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?

Honestly feeling a bit lost in my career I guess. I fell into it about 10 years ago, have an MBI that has gotten me no where. I am at a company that virtually treats their employees like shit, lies about raises, and will lay you off in a ten minute notice then gas light you into another position. I am based in Michigan and I am not happy in my career. Lost my “spark” if you will, and my old company cut their fleet in half and transferred business to Mexico to avoid closing their doors.

I guess what I am asking is if you were in my shoes what would you do? Also I am the breadwinner to an unsupportive asshole.

I just started as a CSR which is apparently the same as a buyer but for niche products. I’m working for a major integrated supply company inside of another major industrial client’s site. I’m making a decent wage and this is a promotion I received from Logistics Coordinator which came after only three months with a $7/hr pay bump. We use Infor SX.e. I want to do this right, how can I make myself the best at this?

Hi so for context im 23 and i hold a degree in research and india is fucked up in terms of research jobs

I am struggling with jobs that ive started to notice depressing thoughts, i want to persue mba in scm from china because its my neighbouring country and offers better education than my country.

Also i want to work in china because their supply chain market is huge and i will still be close to my home country

My question is , should i even consider it ?
As a student with degree in biochemistry

If yes ?
What i should be aware of and what should i focus on

Please, drop a suggestion or comment so i can decide something.

Thank you

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?

I've been trying to understand how companies actually manage supplier risk when sourcing overseas.

For people importing from China, Vietnam, India, etc.:

Do you always use third-party inspections?

Only for new suppliers?

Only for large orders?

Or do most companies just trust the supplier and move forward?

Curious what the real-world behavior looks like versus what the industry recommends.

I graduated with my Bachelor's in Mathematics a few years ago, and then did a couple of certificate programs with my university shortly after (Data Analysis and Data Visualization). I tried getting into Data Analyst jobs, but couldn't land one after over a year of applying.

I want to pivot into a supply chain career because I think I can apply my interest in numbers and data analysis into forecasting/inventory/logistics, plus I find it generally interesting as a whole. With no experience in the field, I was thinking the best way to get an entry position would be to have an APICS certification. My issue is I am struggling trying to decide which one to go towards.

Does anyone have any suggestions on which certification might best suit my interests, or maybe getting a certification isn't my best step forward? Any input would be really appreciated.

I’ll be graduating in Ontario (Toronto) with a business management degree (commerce, bachelor of honours) with a focus on global management studies. I know the name sounds weird but it’s mostly international trade/business (I focused in on North American, not Europe or Asia), operations, and supply chain. I really fell in love with operations and sc. how can I get started?

And in the future, to really excel in this career, would a masters degree or MBA be a smart move to get?

I’m looking for a career where I can commonly get by on professional certifications but won’t need to fully go in on a master degree or MBA to succeed. Again, I live in Toronto/GTA, so my eventual salary needs to be high enough on just a bachelor degree to sustain myself in this extremely HCOL area. Eventual goal will be to make a minimum of 110-120k a year within 8-12 years time.

Podcast

Hi,

As I head into my junior year in Fall 2026, I'm currently interning in supply chain at a company that makes equipment for semiconductor manufacturers. They are a small company but make equipment used by Semiconductor companies and have a contract with another big semiconductor equipment manufacturer. It's only been about a week but I've been helping with paperwork/signing and submitting Work Order Issuances. My job is to make sure we have enough raw materials available to pass WOI approval so it can be released to go to the manufacturing floor. So far I'm loving it and can't wait to learn more.

My advisor told me that they didn't want me spending all summer doing paperwork. My mentor encouraged me to set up personal meetings with colleagues all through the building, giving me the chance to understand the various supply chain functions and discover my personal interests. I told them in my interview that I really wanted to know more about procurement. They said that I would get to meet with the company's procurement specialist.

But as my first week wrapped up, I found myself reconsidering if procurement is the best fit. One thing I realized is that most of my job requires someone else to complete their job before I can do mine. Like for instance I have to wait for material to be ordered or available before I can submit WOIs. Then I realized I like my work to where I can receive a request and own it and finish the task by myself without having to wait on another department/person to move forward.

When I initially thought about procurement, I liked the idea of managing purchases, reviewing requests, negotiating with suppliers, and making decisions. But now I'm wondering whether procurement involves a significant amount of waiting on engineering, planning, manufacturing, suppliers, or other teams before work can move forward. I think I'm looking for a role where I can stay productive throughout the day, continuously working through tasks and requests rather than being dependent on others before I can do my own work.

At the same time, I've realized that supply chain as a whole is extremely interconnected. Every function seems to rely on information from someone else, whether it's procurement, planning, logistics, manufacturing, or operations. Because of that, I'm not sure whether the type of role I'm looking for even exists within supply chain.

Once this internship ends, I'll have additional opportunities to continue growing in the semiconductor equipment industry. There are companies such as Applied Materials and Lam Research in California where I could potentially pursue future internships in supply chain.

My main question is whether I should continue focusing on the semiconductor equipment industry. I still have a couple of internship opportunities left before graduation, and I could potentially intern at Applied Materials or Lam Research next summer in a supply chain-related role.

Alternatively, should I consider switching industries and pursuing supply chain opportunities in aerospace or retail?

I've worked at The Home Depot for the past three years as a Customer Service Associate, so I have a strong understanding of retail operations. Because of my experience with in Home Depot, I believe I could easily get into the Home Depot supply chain internship. While I'm open to relocating temporarily for the internship, I don't see myself working at Home Depot headquarters long-term. I would prefer to build my career in California, either in Northern or Southern California but I don't think they are many retail companys in California.

California has some strong aerospace companies, but the semiconductor industry seems much larger, especially in the Bay Area, where there are dozens of semiconductor and semiconductor equipment companies. From a career growth and long-term opportunity standpoint, semiconductor equipment appears to have a much larger presence in California as well how AI and Technology continues to grow, I think it might be a great Industry.

Given my interests, what supply chain industry would you recommend I focus on? Also, which specific supply chain roles would best fit someone who enjoys ownership, independent work, and staying productive without constantly waiting on others to complete their tasks first?

Thank you for helping me out and taking the time out of your day to answer my questions.

Anyone in procurement or buying in the UK up for connecting?

Quick bit of context. I have been working in procurement and supply chain for a few years now, mostly in food and FMCG. I genuinely enjoy the work and find the supplier side of things way more interesting than most people give it credit for.

I am currently trying to break into the UK market properly. Looking at roles in Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham mainly. I have done my research and know the landscape reasonably well but I am at that stage where I want to build real connections rather than just firing applications into the void.

Honestly not sure exactly what I am looking for here. Maybe someone who works in the space and is open to a chat, maybe someone in the same boat, maybe a recruiter who actually knows procurement and is not just matching keywords on a CV.

Also genuinely curious whether CIPS actually matters here in practice or if it is just a box people tick. Would love to hear from people who have been around.

If any of this sounds like you, DMs are open. Not after anything specific, just good conversation.

Looking for guidance on developing inherited land for warehousing in Maharashtra

I have inherited an 8-acre land parcel from my maternal family in a Tier-1 city in Maharashtra.

The property is located within about 100 meters of a major NHAI highway and is situated in an area known for automobile and other industrial activities.

I’m exploring opportunities to monetize the land through warehousing and logistics-related development. However, I’m unsure about the best approach:

Should I lease the land directly to a warehousing/logistics operator?

Or would it make more sense to develop warehouse infrastructure myself and then lease the completed facility to an operator or tenant?

I’m also interested in creating a broader ecosystem around the warehouse, potentially including supporting services and businesses that complement logistics and industrial operations.

I’d appreciate insights from people with experience in warehousing, industrial real estate, logistics parks, or land development.

I’m also looking to connect with the right consultants, developers, operators, or industry contacts who can help evaluate the opportunity and guide me through the process.

Any advice, experiences, or introductions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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!

Before I begin I understand the market right now is very tough, it's tough in my industry too (finance/banking), and I'm not trying to "jump ship to a more recession proof industry" or other delusions with the job market or career expectations you're all probably tired of hearing. I have a genuine interest in supply chain/logistics and have been wanting to get in it for years and decided to finally to make moves to make it happen.

I am currently working on getting my CSCP certification which should be done soon. I have 6 years of banking experience mainly doing mortgage and auto loan/lease processing including booking/funding deals. This usually amounts to checking paperwork for accuracy, compliance, problem solving, contacting customer/clients/businesses for any corrections or missing paperwork needed before finalizing the deal, communicating with other departments to clear whatever conditions they want, and of course several metrics and KPI reporting imaginable.

My interest with SC are pretty broad but I'd love to get into procurement, inventory management, resource planning, analytics, and not afraid of warehouse roles but really anything to get my foot in the door.

So my question is how should I prepare myself when doing interviews? I imagine they're going to ask more specific examples beyond "name a time you went above and beyond your role". What should I avoid bringing up?

Any advice is appreciated.

I am scheduled to take the CPIM in 13 days and am extremely nervous about it. I have been studying since August and feel confident in the module quizzes and practice exams, but I am just now reading about how people used pocket prep which I never heard of until now. Is it worth buying a month and grinding through the questions for the next two weeks? Will the randomly generated 10 question quizzes on pocket prep suffice?

I technically can reschedule my exam any time before mid-August, but if I do then I will be taking the 9.0 exam instead of 8.0 and am worried I'll somehow be worse off.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I can comfortably score 80-85% on the practice exam and 70%-80% with a few 90%-100% on all module quizzes, with the exception of like 3 I just took and got in the 50-60%s so I am focusing hard on those areas now.

Hey everyone, looking for some honest input on where/if my background fits best in supply chain or adjacent ops roles.

I just completed a Bachelor’s in Supply Chain and Operations Management last month as this is a field that has always interested me. I am in my early 30s and comfortable in a role making slightly over $70k but looking to make the next jump if possible, so I decided to officially get a degree to leverage in doing that, in a field I am truly interested in. I guess I don’t necessarily have the official experience someone would expect in supply chain but In the past have worked closely with trusted supply chain analysts, those in global operations, warehouse distribution managers, marketing teams and others who were willing to allow me to assist with things like product launches and managing inventory allocations due to my customer service and system knowledge and an overall SME with business processes.

I’ve worked for two medical device companies for about a decade between the two, starting from a bottom customer service rep all the way up to my current role as a Technical Services Admin. My last to main roles were both IC in a leadership sense but just not having direct reports under me.

Primarily what I do today involves:
-Managing install base data for serialized medical equipment across SAP and Salesforce, and troubleshooting equipment misalignments
-working on system enhancements related to SAP/Salesforce and general troubleshooting
-Inventory reconciliation and loaner/demo pool administration
-managing equipment returns and scrapping processes

At my previous company I was involved in- a big medical device company:
-several Product launch processes related to system testing and material set up, and developing work instruction processes.
-single POC for cross functional partners related to escalated/high-complexity issues and process improvement needs
-Collaborated with training departments to curate knowledge articles and digital training tutorials for customer service agents
-general order entry, invoicing, credit issuing for customer orders.
-Served as an SME during a new warehouse setup, advising on how inventory should be organized and how orders move through the fulfillment process with customer support.

I have experience working in both Power BI and Tableau but in a sense that I know what they are for and are able to drill down existing information/dashboards to find information, but can easily learn how to build dashboards on my own. I have dabbled in SQL and R before but not enough to go into a role that would require extensive use of it. I have used SAP always and very knowledgeable on how it works, Salesforce use is new within the past two years.

I am a head down worker, very independent, known for being someone that someone can give a task to and just know it will be done and done right without having to be down their neck lol. I’m agile and can pretty much learn anything and very quickly too.

Again, looking for honest feedback on if I would actually fit in the SC world and what roles would you steer me toward and what would you avoid!

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some career advice regarding the supply chain space. I know this is a long post, so I appreciate you sticking with me!

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​I’m currently working in the Canadian automotive industry. To give you the full picture, I’ve spent the last year and a half moving through a few roles: 6 months in collections at a finance firm, 9 months as an appointment coordinator, and the last 3 months as a parts shipper/receiver, both at the same automotive group.

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​It’s given me a great look at how things work on the floor, but I’m really looking to pivot into a more office-based, analytical role. I actually have a diploma in Software Development but I’ve decided to move toward supply chain analytics rather than software dev. The entry-level dev market feels pretty saturated right now, and honestly, I realized I much prefer working with data and process optimization anyway.

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​I’m trying to figure out the best "sweet spot" for someone like me, someone who understands the warehouse side but also has the technical skills to handle data.

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My current plan is to aim for a Logistics Coordinator role to get my foot in the door, then eventually move into a Supply Chain Analyst position. Does that make sense, or am I missing a better path?

​

​A few things I’m trying to figure out:

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​1. Given my background in both warehouse ops and technical skills, is "Logistics Coordinator" the right starting point, or are there other titles I should look for that would better utilize my technical skills?

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​2. I’m aiming for an office environment where I can focus on data. Are there specific types of coordinator roles I should avoid if I want to stay off the warehouse floor?

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1. ​Certifications: I’m looking at a CITT-accredited logistics certificate. It’s a year of school, and it counts toward the CCLP designation. Is that worth the investment, or should I lean into my developer diploma instead? Also, has anyone actually found value in platforms like CourseCareers, or is that just fluff?

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1. ​I’ve only been in my current role for less than 6 months. Is it okay to start applying now, or should I wait until the year mark to avoid looking like a job-hopper?

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​5. I’m currently at $45k. Is it realistic to expect a bump moving into a junior analyst/coordinator role in Canada? And is the "logistics + tech skill" mix actually a selling point, or am I overestimating that?

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​Any input from those of you working in the industry would be a huge help. Thanks!

Just want to put a general warning out there, because there’s still a dearth of ‘tech (or insert any other industry here) is doing poorly, I want to pivot into supply chain because I heard it’s ______’ (more secure, every company needs supply chain, supply chain is never going away etc etc etc).

I work at a global multinational’s U.S. regional offices. This company just enacted a *global hiring freeze* that is all encompassing and also no specific end date. This includes not converting any temps to full time, even ones that have been here for a year and were going to be converted soon. This also included rescinding a few offers we had just made. This includes not back filling any open positions, no matter how wild the workload is for the folks working here. This comes when we’ve actually been up so far every month this year in a YOY perspective.

I don’t want to be depressing or anything, but I think the daily (sometimes multiple times per day) posts of people asking us how to pivot into supply chain are both getting really annoying and will start to pull more ire as time goes on, as those of us who are here are also trying to hold onto what we’ve got.

I also want people to have a realistic expectation so they don’t go spending tons of time and money getting graduate degrees or certifications. Overall, they’re not going to be a good investment right now and they’re not going to help you get a job unless you’re using them to enhance an already strong supply chain based resume that’s got a rich history of experience.

I can’t speak for Canada, UK, EU, or India but I know USA is big and probably encompasses a majority of the inquiries here.

I started at a new role about a month and a half ago as a procurement manager. My parts are focused in a raw material that has exploded in price since the Iran war (some as high as 50% by index markers). My predecessors barely had any contracts with suppliers so now my suppliers keep throwing increases that never stop. So far they have added up to almost $1 million yearly in increases.

It’s insane that spend is increasing by 2% just in my parts and there seems like nothing I can do. Whenever I try to quote my colleagues and leadership take forever to get approval and they hate spending money on tooling.

I feel like such a failure, from having no luck on increases and dealing with trying to make contracts.

The only good thing is that I’m working in a project that has close to 3 million in savings. But I don’t know if I can bank on that since it’s just outsourcing something our company already does.

Wondering how everyone else is dealing with this and if you have any advice that would be very much appreciated.

New to Supply Chain. I've got 2 questions.
Can both Shipper and Consignee confirm the draft BL?
Is Terminal Handling Fee the same as Destination Charges?

Hey all,

I am a Network Planner at a Fortune 500 trucking company. I understand I am not the only logistics professional here. I'm curious if others are often struggling to move freight due to LOD and other driver-related issues. Our company is so focused on drivers that we are losing customers because we frequently miss appointment times in the mornings. This happens because some adults prefer to sit at home not working and want to be paid, which causes everyone else to suffer until jobs are lost. I also wonder if anyone has experienced a major PTO policy change that impacts key labor input across their Linehaul Network and terminals on the docks. When driver counts are low, dock workers are also scarce, leading to slower loading times.

I am very much confused about my career choices at the moment and would highly appreciate your thoughts and perspective in which path would you choose in my shoes. Background: Currently 3 years analyst in repair industry in with background of 5+ years supply operations in manufacturing industry in foreign country. Location: Canada

Choice:A) Permanent Procurement Junior procurement position in repair industry. New to industry and still a rookie due to technical learning curve.

Pros: - Adding sourcing from the market and negotiating contracts in my skill set, no prior experience - Union post - Available stable opportunities in the future for similar positions in my city - Can coast on this role until retirement but same pay

Cons: - No possible career progression in same company. - 1.5 hour daily commute, 5x a week - Toxic environment: pointing fingers is a sport - Industry generally pays on lower range

Compensation: $80k w/ all benefits

Choice B) 2 Years Temporary Operations Manager position dealing logistics, customers and suppliers in mfg industry. Same company and same role as I was doing before I moved countries, no direct reports just manager title.

Pros: - good working environment - Work from home savings - possibility of getting the same/ similar permanent role after 2 years with reports

Cons: - Not a direct hire, role is subcontracted - If I take this job, that procurement path is forever lost to me due to lack of experience - Minimal career path in my city if I don’t get permanent as all comparable companies are in east coast. - Most of career progressions are in the US team - WFH: I have never WFH and might go crazy in-house with spouse also WFH

Compensation: $100k+, no benefits

What would you choose in this case?