As with all the jobs in this path, turnover is high, and as individuals leave sales for other occupations, new openings occur. You'll find this turnover highest among those firms that offer the least training and whose products are the least sophisticated. There has not been much invested in the employee, nor has the employee invested much in the employer. As a result, leave-taking is easier.
People who hire for sales positions know best how difficult it is to predict who will do well in this profession. Hiring professionals know all this, as well. But they also know the demands of the marketplace and the sophistication and educational background of people you'll be meeting. They know the increasing demands of sales automation require an ability to master the computer and to manage one's own time and workflow. They have found college degree to be the best training ground and math to be an excellent preparation for many of the demands of today s professional sales consultant.
Though you may have some natural ability for sales, you will need further training in sales skills. In addition, you will want to be provided withal structured opportunity to learn about the products and services you'll be selling. The best sales positions offer the greatest amounts of formal training. However, the training is not always provided before you begin selling. Some firms have their new sales recruits attend formal sales schools, complete with dormitories, exams, and classroom presentations before you meet the public. Other organizations have found training to be more worthwhile following a brief period of actual field sales, perhaps three to six months. The philosophy behind this decision is that some exposure to the demanding role of the sales professional will help you to appreciate the training and be more aggressive in your studies. Both philosophies have merit.
Be wary of those positions that ask you to fund yourself until you are paid, provide your own transportation, or offer no formal training. This kind of employment structure places no responsibility on the hiring organization; consequently, rapid turnover (common in these jobs) is not very damaging since the organization has spent little money on each salesperson. A firm that invests in your training has invested in you and wants you to succeed.
Career Outlook for Purchasing Agents
The projected slower-than-average growth for jobs in purchasing as predicted in the Occupational Outlook Handbook is largely a result of the computer. Though economic activity is very high as this book goes to press, the demand for workers does not need to keep pace with this economic activity because the computer has significantly reduced the paperwork intensity of purchasing jobs, especially at the lower levels of the hiring hierarchy as purchasers write longer-term contracts with larger organizations that can supply more products and services from one location, it dramatically reduces the time normally spent on negotiations and the personnel traditionally involved with that.
On the public purchasing front, new laws affect purchasing employees. In 1994, the federal government mandated electronic purchasing for all items under a specified dollar amount (the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act) and that certainly has restricted demand for new hires.
This kind of minimum-paperwork buying occurs in more than just the government sector. Here on our college campus, we have purchasing agents whose functions correspond very closely with the job specifications. But even here, on a college campus, the purchasing agent's role is changing. Up until just recently, everything we purchased was processed through our purchasing office. Now, with the issuance of purchasing credit cards (no different than the ones you might carry in your own wallet), we are able to make purchases while at conferences, conventions, shopping on our own, or over the Internet. Innovations such as this kind of "direct buying" has certainly affected the number of purchasing agents needed in the marketplace.
Strategies for Retail Buyers and Buyer/Merchandising
Trainees retailing holds many exciting possibilities for the mathematics graduate. The jobs are creative, demanding, and well worth your investment in your math education. The future of retailing is full of surprises but is certain to include increased quantification, increased technology, and innovative new ways tooth reach and satisfy the consumer market.
The earnings statistics cited demonstrate the possibility for strong earning potential if you have what it takes to grow with this profession. Additionally, the projections of growth for the retail sector should lead you to the conviction that if you really want to enter retailing as a career and have the personal characteristics the industry is seeking, there is a job waiting for you. These personal characteristics are the ability to formulate and solve practical problems in retail business. Remember as a mathematician in the retail environment you have a wonderful advantage in your ability to analyze relationships among variables, solve complex problems, develop models, and process large amounts of data.
Retailing is, however, an incredibly diverse field. Merchandise lines run the gamut from lingerie to lawnmowers, and there are big names in each field (Victoria's Secret/John Deere). Geographically, retailing is literally all over the map, and you can find retail employment throughout the United States and the world. So, in addition to product lines (merchandise) and location options, there is equally as much choice about job duties: buyer, merchandise manager, store or department manager, site development, advertising, finance... the list goes on and on.
With the following outline you can develop a successful strategy for finding the right job for you in the retail sector. If you
- have enough time to do a thorough job search,
- have access to all the options listed below and
- Want to be sure you've covered all possibilities, and then go through this plan step by step. Not only will you succeed in finding the jobs, but the process of implementing this search will also make you a better and more informed interview candidate and increase your chances of being selected because you will truly understand the world of retail. However, if time or your options are limited, then pick and choose from this list for what is most doable for you.
