Most people don't realize just how important logistics jobs are. Solving the logistical problems involved in shipping and transportation of goods has a huge impact on people, personally as well as financially. The way goods are shipped determines the price that you pay for products and services. Shipping logistics jobs entail successfully and safely shipping maximum goods at the lowest possible price at the fastest speed possible. This sounds very simple on the surface, but think about it a little more deeply and you'll soon see how challenging this can be. You have to strike a ''perfect'' balance between cost and practicality. Neither your business nor your customers want to pay too much for products and neither party can afford to wait around twiddling their thumbs for the other to show up, especially if the goods in question are prone to spoiling or rotting. Yet, you cannot try to save money by shipping bricks via Priority Mail, now can you?
Due to the fact that logistics jobs are so important, it's not that difficult to find job postings listed for them if you start scouring the market place. Sites like Monster and Career Builder among others will list these jobs, and you should also check out local online bulletin boards and the local newspapers' classifieds. However, you still need to know what you're looking for, don't you?
Consider a logistics job posting seeking qualified people for the position of Logistics Coordinator. One such listing gives the job description as helping Fortune 500 companies with their ''value-added supply chain services, such as network design/redesign, high-velocity cross docks, fulfillment centers, sequencing, kitting, sub-assembly, return logistics, dedicated contract transportation, and e-Commerce solutions'' and ''work in a call center environment where the primary focus is receiving phone calls and updating CEVA's transportation systems.''
To qualify for this logistics job posting, you need to be able to handle a range of activities. You have to be able to: use inbound phone call records and your own research to update driver status in the company's transportation management system; set up and maintain the master files on system entities as well as the routing in the system; do route on a weekly basis; monitor system alerts and make any necessary corrections to remove alert status; maintain data integrity and perform maintenance management on all related systems; oversee the clerical staff to see to it that they follow established work standards and processes; communicate on a regular basis with customer personnel; produce timely metrics and review these metrics with the customer management; and, be a point of contact for all operational issues that a customer may have.
You will therefore need to possess: strong computer skills including a working knowledge of Excel and Word; strong time management, analytical, organizational, and communications abilities; the ability and the drive to work in a fast-paced team environment; and excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal abilities in order to manage and motivate your team.
So, what are the background qualifications that you'll have to have to become this company's Logistics Coordinator? You should have a Bachelor's degree in Transportation/Logistics; some years spent in gaining prior knowledge of the logistics industry; and, though not necessary, customer service experience.
Yet, there are some logistics jobs that don't require as much by way of education or background. Consider one listing for a Logistics Specialist. This job handles logistics for locally stationed Navy personnel. Among the duties here are preparing ''periodic, special, or perpetual inventory of stock'', requisitioning ''articles to fill incoming orders'', and putting together ''reports on use of stock, adjustment of inventory counts and stock records, spoilage of or damage to stock, location changes and refusal of shipments''. The educational background required is just that of high school diploma — neither collegiate experience nor prior professional experience is necessary. This could make for an excellent starting job for those interested in a career in logistics.
So, the logistics resume that you'll need to have to qualify for a job varies between different logistics job positions. Obviously, more executive-related or managerial logistics jobs will require you to bring more experience and education to the table. But there are some entry- level positions in this line of work where you can get your foot in the door and gain experience for those future jobs.
It's always a good idea these days to put your logistics resume online and continuously update it. And one of the best ways to do that is to keep a blog about your logistics experience. All of the upper level jobs in this line of work will require you to have excellent writing and communication skills as well as the experience, so if you blog about it you are showing forth all three aspects that are needed.
