Securing the next Procurement Role

Decision Time

Breaking into a new procurement role can feel like a daunting task, especially in today's unpredictable economic climate. You're juggling job-seeking with everyday life—managing a household, family, and personal commitments—all while navigating a job market that's more complex than ever. From global volatility to corporate restructuring and the rise of automated screening tools, the path to a new position is rarely straightforward.

As procurement professionals, we're keenly aware that in a strict accounting sense, employees are often viewed as a liability, not an asset. But the truth is, we have the power to be seen as a valuable asset, and that's what good recruiters and strategic job-seeking are all about: understanding the context of your skills and leveraging them to create value.

So, let's explore how you can maximize your chances of landing that next role in a market that's become a bit of a maze.

Targeting the Right Role

Getting this step right is crucial. Before you even start your search, you need to clearly define what you're looking for. Are you aiming for a step up, like moving from a Category Manager to a Portfolio Manager? Or are you looking for a change in spend, perhaps from marketing to packaging? Maybe you're even considering a complete career pivot into logistics or project management.

While it's ambitious to pursue a role where you lack direct experience, you must recognize that this creates a lack of symmetry between your profile and a potential employer's job description. The only thing that's symmetrical is the shared risk for both you and the company: the risk that you can deliver on the expectations of the new role.

If you're targeting a role for which you don't have direct experience, your best bet is often an internal move. This bypasses recruitment firms, which are paid to find a perfect match. If you must go external, consider pitching yourself directly to the hiring business.

This raises a critical question you should honestly reflect on: Why hasn't your current employer already assisted you with this progression? If your reasons are logistical—a flat organizational chart, lack of available roles, or a different location—your reasoning is sound. However, if a colleague was promoted over you or the role was filled externally, you may need to conduct a ruthless self-appraisal to determine if you're truly ready for that next step.

Understanding and Leveraging Your Skills

Procurement is a broad discipline that blends skills from various fields, including legal, analytics, finance, and stakeholder management. The challenge is that many companies create their own unique job titles that don't always align with industry standards. This can make your resume look inconsistent and confuse both recruiters and automated screening tools.

For example, a role once known as "Vendor Management" now has many variations like "Contract Management," "Supplier Management," or "Commercial Manager." The new title "Procurement Enablement" is another example, often referring to frameworks, policy, and systems. While these new titles may be cleaner, they can add friction to the job-seeking process.

To overcome this, you need to provide more than just a job title and a simple outcome. Your resume and interview conversations should flesh out the details. Instead of writing, "Category Management Travel – Saved $3m over 12-month period," break down how you achieved that result.

• What specific skills did you use to secure that saving?

• Was it a problem you solved or an opportunity you exploited?

• What processes and steps did you take?

Remember, the goal is to provide enough detail that a hiring manager can easily understand what you've done, even if the job title isn't a perfect match.

Making an Impact with Your Achievements

In today's market, technical capability is more important than ever. Your achievements are a key way to showcase this, but not all achievements are created equal. You need to distinguish between what is a standard job expectation and what truly went above and beyond the typical scope of your role. Saving 10% on a greenfield category or practicing good stakeholder management are often considered core competencies, not extraordinary achievements.

An impactful achievement is one that all parties can agree delivered significant value beyond what was expected. It's not about personal recognition; it's about quantifiable impact.

To make your achievements stand out, you need to frame them as a compelling narrative. Think of it like telling a story at a pub or a joke at a party: it needs to be well-structured and engaging. Practice using a Problem, Solution, Outcome structure to articulate your achievements.

• Problem/Opportunity: What was the challenge or what could you improve?

• Solution: What specific actions did you take?

• Outcome: What was the final result, and what was the value created?

This approach ensures you're not just presenting facts, but also delivering a message that captivates your audience.

Developing Your Resume

Nobody enjoys writing a resume. It’s a challenge whether you're trying to condense 25 years of experience or flesh out a document with minimal exposure. While LinkedIn bios have become a convenient substitute, the act of writing your resume actively prepares you for interviews.

When you draft your resume using the Problem, Solution, Outcome framework, you're not just creating a document—you're activating your mind to think about your elevator pitch, your achievements, and the tangible results of your work. This proactive thinking improves your articulation under pressure and ensures that your resume, the recruiter's pitch, and your in-person presentation all align perfectly.

Think of it like getting a Big Mac. You know exactly what you're getting, the expectation is set, and you're rarely surprised. The same principle applies to your job search. When the narrative from your resume matches the recruiter's pitch and your own presentation, you're meeting expectations and significantly increasing your chances of success.