Pakistan's_Newest_Career_Buzzword

PAKISTAN'S NEWEST CAREER BUZZWORD So what is the way out for the burgeoning class of graduates & post-graduates who are finding it ever-difficult to kick start careers in these days of recession' SUPPLY CHAIN rings a bell! Supply chain-the newest career trend' Most of us have been increasingly made to hear more & more about supply chain management, or SCM, in short. Suddenly we are bombarded with newspaper ADs, online blogs & all that jazz, making it THE BUZZWORD these days. So the question is, 'what is supply chain mgmt.'' Find out below. INTRODUCTION: Supply Chain is a term that was first coined in early 80s as a result of analysis done for the US apparel industry. It has been mainly derived from the concept of the age-old popular term, ‘logistics’, which involves entire process of moving goods & services from point of origin to the point of actual consumption, based on meeting the conditions required of the customer. Supply Chain simply takes this concept one step further by delving into the minutest of details as to how & where can companies look for increasing their efficiency & cutting costs in the whole supply, manufacture & sales process. It is this demand for ever-increasing productivity that is driving major companies around the world to go for qualified professionals to make possible ever-increasing margins of profitability in the age of uncertainty. PAKISTAN’S EXPOSURE TO SUPPLY CHAIN: Pakistan, like other countries in the region, is waking up to the fact that Supply Chain offers a whole new world of opportunities as far as conducting business is concerned. Specially, in the backdrop of the extremely volatile law & order situation, along with the highly uncertain political landscape, it becomes all the more important that companies are able to stock the raw materials-in the right quantity, at the right price. Supply Chain has come to Pakistan in a somewhat sober way, without all the excitement of the DOTCOM BOOM that had hit the local market in the 90s. Although, more recently, companies have started understanding the long-term benefits of this field & local sectors including automobiles, pharmaceuticals etc. have launched efforts to setup their own dedicated Supply Chain departments. SUPPLY CHAIN POSITIONS: A whole range of fancy, imaginative terms are seen these days in the local newspaper classifieds section, online job-search portals etc. such as; · Supply Chain Analyst · Supply Chain Coordinator · Supply Chain Manager · Supply Chain Consultant · Supply Chain Director · Materials Planner · Logistics Coordinator · Logistics Manager · Operations Manager · Manufacturing Manager · Production Manager And a whole lot more. It depends from industry to industry & varies a bit from company to company, keeping in mind some other aspects as size of the business etc. QUALIFICATIONS: Supply Chain is now definitely a familiar term in Pakistan and related qualifications are available in almost all kinds of programs ranging from short-term certificate courses & 6-month & 1-year diplomas, up to university-level graduate & post-graduate degrees. Some of the places to look out for further information in Pakistan include: · PAF-KIET · KASBIT · IBA-Karachi · SZABIST · PeBI-Pakistan e-Business Initiative · PIMS etc. TIPS FOR JOB HUNTERS: Job hunters! Here’s the deal: · Be specific in your related qualifications · Clearly convey the current understanding of the field as you see it. · Mention in the CV as to the future direction you see for yourself · How does SUPPLY CHAIN fit-in as the career-choice' RELEVANT CV: Of course, CV is the bottom-line, as they say. So always be extra careful about the things you put in your CV. An entry-level job-seeker should ensure that ideally, a CV does not stretch longer than a page or two, at max. INTERVIEW CALL-BE PREPARED! Judgment Day has arrived. Take a deep breath, re-assure yourself & keep the following in mind, before entering the interview room. · Remember to revise the basic concepts of the field. · Key terminologies relating to SUPPLY CHAIN MGMT. should be on your fingertips. So dear jobless youth from the land of the pure, kit-up, wear your working shoes, gel-up your hairstyle & dance to the tunes of Supply Chain! Happy job hunting! Submitted by, Danial H.Hydari