Qualifying for a Logistics Career

As graduation season hits its peak, high school and college seniors are thinking about their future line of work. And one path worthy of heavy consideration is a career in logistics. U.S. News and World Report has logistician as number eight on its list of Best Business Jobs.  And the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 30% growth through 2030. If a soon-to-be graduate - or current pro in another field - wants to move in the logistics direction, then - just like a race car entering the Indy 500 - qualifying for a logistics career is the next step. Having the right qualifications - just as in any other field - leads to the best, most lucrative long-term logistics job prospects. 

How do I start a career in logistics?

Once an individual has made the decision to pursue a career in logistics, that's just the start. Next, it's important to take a few additional actions, including:

• Spend time learning and evaluating specific positions - plus salary and benefit prospects
• Understand training/certification/degree requirements and the options available
• Find logistics organizations and cultivate industry contacts
• Update resume to tailor it toward logistics-related skills/experience - and even more specifically any intended position - if you have some related career experience already
  

These actions will help both students and mid-career professionals start a career in logistics. But keep in mind, they are just the start.

What qualifications do you need for logistics? 

The qualifications needed for a logistics career depend on the position being sought. A bachelor's degree is a good place to start for many career-level logistics jobs - though some may only require associate's degrees or even certifications. While not as prevalent anymore, there are also cases of people starting in low-level logistics positions with limited background requirements, then learning on the job, apprenticing and working their way up through an organization. Those degree and training requirements are more common nowadays though, so even in such a case, a degree may be needed to rise to certain levels. Speaking of that, some positions require education beyond a bachelor's degree, with a master's education opening additional doors - and usually leading to better pay.

What are the different jobs in logistics?

Logistics is a pretty broad term, encompassing all activities associated with planning, executing, reporting and coordinating the movement of goods within an organization’s network. Thus, there is a pretty broad selection of jobs available that fall under the logistics umbrella, including:

• Logistics Coordinator/Specialist/Manager aka Logistician - These are different levels of a similar job description, involving arranging, maintaining, or overseeing a company's movement of goods
• Logistics Analyst - A role that analyzes logistics data - both internal and external - to ensure and improve the quality of processes
• Inventory Analyst/Manager -  These positions involve forecasting and managing inventory needs, and addressing them
• Warehouse Manager - This job trains and manages warehouse employees
• Fleet Manager - Purchases and maintains vehicles used in the logistics process
• Transportation Manager - Creates, oversees and ensures maintenance of logistics transportation
• Purchasing Manager - Works with suppliers to strategically acquire/purchase inventory
• Landman - Buys and negotiates land-use deals
• Demand Planner - Uses sales and marketing data to analyze consumer demand for products
• Supply Chain Manager - Oversees a company's supply chain and logistics processes

These jobs represent an incomplete list of logistics options, as logistics careers can also encompass the people who actually drive/pilot/engineer vehicles - and maintain them, as well as those who physically pack and lift products. You can find careers as freight brokers and freight agents as well.

There are plenty of logistics careers, as well as plenty of places to work in the field, including here at InTek Freight & Logistics. If instead of working at InTek, your business wants to work with us, we're happy to help. Just fill out our quick form and we'll follow up to discuss freight and logistics solutions for you. 

Learn more about the industry - and what we do at InTek - in our Learning Center. Or you can start with a few of the links below: 

• Domestic Freight Services: Intermodal, Truckload, LTL
• Outsourced Managed Transportation Service Solutions