Industry Careers

7/27/2019 Industry Careers

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MARKETING

Sample Companies that Hire Marketing Positions Pepsi-Cola Co., Philip Morris, IBM, Motorola,Kodak, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Kellogg, Budweiser, Procter & Gamble, etc.

Marketing Overview There are a vast array of Marketing jobs including eServices marketing, salesmanagement, brand management, market research analysis, product development & management,advertising and public relations, B to B marketing, marketing models and systems analysis, retailingmarketing, distribution channel management, direct response marketing, International marketing, andmore:

eService MarketingThe service sector is expanding within the economy very rapidly. As a result, marketing positions infinancial service institutions, health care organizations, leisure oriented businesses, and various other service settings are growing. Service sector career paths in many cases parallel those found intraditional packaged goods brand management. These are high visibility opportunities that offer the

possibilities of advancement to top level marketing positions. Other positions may be available insales capacities, or in a large service firm's market research department. The latter would typically beavailable only to those with advanced degrees.

Brand ManagementEach brand or product within a company is operated as a separate business, with each standing onits own merits among its competition. This brand independence enables the company to marketvigorously a number of different products--some competitive with others in the same company.

Brand managers plan, develop, and direct the marketing efforts for a particular brand or product.They are generalists who coordinate the activities of specialists in production, sales, advertising,promotion, R&D, marketing research, purchasing, distribution, package development, and finance.

Virtually all CPGs (consumer goods companies) have brand management. A number of industrialgoods companies also have brand/product management. Courses in advertising, research,consumer behavior, statistics and strategy will help prepare for this career.

B-to-B MarketingBusiness-to-Business Marketing is industrial marketing which requires the ability to understand thecustomers’ requirements, and to propose the purchase of the product that best fits the customer'sneeds. The marketing person often acts somewhat like a consultant to the buyers in order to assistthem in determining the most suitable products for their needs. The successful industrial marketingperson is self-reliant and able to present the product line to the customer in the most favorable light.

The most common positions include Sales Representative, Market Research Administrator, ProductManager, Pricing Administrator, and Product Administrator.

Direct Response MarketingDirect response vehicles include direct mail, print and broadcast media, telephone marketing,catalogues, in-home presentations, and door-to-door marketing. Other vehicles include electronicordering and funds transfer, video text, as well as international opportunities. Careers in this area arefound in marketing oriented firms, including those offering consumer goods, industrial products,financial institutions, and other types of service establishments.



Distribution ManagementDistribution management is the analysis, planning, and control of activities concerned with theprocurement and distribution of goods. The activities include transportation, warehousing,forecasting, order processing, inventory control, production planning, site selection, and customer service. Logistics management employs the total cost approach to make analyses of the combinedcosts of various activities to obtain the most satisfactory level of customer service at the lowest totalcost. The distribution domain is an extensive and diverse area concerned not only with the physicaltransportation of products, but also with various purchasing, selling, and channel managementfunctions. Courses logistics, transportation, purchasing, and negotiation will help prepare for thiscareer.

International MarketingOpportunities in International Marketing generally are a result of a variety of social, economic, andpolitical conditions as well as the increased responsibility which decentralized decision making andgreater distances from head-quarters generally bring. Planning and managerial positions abroadusually go to people who have had some international marketing experience at headquarters.Positions usually involves research, planning or coordinating activities. Companies such as Colgate-Palmolive, CPC International, Eli Lilly, Gillette, and Nestle hire for international marketing. Fluency inappropriate foreign languages and long-term residence in another trading partner country are helpful.

Marketing Models and Systems Analysis Analysts tend to act as consultants to managers faced with difficulty marketing problems. This arearequires skills in management science, quantitative methods, and systems analysis concepts, whichare applied to various marketing problems. Responsibilities include demand measurement andforecasting, market structure analysis, channels and distribution policies and strategies, field salesforce problems, various problems such as advertising effectiveness analysis, as well as thoseencountered in new product development and test marketing. Career opportunities exist primarilywithin the larger marketing oriented firms such as Pillsbury, Eli Lilly, General Foods, General Mills,and also in public institutions concerned with health, education or transportation. In addition,management consulting firms represent good opportunities. Job titles include market analyst, marketresearch specialist, and management scientist.

Marketing Research

Marketing research individuals are involved with providing management with information needed for decision making: information about consumers, the marketing environment, and the competition.Market researchers will generally be involved with designing the research project, data collectionmethods sampling, data tabulation, analysis, report preparation, and presentation of findings to senior management.

Product Planning/DevelopmentPersons who specialize in product planning can find opportunities in the marketing of consumer products, consumer services, hospital and medical services, and public service programs. Anunderstanding of marketing research, sales forecasting, and promotional planning is necessary.Career opportunities exist in the consumer industries, advertising agencies, consulting firms, publicagencies, medical agencies, retailing management, and many more. Courses in product planning,

marketing research, consumer behavior/advertising, capital budgeting, entrepreneurship, and salesforecasting would be valuable.

General Marketing Skill Requirements

• Project Manager

• Interpersonal Skills

• Sharp Analytical Skills and Strategic Thinking Ability

• Strong Oral and Written Communication Skills

• Keen interest in Business and Consumer Behavior



• Comfort with Statistical Information

Sample Responsibilities

• Develop pricing strategies, balancing firm objectives and customer satisfaction.

• Identify, develop, and evaluate marketing strategy.

• Evaluate the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, return-on-investment

and profit-loss projections, etc.

• Formulate, direct and coordinate marketing activities and policies to promote products and

services.• Compile lists describing product or service offerings.

• Use sales forecasting and strategic planning to ensure the sale and profitability of products,

lines, or services, analyzing business developments and monitoring market trends.

• Select products and accessories to be displayed at trade or special production shows.

Sample Interview Questions

1. What are the biggest challenges of marketing via interactive media?2. How well-suited is online advertising for branding?3. What Campbell's brand would you prefer to market?4. Name a brand that you think is marketed well? Why?5. Case: It has been mentioned many times about Heinz going into the mayonnaise market.

How would you assess whether or not we should enter this market?6. Describe a product that you would market differently?7. Choose a brand from our product mix and tell me how you would improve it.8. How would you market a product which was losing share in a declining market with no

marketing dollars available?

Monitor Marketing TrendsService sector marketing exceeding the manufacturing sector …

General Marketing Industry Characteristics

• Moderate to High Salaries

Resources

Smith Graduate Marketing Association

http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/organizations/marketing/About.html

Web Resources

http://www.vault.com/hubs/615/hubhome_615.jsp?ch_id=615http://www.careeroverview.com/marketing-careers.htmlhttp://www.careers-in-marketing.com/http://www.mbaalliance.com/marketing.htmlhttp://www.mbaauthority.com/cc/marketing.htmlhttp://www.MarketingPower.com (American Marketing Association - comprehensive professionalsociety of marketers)http://www.demographics.com (American Demographics- business topics and resources based ondemographic studies)http://www.gallup.com (The Gallup Organization - polling data on a variety of business, political, andlifestyle topics)http://www.marketingsource.com (The Marketing Resource Center - designed to assist businesseswith their traditional and Internet marketing efforts)


http://www.vault.com/hubs/615/hubhome_615.jsp?ch_id=615

http://www.careeroverview.com/marketing-careers.html

http://www.careers-in-marketing.com/

http://www.mbaalliance.com/marketing.html

http://www.mbaauthority.com/cc/marketing.html

http://www.marketingpower.com/

http://www.gallup.com/



http://www.careeroverview.com/marketing-careers.html

http://www.careers-in-marketing.com/

http://www.mbaalliance.com/marketing.html

http://www.mbaauthority.com/cc/marketing.html

http://www.marketingpower.com/

http://www.gallup.com/



CONSULTING

Consulting Overview

Management consulting firms are hired by other companies to address specific issues by identifyingproblems and recommending solutions. To accomplish these goals, they conduct research, identifyareas of concern, and map out how various areas of business affect each other.

Management consulting firms can be divided into four main industries: finance consulting, niche or industry specific consulting such as pharmaceutical consulting, IT consulting, and strategy consulting.Within these industries, Consultants may work on projects in business reorganization, downsizing,

business unit development, mergers and acquisitions, market analysis, competitive positioning,customer retention and/or acquisition, forecasting & budgeting, financial analysis, financial strategy,manufacturing, research & development, systems design and more.

Sample Companies that Hire Consultants

Deloitte Consulting, Bearing Point, Accenture, McKinsey, Booz Allen Hamilton, BCG, HuronConsulting

General Consultant Skill Requirements

•Idea-Driven Personality

• Leadership and Managerial Skills

• Interpersonal Skills

• Analytical Skills,

• Strategic Thinking Ability

• Strong Writing Ability

• Project Management Skills

• Presentation Skills

• Time Management

• Ability to work with diverse populations


• Create, present, and implement technical solutions

• Conduct client needs assessments to determine project goals and scope.

• Create documentation to support project implementation.

• Testing and analysis of a client's project/solution.

• Provide periodic status reports to client based on project progress.

• Write project status reports for client documentation.

• Travel to client sites.




The majority of interview questions are “case interviews” which may address several types of business situations such as profit/loss, organizational structure, or marketing scenarios. Theseinterviews are designed to measure your ability to analyze a problem, determine solutions, andpropose solution implementation. The interviewer may utilize his or her own real, client experience tosteer you through the scenario: “An airline finds that, while its revenues are at an all time high, thecompany is still operating at a loss. What is going on?"

Another may be a type of “brain teasers” : "Why are manhole covers round?" or "What will bedifferent if, in the future, consumers have to pay for every drop of drinkable water piped to their residence or business?"

To determine a candidate’s skill in logical deduction as well as quantitative skills, a question might be:"How big is the market for golf bags in Australia?" or "How many divorces take place nationally in anygiven year?"

Graphic interpretation questions are also used by consulting firms as this mirrors a method of presenting business data that is preferred within their organization. The candidate’s task will be toreview and interpret data presented as a chart or using another form of graph.

*For more detailed case interviewing information, please access (http://www.vault.com/nr/hottopiclist.jsp?ch_id=252&nr_page=13&cat_id=1203)

General Consultant Industry Characteristics

• Long hours

• Lots of travel

• Higher Salaries

Resources

Smith MBA Consulting Association

http://www.smith.umd.edu/organizations/consulting/platform.html

Web Resources

http://www.wetfeet.com/Content/Careers/Consulting.aspxhttp://www.vault.com/hubs/502/hubhome_502.jsp?ch_id=502http://chronicle.com/jobs/2001/05/2001051101c.htmhttp://chronicle.com/jobs/2002/05/2002050701c.htm

http://www.careeroverview.com/consulting-careers.htmlhttp://www.careers-in-business.com/consultinghttp://www.consultingmag.com/

Case Interviewing Resources

http://www.vault.com/search/searchresult.jsp?keyword=case+interviewinghttp://www.casequestions.comhttp://recruiting.mckinsey.com/app004/case2.nsf/keyview/case_02 (an interactive case study)http://www.bain.com/bainweb/Join_Bain/case_interviews.asp (two interactive practice caseinterviews)


http://chronicle.com/jobs/2001/05/2001051101c.htm


http://www.careeroverview.com/consulting-careers.html

http://www.careers-in-business.com/consulting

http://www.vault.com/search/searchresult.jsp?keyword=case+interviewing

http://recruiting.mckinsey.com/app004/case2.nsf/keyview/case_02

http://www.bain.com/bainweb/Join_Bain/case_interviews.asp




http://www.careeroverview.com/consulting-careers.html

http://www.careers-in-business.com/consulting

http://www.vault.com/search/searchresult.jsp?keyword=case+interviewing

http://recruiting.mckinsey.com/app004/case2.nsf/keyview/case_02

http://www.bain.com/bainweb/Join_Bain/case_interviews.asp



CORPORATE FINANCE

Corporate Finance Overview If you pursue corporate finance, it means that you will work for acompany to help it find money to run the business, grow the business, make acquisitions, plan for itsfinancial future, and manage any cash on hand. Corporate finance includes two key functions:accounting and finance:

Accounting concerns itself with day-to-day operations-bookkeeping, tracking expenses and revenueand compiling financial data needed to issue a company's financial statements in accordance withgovernment regulations. The two major areas of accounting are taxes and general accounting:

Taxes: administration of taxes (e.g., paying taxes on time-or finding tax strategies to avoid paying

them) and planning how to decrease the company's tax burden. Some responsibilities includeworking with attorneys on tax litigation, researching tax laws and keeping abreast of new governmentrules and regulations

General Accounting: General accountants are responsible for tracking the firm’s businesstransactions and for preparing both internal and external financial packages. External financialinformation includes consolidated financial statements, the footnotes thereto, and any financialrelated SEC reporting documents. Accountants also track the corporate budget, cash flow, andensure appropriate levels of working capital.

Finance professionals analyze revenue and expenses to ensure effective use of capital. They alsoadvise businesses about project costs, make capital investments, and structure deals to helpcompanies grow.

Program/Product Financial Analyst : Program/product budgeting, forecasting, and varianceanalysis. Financial Analysis work with each division's business team to prepare financial plans,make forecasts, and compare actual financial results to forecasts. Some responsibilities may includeeverything from analyzing new business opportunities to restructuring a business or developing acapital-spending program.

Strategic Planning: Corporate budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.

Strategic Pricing : Pricing analysis of new programs/products/services.

Corporate Development : Merger, acquisition and minority investment analysis. Corporatedevelopment involves both corporate finance and business development. Finance experts incorporate development study acquisition targets, investment options, and licensing deals. Corporatedevelopment jobs require planning and analysis know-how and the kind of skills that investmentbankers working merger-and-acquisition deals put to use. Strategic Planning and Strategic Pricingare involved in this area.

Treasurer: Financing and capital investing analysis. The treasury department is responsible for all of a company's financing and investing activities. This department works with investment bankers whohelp the corporation raise capital through stock or bond issuances, or to expand through mergers andacquisitions. Treasury also manages the pension fund and the corporation's investments in other



companies. The department also handles risk management, such as safeguarding corporate assetsby using insurance policies or currency hedges.

Internal Audit : Procedural and sampling analysis. Auditors check the company's accountingsystems to evaluate internal business processes, assess internal controls, and makerecommendations to executive management. The quality of the data is reviewed to ensure accuracyand completion. Additionally, auditors introduce or revise procedures to improve efficiency andreduce costs.

Integration with Other Fields

Business Development Field - Focuses on expanding an existing product portfolio and/or markets.

Consulting Field - Generalists perform financial analyst duties on projects within dedicatedcorporate finance groups or internal consulting groups.

Marketing Field - Non-branding marketing involves market/opportunity analysis, pricing strategies,and corporate resource allocation.

General Corporate Finance Titles

Financial Analyst

• analyze capital budget projects … long-range financial planning …analyze competitors …

examine possible acquisitions and asset sales …

Risk Manager

• work with currency fluctuations, natural disasters, market volatility, and fraud …

Investor Relations Officer

• issues company press releases … provides information to the firm's investors and potential

investors … requires strong knowledge of finance and public relations …

Treasurer • manages cash, raises funds, develops financial plans, and acquires and disposes of assets …

Cash Manager

• establishes relationships with banks … manages short term cash and credit needs … invests

excess cash, deals with international funds transfer … requires good negotiation skills andstrong knowledge of accounting and finance …

Credit Manager

• establishes policies for granting credit to suppliers, setting guidelines for collecting on credit and

consider whether to securitize receivables … requires knowledge of the customer and ability toanalyze accounting statements

Controller

• financial planning and cost analysis … requires high level of accounting knowledge and strong

people skills

Real Estate Officer

• identifies real estate locations for a firm and negotiates leases or purchase of property …

requires strong negotiating skills, knowledge of property valuation, and financing skills

Benefits Officer



• manages pension funds, sets up 401(k) plans, and determines health care coverage and

policies … requires good background in finance and human resources

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

• responsible for all financial activities in an organization … in a smaller firm, might hold the title of

Treasurer, Controller, or Vice- President of FinanceSample Companies that Hire

Every industry from manufacturing to investment banking.

General Skill Requirements• Problem Solving Skills and Analytical Skills

• Spreadsheets and presentation software abilities

• Ability to explain complex financial transactions and data

• Understanding of financial and economic theory, practices, and trends

• Ability to utilize models, techniques, and derivatives used to manage risk

• Teamwork and Project Management Skills


1. What is different about an internal finance position versus working as an investment banker?2. Why did you choose Smith?3. You have an engineering background – what is the connection to finance?

Recruiting

September – April and later for just-in-time hires.

Resources

Smith MBA Finance Association

http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/organizations/mba-finance/index.htm

Web Resources


• Vault Career Guide to Finance Interviews

• Vault Career Guide to the Top 50 Finance Employers

Harvard Business Review's Guide to Careers in Finance

Industry Publications

Investor's Business Daily: covers corporate and market information and other news of interest toinvestors.The Wall Street Journal: U.S. leading financial daily newspaper. (Smith is ranked)Financial Times: comprehensive coverage of corporate and other business issues. (Smith isranked)BusinessWeek: reports on current business activities and events impacting the American economy.Corporate Financing Week: covers corporate capital raising, M&A and investment banking in theU.S., latest financial innovations and trends, insights into the "in and outs" of the securities market.Mergers & Acquisitions- The Dealmaker's Journal: newsletter on mergers and corporate policy;each issue contains a list of merger activity for different industry sectors.







INVESTMENT BANKING

Types of Investment Banking Investment Banking includes corporate finance, mergers andacquisitions, project finance, trading, structured finance, derivatives, equity and fixed incomeresearch, broking among other areas. Starting salaries with an MBA degree vary (Associate position)range from depending upon the firms and regions. The investment banking industry is wide rangingfrom product lines to industries. Below are a few categories:

Sales & Trading

Sales is a core area of any investment bank, comprising the vast majority of people and therelationships that account for a substantial portion of any investment bank’s revenues. Theinstitutional salesperson manages the bank's relationships with institutional money managers such asmutual funds or pension funds. Institutional sales is often called research sales, as salespeople focuson selling the firm's research to institutions.

Traders manage the firm's risk and make markets by setting the prices--based on supply anddemand--for the securities the investment banking side has underwritten.

Investment Banking

Investment banking Professionals specialize in capital markets (equities, investment grade debt, andhigh yield securities), corporate finance, financial restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and privateequity. They work closely with analysts, traders, and sales professionals to create financingalternatives that are innovative and effective. Through the process of "underwriting" investment banksfacilitate the issuance of both corporate and government securities providing essential capital to bothgroups. In addition they help investors purchase securities, manage financial assets, and tradesecurities. One of the most highly public roles of an investment bank involves the strategic financialadvisory services they provide to companies involved in merger and/or acquisition deals and in thedivestiture ("spinning off") of various company assets or businesses.

Private Wealth Management

Private banking and wealth management is the coordinated delivery of banking, asset management,insurance and fiduciary and tax services to high net worth individuals through a network of highlytrained private bankers, investment managers and other specialists. Private wealth managersinterface with multiple divisions of investment firms and are able to offer clients various resources andservices such as investments in initial public offerings (IPOs), new issues, derivatives, and proprietaryproducts. Private wealth managers also deliver an institutional level of research, advisory services,and execution to investors.

Equity Research



Equity analysts conduct "fundamental" research, which can provide significant foresight regardingequity securities and, increasingly, convertible and high-yield instruments. Fundamental researchincludes assignment of major factors and trends driving an industry's growth prospects, analysis of individual companies' positions within an industry, detailed company-specific financial analyses andforecasts and valuation of the companies' securities in the marketplace. In addition to specificcompany reports, analysts publish comprehensive industry reports, weekly and monthly industryupdates, and specific reports on products such as convertible securities.

Analysts produce research ideas, hand them to associates and assistants, and then man the phonetalking to buy-side stock/bond pickers, company managers, and internal salespeople.

Sample Companies that hire IB Associates Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Credit Suisse, JPMorgan Chase, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch

Sample Consultant Job Description (job descriptions will vary depending areas within the bank):

Prestigious investment bank in NYC seeking several strong Associates to provide outstanding investmentbanking coverage and financing alternatives to clients within one of the following sectors: Industrials,Entertainment/Communications, Consumer/Retail, Energy (Power/Utilities & Oil/Gas), Real Estate, TMT,Healthcare, Debt Capital Markets, Private Placements, etc.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Responsibilities: Identify product opportunities and partnering with product groups (ie., Debt Capital Markets, Asset-Backed Securities, Syndicated Loans, etc.) to pitch non-M&A/Equity debt financing and corporate financeadvisory solutions to clients. Prepare pitch materials and presentations, and partner with products group todeliver pitches to clients. Conduct industry, market and company research. Perform extensive dealmodeling/analytics. Ensure successful execution of deals. More senior Associates will have greater ownershipof deals/client interaction.

General Skill Requirements

• Strong Analytical and Synthesizing Skills

• Leadership and Managerial Skills

• Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills

•

Strategic Thinking Ability and Project Management Skills• Presentation Skills

• Time Management Skills

• Working with diverse populations


• Create, present, and implement financial solutions

• DCF valuations & Work options pricing models

• Price up new deals (e.g. bonds, convertibles, etc.)

• Track past deals and pricing to sense where the market is going

•

Coordinate due diligence and prepare document on debt and equity deals


1. Why did you choose investment banking? Why our bank?2. How do you value a company?3. Why did you choose Smith?4. Are you a leader or a follower? Give me an example where you were successful in both roles?5. Who is in the bulge bracket?6. What is the DJIA at today? NASDAQ? S&P500? Long Bond? Fed funds rate?7. Where is the market going? Bond, equity and foreign exchange? Where do you think interest

rates will be in the next 12 months? Why might a company choose to issue debt vs. equity?



General IB Industry Characteristics

• Long hours, very competitive, very global

Recruiting

Traditional recruiting occurs early, typically mid-September - October with offers extended aroundNovember/December. Recruiting also occurs in January/February.

Monitor Industry Trends

• The 1998 merger of Travelers, Citibank and Salomon into Citigroup or the merger of Bank One

and JP Morgan Chase…

• International economies…

• Growth of electronic investment banking…

• Commercial banks entering into securities underwriting …

• Sarbanes-Oxley saw an increase in compliance hiring…

Resources

Smith MBA Finance Association


The Smith Mayer Fundhttp://www.smith.umd.edu/mayerfund/index.html

Web Resourceshttp://www.vault.com/hubs/501/channelhome_501.jsp?ch_id=240

• Vault Career Guide to Investment Banking

• Vault Career Guide to Investment Management

• Vault Career Guide to Finance Interviews

• Vault Career Guide to the Top 50 Finance Employers

http://www.wetfeet.com/Content/Industries/Investment%20Banking.aspx

• Careers in Investment Banking

• Careers in Asset Management and Retail Brokerage

• Killer Investment Banking Resumes

• Investment Banking Interviews: Beat the Street

http://www.efinancialcareers.com/graduateCentreCareerPath.htm/id-21http://www.mbaauthority.com/cc/inv-banking.html

Industry Publications

Daily:Investor's Business Daily: covers corporate and market information and other news of interest toinvestors.The Wall Street Journal: U.S. leading financial daily newspaper. (Smith is ranked)Financial Times: comprehensive coverage of corporate and other business issues. (Smith isranked)

Weekly:BusinessWeek: reports on current business activities and events impacting the American economy.Investment Dealer's Digest: covers industry news and feature stories, initial publics offerings (IPO),listings of newly registered securities, new issues, and more.





Corporate Financing Week: covers corporate capital raising, M&A and investment banking in theU.S., latest financial innovations and trends, insights into the "in and outs" of the securities market.Securities Industry News : global coverage of securities operations and processing services withspecial emphasis on technologies for banks, brokerages and institutional investment firms.

Monthly:Equities Magazine: offers business-related and financial news on promising public companies;includes stock prices, quotes and profiles.Traders Magazine: in-depth analysis of securities and bond markets and trends.Venture Capital Journal: covers issues and trends affecting the venture capital investment process.

LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT (SCM)

Industry Overview“Supply Chain Management” is the management of resources to design, procure, fabricate, produce,

assemble, store, distribute, use, maintain, recycle, and dispose of goods and services. Itencompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing and procurement,conversion and all logistics management activities. It also includes coordination and collaborationwith channel partners, which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service providers andcustomers.

“Logistics Management” is that part of supply chain management that plans, implements and controlsthe efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services and relatedinformation between the point of origin and the point of consumption.

Main areas within Logistics and Supply Chain Management include Quality, Logistics, eBusiness,Purchasing, and Supply Chain. The components of a typical logistics system are customer service,

demand forecasting, distribution communications, inventory control, material handling, order processing, parts and service support, plant and warehouse location analysis and site selection,purchasing, packaging, returned goods handling, transportation, and warehousing and storage. Aposition in a small company may involve all of these areas, while working at a large corporation mayinvolve only one or a few areas listed above.

Sample Companies that Hire Consultants Any business organization may be viewed as a potentialemployer; however, the type of businesses and organizations most likely to employ logisticsmanagers include communication, consulting, government/military, manufacturing, material handling,merchandising, retail, software/computer service, telecommunications and transportation firms;equipment manufacturers and dealers; print media; public warehouses and wholesale distributors.Larger firms (Fortune 500, Fortune 1000) tend to manage more aspects of their individual supply

chains directly.

Sample SCM / Logistics Jobs

Planner or Analyst : utilizes analytical and quantitative methods to predict and enhance supply chainprocesses.

Buyer : works closely with internal customers (e.g., marketing, operations) and external suppliers tomanage the purchasing process for the goods and services needed by the company. They identifysources of supply, evaluate and select suppliers, and negotiate contracts.



Inventory Specialist: develops and implements plans to optimize inventory cost and customer servicegoals. They ensure inventory quality and accuracy, coordinate physical inventory process and cyclecounts, and monitor inventory flow through the system.

Materials Planner/Materials Analyst: may manage raw materials and/or components needed for manufacturing with responsibilities for inbound inventory levels, and coordination with purchasing,manufacturing and supplier to ensure reliable, cost efficient delivery of the raw materials to theproduction line.

Transportation Coordinator/Traffic Analyst: evaluates, selects, and manages transportation carriersfor inbound goods

Production Coordinator, Scheduler, Operations Planner/ Analyst: Uses scheduling and forecastingabilities, knowledge of statistical process control, and interpersonal skills.

General Traits and Skill Requirements

Leadership and Managerial Skills

Analytical Skills, Strategic Thinking and Tactical Planning Ability

Process Improvement Skills and Project Management Skills

Presentation Skills

Excellent Communications Skills

Willingness to travel extensively (depending upon job)

Knowledge of Procurement and Quality Assurance

Finance/Planning/Forecasting Development Skills

Computer Skills especially in Excel and SAP

Sample Responsibilities& Knowledge

Create, present, and implement technical solutions

Purchasing

Bidding

Developing and Managing Cost Reduction Strategies

eCommerce

Global Sourcing

Managing Internal operations and Dealing Effectively with 3PL (Third-Party Logistics) andOther Service providers: an increasing number of organizations worldwide want to develop

products for global markets. At the same time, they need to source material globally to becompetitive. One of today's trends to solve this problem is outsourcing logistics or using third-

party logistics (3PL) to manage complex distribution requirements.

Developing Organizational Models for the Supply Management

Project Management

Supplier Partnering and Alliances

Telecommunications


1. What are some of the ways materials may be purchased?2. What items of information are required in order to process a purchase requisition?3. What are the pros and cons of a centralized purchasing function?4. Under what criteria is a formal bid required?5. What impact might electronic commerce have on the purchasing process?6. How would you integrate electronic commerce with our supply chain management?



Resources

Smith Graduate Supply Chain Clubhttp://www.smith.umd.edu/organizations/scc/ Web Resourceshttp://www.vault.comhttp://www.ism.ws/index.cfmhttp://www.supplychaintoday.com/http://www.infoaccess.net/glossary.asp?loc=p (industry terminology)http://supplychain.ittoolbox.com/news/headlines.asphttp://www.isixsigma.com/http://www.manufacturing.net/community/44333/Supply+Chain+Management.htmlhttp://www.glscs.com/index.htm

http://www.smith.umd.edu/organizations/scc/

http://www.ism.ws/index.cfm

http://www.supplychaintoday.com/

http://www.infoaccess.net/glossary.asp?loc=p

http://supplychain.ittoolbox.com/news/headlines.asp

http://www.isixsigma.com/

http://www.manufacturing.net/community/44333/Supply+Chain+Management.html

http://www.smith.umd.edu/organizations/scc/

http://www.ism.ws/index.cfm

http://www.supplychaintoday.com/

http://www.infoaccess.net/glossary.asp?loc=p

http://supplychain.ittoolbox.com/news/headlines.asp

http://www.isixsigma.com/

http://www.manufacturing.net/community/44333/Supply+Chain+Management.html

Documents

Industry Careers