Industrial buyer : Career development

Career development for industrial buyers varies enormously. In larger companies, all the buying and procurement activities are carried out by a number of people working in teams, possibly at different locations. In a smaller company, however, one person may be responsible for all the work, so career progression may require a change of location.

The common career development pattern is two to three years as a junior or assistant buyer and then movement into a more senior role, possibly with some management responsibility. Experienced buyers generally progress by moving to a department that manages a larger volume of goods, products or services. Others may move into sales for a manufacturer or wholesaler.

Other career opportunities include moving into managing groups of buyers or acting as director of materials management. It is possible to specialise in a specific area such as IT, facilities management or travel.

Gaining the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS)    qualifications will enhance your promotion prospects, as does being geographically mobile. You may have to travel overseas to assess the suitability of goods or products, and there may also be opportunities to work abroad with large multinational organisations.

Self-employment for buyers with experience has become a recent possibility.