According to a recent “Inside Supply Management Salary Survey,” demand is escalating across several industries and company types for supply chain professionals.  Further, with logistics accounting for about 8% to 10% of U.S. GDP and spending on supply chain growing faster than the overall economy, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals confidently claims that the field offers significant opportunities for college graduates coming out of supply chain management programs.   The US Department of Labor Statistics supports this positive job outlook by stating that supply chain related jobs are expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations until 2020, the upper limit on the time horizon for their projections.  U.S. News & World Report offers a similar promising assessment  in its Best Jobs of the Future issue, listing supply chain management as one of 20 hot job tracks for the 21st century.

For graduating supply chain majors, some of the most common entry-level positions within the field of GSCM include: Logistics or Supply Chain Analyst, Buyer, Production Planner, Transportation Planner or Analyst, Procurement Specialist, Customer Service Specialist, Warehouse or Plant Supervisor, and Network Planner.  For those interested in travel, GSCM positions offer opportunities for exciting travel both internationally and domestically.  On the other hand, for those less excited about travel, there are many good positions that require minimal to no travel.  Overall, the field of supply chain provides a broad variety of opportunities that can accommodate graduating students’ varied interests.

There are also several post college professional certifications in Supply Chain Management that are available for graduates to pursue including: the Certified Professional in Supply Chain Management (CPS), and the Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM).  Additionally, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and the Association for Operations Management (APICS) both offer excellent ongoing GSCM educational programs for supply chain professionals.  These educational programs allow GSC professionals to continually enhance their skills sets as their careers progress.