Although the very latest U.S. jobs data is mixed (with some states cutting jobs, especially in industries like oil drilling and refining), there have been a lot of gains in the past year. That’s good news for the many job seekers who are currently trying to find positions. But if you’re among them, what fields should you be looking at? One you should strongly consider is logistics. According to U.S. Department of Labor estimates, logistics jobs are supposed to increase in number by 25.5% in the decade between 2010 and 2020, so there’s still time to get into this quickly growing field. Here are the answers to some important questions you might have about it:
What Are Logistics Jobs, Exactly?
You’ve probably heard of these jobs, even if you haven’t heard to them referred to in this particular grouping. Logistics is the field that deals with the storage and flow of goods between their origin points and consumers (and their return, if necessary). That means truck drivers, warehouse workers, managers and statisticians could all work in logistics, for example.
What Skills Are Required to Succeed?
Of course, the individual skills needed for a logistics job will depend on where along the line you’re working. Forklift operators need to be able to drive forklifts and inventory analysts don’t. But there are a few general skills that will benefit you, especially if you’re hoping to move up the chain. Logistics is a fast-paced environment that involves a lot of quick thinking and the ability to efficiently implement strategies. You’ll also need to be able to keep cool under pressure, since things not arriving where they should on time makes consumers unhappy — and that displeasure tends to move downstream. You might also be interested in a general study that showed that 36% of employers looked for multitasking skills before making job offers, 31% looked for initiative, 21% looked for creative thinking and 12% looked for “something else.”
Should You See a Logistics Recruiter?
As for most segments of the job market, there are specialized logistics recruiters you can turn to if you need help job hunting (there are even HVAC recruiters, which surprises many people). Companies use these sorts of talent-management companies to screen resumes, reducing them by about 50% before anyone from the company even looks at the application. Working with one of these companies isn’t a guarantee — recruiters still get more than 50 unread messages from job hopefuls every single day — but it at least increases your chances if you already have a relationship with the recruiting company.
Your choice to use a logistics recruiter or not may also depend on whether you’re looking for a lower-level job for which you’d use a general supply chain recruiter or whether you’re looking for a high-level position that would require executive search services. These executive search firms are generally worth it, since they’ll try to place you in a permanent, good-paying job commensurate with your experience and education.
Are you interested? Discuss in the comments.
