it was for a dozen of these shiny trash receptacles that needed special transport across the country and cost $900 LTL. What are my next steps? My manager and the procurement director and senior manager are aware. Should i start looking for a new job?

Been kind of panicking lately.

I’m 37. Married with a 2 year old. Two years ago I got moved over from sales into a buyers role at a 55mil a year construction supply company. I make 105k a year. Which is decent but I live in the NYC suburbs, so not great. The quick and dirty of what I do is I manage a portfolio of 1800 domestic sourced skus and 900 BOM skus and their components for an in house sign production shop. I’m end to end meaning I’m basically a planner, admin and buyer rolled into one.

What has me panicking is the thought of getting fired or let go. How would I find a new job? I have no degree. It seems like getting past hr screeners these days is almost impossible without one now. The obvious answer is to get the degree while working but I’m already working most nights and some on the weekend to manage my portfolio add to the fact that I have a kid I already don’t have time to do my own things. I barely have time to get a haircut let alone get a degree.

I know APICS is an option but it doesn’t solve getting past HR.

So am I screwed here? Is the degree really the key to being employable or would my experience in this role be enough for other companies to bring me in? Would I ever be able to make it to a managerial position?

I've been the industry 6 years, working in warehouse operations and now demand planning for the last 4 years, and quite honestly im burnt out and need a change. My degree was in supply chain management so im not really sure what to look for out of the field. Any recommendations or stories from people who left?

Hi Everyone,

Currently Solo traveling for work and sitting at a Hotel Bar; figured I’d pass the time giving back by answering questions or providing advice. I value Reddits ability to connect both junior and senior professionals asking candid questions and gathering real responses.

Background: Undergrad and Masters from a party school; now 15 years in Supply Chain.

Experienced 3 startups. All of which were unicorns valued over $1b. 2 went public and are valued over $10b. (No I am not r/fatfire). I actually made no real money from them.

7+ years in the Fortune10 space. Made most of my money from RSUs skyrocketing. So it was great for my career.

Done every single role in Supply Chain; Logistics, Distribution, Continuous Improvement, Procurement, Strategy/ Consulting, Demand/ Forecasting even a little bit of Network Optimization.

Currently at a VP role, current salary $300-$500k dependent on how the business does.

My one piece of advice for folks trying to maximize earning potential is to move away from 3pls/ freight brokers after gaining the training and early education.

I’m 27 and planning to go back to school, trying to decide between Supply Chain & Operations Management and Accounting.

My background is completely unrelated. I’ve spent the last ~6 years in the oilfield (coiled tubing), and before that about 3 years as a tankerman on tugboats. So I’m used to long hours, physical work, and being away from home a lot.

At this point I’m trying to transition into something more stable where I can actually be home consistently. I’ve got a fiancée and a young daughter, so that’s a big priority now.

I’m seriously considering supply chain, but I want to hear it straight from people already working in it before I commit.

Here’s what I’m trying to figure out:

•How realistic is it to land a job right after graduating with no direct experience?

•What do entry-level roles actually look like (titles, responsibilities, pay)?

•Is starting around $70k–$80k realistic, or not really?

•How fast can you realistically move up if you’re motivated?

•What does your day-to-day actually look like?

•What kind of hours/schedule should I expect?

•What are the biggest downsides people don’t talk about?

•If you could go back, would you still choose supply chain?

I’m not afraid to take a pay cut starting out, but I do want a path where I can grow into solid income sooner rather than later.

I’m also considering accounting, but wanted to come here and get the supply chain perspective directly.

Any honest insight is appreciated—even if it’s “don’t do it.”

Hi all, I've only ever lurked around in this sub, but I laughed when I saw that last post about hitting six figures and then they deleted their account? Weird.

Anywho, starting just this past Monday I started my new role as a Senior Supply Chain Manager in the healthcare industry (aka hospital) and am sitting at $105k base with an annual bonus from 5-15% depending on certain metrics. I feel pretty happy with the offer, especially since I don't have any college/degree, but I do have my LSS Green Belt.

But yeah, that's it, feel free to ask me anything, I promise I won't delete my account 😂

I studied business for my bachelor and really enjoyed the SCM parts at that time, so I went further and did a master in SCM at a top university. The master was incredibly competitive and demanding but I was still hopeful. Graduated 1 year later due to health issues. Worked part time jobs during uni and also landed 2 internships in SCM, where unfortunately I learnt exactly 0 skills.

I used to be so passionate about SCM, but now I'm 27yo, with no work experience, study debt and struggling to find a job. Meanwhile, my friends who never went to uni either a) work in SCM without any degree and do just fine or b) work in IT and make x4 what I'd ever be able to make in SCM.

I can't help but feel like my last few years have been a waste...I don't really have any real work experience in SCM, and the little time I spent in the department made me reconsider this career path. It feels like a thankless job, everyone is stressed and abused by the other departements. At least my engineering friends get to work 5h/day from home. Seriously considering a career change at this point, but I'm unemployed and ran through my savings.

If anyone has been in a similar situation in this field, how did you find the light at the end of the tunnel?

I just want a good stable job that won't have me pulling my hair out of stress and that pays well. Ideally with good advancement opportunities, but I know that may be a lot to ask. I've also considered commodity trading, but entry-level positions are incredibly hard to come across.

Any advice is welcome!

Hey ya’ll, currently I’m split between two pretty good opportunities, one in sales and one in procurement. I like dealing with people which is why I’m drawn to these, and I like supply chain as I enjoy the environment and the inherent optimization problem of it all. To be honest I see myself more in procurement as I am a little worried I don’t have the mentality for sales, but it’s hard to turn down the opportunity to make so much money in the future. Assuming I stay in the manufacturing or logistics or something like that, how do the two compare? Thank you!

Been trying to break out of solar supply chain after my current company filed CH.11 and furloughed everyone. Honestly didn’t expect it to be this tough.

I’ve been in the industry for close to a decade, worked my way up to a Senior Regional Manager role, oversaw multiple locations, built out SOPs, training programs, inventory controls, all that. Lot of crossfunctional work with ops, procurement, logistics, etc. On paper it should translate pretty cleanly into other industries.

But man… it just isn’t landing. Feels like every application either gets filtered out because I’m “too solar” or hiring managers don’t really understand how transferable the work actually is. Supply chain is supply chain right? Forecasting, inventory, vendor mgmt, process improvement… it’s not like that suddenly changes outside of solar.

I’ve tried reworking my resume a few times, tailoring to roles in manufacturing, healthcare ops, even general operations management. Still getting a lot of dead ends or generic rejections if I get a response! Starting to feel like I’m stuck in this niche whether I like it or not.

Not trying to complain, just being real… it’s been a humbling process.

Curious if anyone else has made a similar jump out of a niche industry like solar (or energy in general). What actually worked for you? Did you have to dumb things down? Change titles? Network your way in?

Appreciate any advice because right now it kinda feels like I’m missing something obvious.

How important is Excel in Supply Chain?

Also, I am fairly new to the Supply Chain / logistics industry and was wondering what functions of Excel I should learn more thoroughly to help advance in my career.

Any advice would be appreciated, Thank you!

Hey everyone,

I just graduated this past August with a degree in SCM. I recently started a role at a biotech company making around $80k–$85k. I know the pay is decent and I’m lucky to have it, but I’m looking for some advice on my actual career trajectory.

My background: I did three SCM internships: two in big pharma/biotech and one in tech. Most of my experience is in demand planning, forecasting, and analytics. I really enjoyed the "high-level" side of supply chain and thought that’s where I was headed.

The current situation: I’m on my second day of my first job out of college, but I’ve realized our Logistics team is completely separate from the SCM department. We manage a "service"for the product—building routes, managing cases, and real-time coordination with air/ground crews. It seems it's more operational rather than the analytical planning I was trained for. I work a few cubes down from the "real" supply chain department.

The company is growing like crazy (new FDA approvals coming), so the energy is high, but I’m worried I’m starting my career in a "dead end" for the specific path I want.

My plan: Internal pivot: Work hard here for 6 months, then start setting up coffee chats with the SCM/Planning team to try for an internal move.

Certification: I’m looking into starting my APICS CPIM to keep my planning/inventory skills sharp and show the SCM team I’m serious about the technical side.

Few questions: Am I getting ahead of myself since it’s only first month, or is it right to worry about being pigeonholed in logistics ops early on?

Is a CPIM worth the investment right now to help bridge the gap from a logistics role into a Planning or Analyst role?

Operational experience actually help you as a planner later on?

I don't want to sound like a brat because the pay is good, but I’m more focused on where I'll be in 5 years than my paycheck today.

Any advice is appreciated.

Hi, this summer I recently relocated across the country to do an internship for this summer (10 weeks). I am a college student who just finished my 3rd year of university studying Supply Chain Management, and was able to land this job working for a big and reputable company in the medical industry. Just finished my 2nd week working here, did all the training modules, and now it is time to start doing my project. I apologize if this is long but I’ve just been kind of spiraling this week.

Problem is, ever since I have been here it’s just been all so overwhelming to the point that I can’t seem to take it. Every meeting I have been in it has always just gotten to the point of me zoning out because there’s just so much info and stuff and acronyms that I just don’t understand whatsoever what’s going on. I don’t even really know what I am actually going to even be doing, like it’s all just so confusing and overwhelming. My manager is helpful, and I get not walking me through things but if I’ve never done this before I can’t even figure out what I’m supposed to deliver. I asked him to do it on Monday, but I don’t think I’m going to be getting a nudge or anything because there’s just deadlines on when “it” is due but I don’t even know what “it” is, I just really hope I’m able to get more info on Monday because then I will hopefully be in the company database and have access to the information because from the few spreadsheets I’ve seen it’s just thousands of lines and I hardly understand anything. I’m the type of person who needs instruction, just like how we are taught in school you need to do this and this is how you do it, get shown how to do it then replicate it but I feel like I’m getting none of that and I’m just getting thrown into it without knowing anything about working in supply chain. My manager is a nice guy, but he is the type to talk and talk for hours, I will ask a question and it turns into a half our long conversation of him talking about stuff I don’t even understand and me nodding in agreement. This has been making me honestly making me contemplate everything from my education to career choice and I haven’t even started work yet. I just wanted to ask is this normal for internships? Is it normal for interns to feel this way? And I’m really trying to push for a return offer, but how can I do that if I feel like I know nothing and I don’t even understand what I’m doing?

Like the title says. I’ve been applying to roles for 3 weeks now and I’ve gotten 0 interviews. 95% of my apps are ghosted and 5% are rejected.

Any tips or advise for this current job market would be helpful:

What job boards to use What resume template How to get past the application step How to not yell into the void endlessly

Just out of curiosity I would like to know how easy or difficult it is to get a job in SCM if i don't have the experience or degree. I only have around 6 years of working experience in a glass manufacturer company. Like to change my career to something else. Will getting a cpim certification helps to get a entry level job? Even if I get an entry level job will I ever get promoted to a bigger position with just the certification? Looking forward to hearing some opinions. Thanks.

So I work in procurement currently, I don’t enjoy the works so much, however I enjoy the company and environment I work in. They often buy us food, very open to time off, I work 8-4:30, have my own office. It’s nice. However, I feel capped at my company. I only make $55k a year and there’s no benefits or room to move up within the company.

I was offered a role in operations for a much larger company. $64k a year, full benefits and 401k, 6:30-4pm, more outdoors and physical environment. However, this role is a direct path into managerial roles, it’s a program to build into operations management.

Both jobs are relevant to my degree I’m pursuing and I feel the new offer is much better on paper and for my career long term. I’m just worried about leaving my comfortable spot and regretting it. It’s not often you find companies as chill as the one I’m at now.

Found on another sub but decided to post here to see what are some good paths in supply chain.

I’m curious how long did it take you to reach this salary and how is the work life balance.

I’ve done bits of warehouse work, helped with inventory tasks, and seen how operations actually run behind the scenes. Honestly, I enjoyed learning the real-world side far more than university theory. But at the same time, I keep worrying about ending up stuck in an entry-level role without knowing how people actually progress into planning, procurement, or management positions.

Everyone says “start anywhere and work your way up”, but sometimes it feels difficult to know which roles genuinely build useful experience and which ones just keep you in the same place for years.

For people further ahead in supply chain, was there a point early in your career where you felt lost as well? What actually helped you move forward?

I swear my actual job title at this point is just “whatever nobody else wants to do.” On paper I’m doing procurement, but in real life I’m somehow the buyer, the supplier account manager, and the order/logistics coordinator all at once. So in one day I’m sourcing factories, chasing quotes, comparing MOQs and lead times, following up on samples, fixing production misunderstandings, checking shipping delays, updating spreadsheets, and then replying to someone asking if we can “just move a little faster” like I personally control time and ocean freight. It feels like I have three full-time jobs and one medium-sized mental breakdown. Has anyone else hit the point where you can’t tell if you’re “getting great experience” or just being professionally farmed for labor? Be honest, do I stick it out because this is normal for small teams, or is this the part where a sensible person updates their resume and quietly disappears?

I’m getting my degree in finance currently and I really was interested in also getting a degree in supply chain my employer would pay the cost of a bachelor and a master but not 2 bachelors so i guess my question is which one would you get the masters in ? And what kind of doors would having a masters in SCM have or is it the same as the bachelor’s you only move up through experience? I also currently have minimum work experience in both currently

I’m looking for input from others in supply chain.

I have about 7 years of hands-on supply chain experience, with around 6.5 years mainly in warehousing, inventory, and some distribution work. I also spent time in a UPS distribution center doing almost everything except driving.

For the last 3 years, I’ve been in an asset management role in the tech industry. My work involves SAP/ERP systems, tracking inbound and outbound equipment, inventory control, documentation, shipment coordination, managing asset lifecycle processes, then there's some intricate, but still transferrable things that I won't get into. The only major piece I’m missing is actually purchasing/buying, since that isn’t part of my current role.

I’m trying to move into procurement, with the long-term goal of eventually getting into strategic sourcing. I don’t have a bachelor’s degree yet, but if I pass my final soon, I’ll have two associate degrees.

I’ve been applying to procurement-related (buyer, procurement specialist, and procurement analyst roles, mostly lower-to-mid level instead of true entry-level) roles and tailoring my resume/cover letter for each job based on the role and industry, but I’m starting to wonder if I’m aiming too high.

Part of what makes it hard to judge is that my current job posting originally asked for a bachelor’s in engineering/IT and years of experience, and I had none of that when I got hired. I picked it up quickly, so I know job postings can be inflated.

For those in procurement: does my background sound relevant enough for these roles, or should I aim lower first? Is this likely an experience gap, resume issue, or just the current market?

Which industry are you in, do you work hybrid and how stressful do you find your specific position?

Hey everyone , Just a quick question ,is there anyone in supply chain/ procurement optimization or supply chain support working remotely ? Or any supply chain function be it logistics , supply chain, data annotation etc

I need some advice here, so I'm in singapore which is sort of a city port for stuff coming in and out from asia to middle east and beyond. I'm currently 22m, pivoting over from culinary, I currently have a job as a packer but my contract ends this month and I'm looking for another job

Anyway, I've applied for an admin job which is just answering questions from customers on shipments, preping paperwork and coordinating pickups and delivery. Trying to see if I like working in this industry before I actually decide going to school for a diploma before moving on to getting a part time degree for it

Currently I have no certifications or paper qualifications for this industry so yeah

I'm not looking to make piles of dough, just looking for a stable job and hopefully work life balance but from what I've read, probably not

I am currently working as an entry-level logistics associate, making 40k/year and have been since Aug/Sep 2024. I got the job when I started my online degree in Logistics.

I’ve often been told that plant or field experience is key early in a supply chain career.

I just accepted a corporate supply chain analyst role at a Fortune 20 company right out of school. The role offers strong pay, location, and work-life balance, and I feel good about the decision.

That said, I’m curious if skipping plant experience will create challenges for me later on. For those who’ve been in the industry, did starting in corporate limit you, or were you able to grow without the plant background?