productivity.
5. Addressing consumer issues and complaints
The manager is a critical link between production and consumers. As such, he oversees customer care services and mitigates various customer complaints.
6. Ensuring the observation of protocols and operation regulations
A logistics manager should be well-versed in various business laws to ensure that the company operates within a legal spectrum.
7. Keeping records of inventory and collaborating with various departments
The manager should liaise with various departments to monitor the effects of various changes and available resources. This ensures a consistent flow of products and more profits by adjusting business operations.
Educational requirements
To become a logistics manager, you must have a bachelor's degree in either of these fields.
1. Business management
2. Logistics
3. Supply chain management
4. Business administration
5. Business analytics
These programs impart skills like risk assessment, which are critical for a logistician. When going about these degrees, you may encounter units like:
· Distribution
· Supply chain management
· Purchasing
· Warehousing and storage
· Operations in logistics
· Supplier negotiations
· Manufacturing
· Outsourcing
You may also opt to get a voluntary International Society of Logistics (IPS) certification. Certifications showcase your mastery of skills and expose you to more opportunities. The IPS offers three certificates:
· Demonstrated logistician program
· Certified master logistician
· Certified professional logistician
Among the programs in logistics include:
Associate's Degree
This level introduces students to the basic concepts in logistics and surrounding concepts. Among the topics tackled under this level include logistics technology, commerce business law, inventory management, and international logistics.
An associate's degree also introduces students to the software used in logistic computing, thus lays a strong foundation for logisticians.
Bachelor's Degree
A bachelor's degree is more advanced than the former and prepares students for various roles. When at the bachelor's level, some institutions provide for specialization in various areas of logistics. Among these areas are operations, sales, and data analysis.
Specialization is, however, considered in the final years of college after a student has covered core logistics courses. These units include industrial sales, logistics technology, inventory management, and procurement.
Master's Degree
This is a more advanced level where students are exposed to specific issues in logistics and equipped with relevant skills for logistic management.
Unlike the previous levels, a student is exposed to more challenging areas like operational research, business logistics, and logistic systems design. These sharpen the student's critical thinking and problem-solving ability, thus arming them with the necessary tools to succeed in the field.
Skills required by a logistics manager
There are many skills essential for the head of operations in logistics to have. While most of these skills are acquired in the course of study, most are ingrained in one's mannerisms. Personal attributes foster teamwork and motivate productivity among workmates.
Among the skills required by logistics, managers are:
· Excellent communication skills
A project manager should have excellent verbal and written communication skills. This ensures clear communication with workers and other companies they liaise with for production and transportation.
· Computer skills:
A logistician should be well versed with analytic software and elements used in preparing reports. This enables quick risk assessment and better communication within an organization.
· Forecast:
This information helps them plan for future operations and avert losses associated with these changes.
· Team management:
As a leader, the logistics manager should understand various employees and their strengths. This helps make a roster that allows optimal allocation of skills and cooperation towards achieving a common goal.
· High decision-making abilities:
Managers should familiarize themselves with operation changes and make decisions that ensure profits. They should be exposed to various elements comprising the business and understand how each influences logistic operations.
· Industry knowledge:
Logisticians must familiarize themself with trends in operations and adopt necessary changes. Logisticians are also required to get acquainted with various laws and policies guiding their operations. This ensures a smooth flow of products while observing the legal practices needed of their industry.
· Accountability:
Logistics managers should keep proper records of the operations they oversee and own up to errors in judgment. This ensures that subordinate staff operates as advised without facing backlash for any errors arising from various strategies.
· Adaptive thinking:
As the years' pass, the E-commerce field undergoes many changes, affecting logistics operations. Employers need a manager who adapts to various modifications and acquires the necessary skills for different changes.
How to become a logistics manager as a student
Becoming a logistics manager can prove tedious and time-consuming. However, this doesn't have to be the case. There are multiple approaches you may employ while pursuing your bachelor's degree. These give you the relevant exposure and ensure recognition before your graduation.
As a student, you will need adequate exposure to your target niche to gain working experience and build relevant connections. Among the steps to become a logistics manager as a student include:
- Internship
Internships are the modern equal of traditional apprenticeship. As an apprentice, the intern is exposed to the skills required for the craft and practices the various skills.
By offering your services as an intern, you understand the market operations, thus determining how you should approach various needs best. You also interact with people who later serve as associates for diverse transportation and storage needs.
It is also crucial to ensure that you offer internship services in a variety of companies. This expands your mastery in various fields, thus, making you better in preparing logistic routines.
- Getting various certifications
Certifications are a faster way of showing your qualifications to various employers. Although an ISL certification is voluntary, it exposes you to multiple clients who consider this an essential parameter for selecting a logistician.
Certifications also set you apart from your competition and give you an upper hand in interviews. Even better, certified logisticians access a larger salary than their non-certified counterparts.
This is because of the specialized training offered when pursuing various industry certifications.
- Majoring in logistic operations
While a degree in various business fields may qualify you for a logistician position, logistics specialization is essential for a logistics manager.
Majoring in logistics exposes you to various industry challenges. It exposes you to value addition and cost minimization in the transfer of information and goods.
- Working in various fields of supply chain management and logistics
A logistics manager should collaborate with other companies offering various production factors. As such, you should be adept with the value addition techniques of many products and the issues that affect their demand and supply.
This improves your negotiation ability and helps you test and manage the risk and fluctuations of various production factors.
- Freelance consultancy
Online businesses are an excellent way for students to offer their services and manage their routines. As a student aiming for a logistic manager position, freelance logistics consultancy proves a great start.
Unlike volunteering, freelance consultancy helps you build your portfolio while making some money. Even better, freelance consultancy allows for collaboration with many clients, thus increases your earning potential. To showcase your work, you can use an online portfolio maker to present your projects professionally.
- Improving your soft skills
Be it for negotiation or team management, good communication is critical. When preparing for a career in logistics, a student should work on their verbal and written communication.
Quality communication skills ensure clarity and help you motivate workers towards achieving various goals. Additionally, it would help if you worked on your skills with different technologies to deploy your services.
Among the essential soft skills for logistics managers to gain are:
· Database management software
· Enterprise resource planning software
· Oracle JD
· Planning logistics and supply chain software
· Inventory management software
- Keeping track of emerging issues in logistics
As E-commerce evolves, so do the trends and protocols in logistics and supply chain management. Staying abreast with various developments helps you adopt optimal operation methods. It also helps you gain many skills required for a managerial position.
Also, logistic managers should perform extensive research on various areas' laws and how they affect their business operations. This helps managers make improved decisions and cut costs while maximizing profits.
Why should I settle for a career in logistics?
Logistics is a broad field with a variety of companies in the public and private sectors. Also, this ranks among the few jobs projected to rise in demand in 2021. With the pandemic's onset, the need is even higher as most companies shift from traditional stores to online platforms.
Even better, logistics makes you capable of working in positions like:
- International logistics manager:
Oversees global operations' operation across a broader geographic location. They also design logistical modifications for various branches operating under the company.
- Logistics consultant:
An independent contractor helps companies access their functions for cost-effective solutions in the operations supply chain, warehousing, and distributions.
- Procurement manager:
Responsible for negotiating with suppliers of products that are essential in service deployment and product production.
- Inventory manager:
Responsible for tracking the number of available resources and ensuring timely restocking of various supplies.
- Logistics engineer
In charge of purchasing and distributing products in the supply chain.
- Freight agent
An independent agent that connects companies to the available freight companies.
Final verdict
Logistics ranks high among the marketable career paths. For students looking to become logistics managers, it is ideal for gaining exposure to the job market and gaining possible certifications before graduating.
Additionally, students should major in logistics as opposed to general business courses. This exposes them to the relevant skills required for logistic operations and introduces them to other sectors that directly influence purchases, warehousing, and distribution.
As a result, students can analyze various situations and develop mitigation strategies to ensure minimum costs and maximum profits.
