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Purchasing Careers

Are you a great communicator who enjoys negotiating and possess good numerical skills? If so, purchasing could be the career for you. Nearly every sector from construction and manufacturing, to retail and finance have purchasing requirements so there are plenty of options available to you.

relationships

Purchasing involves a lot of relationship building with key suppliers. It requires strong communication skills, confidence and diplomacy. Great supplier relationships will enable you to effectively negotiate, get the best deal and make the business more profitable.

freedom

A career in purchasing offers you plenty of freedom to manage your workload. It is important to know your figures and be decisive when conducting negotiations as the power and responsibility of making a great deal lies with you.

variation

There’s plenty of variation when you work in purchasing. A purchasing role is not 100% office-based as you may be travelling to see current and existing suppliers. You can also move into different industries, products and services as you progress your career.

Would a Purchasing Career Suit Me?

A career in purchasing is well-suited to those who have the following skills and personality traits:

  • written and oral communication skills
  • the ability to build and maintain business relationships
  • strong analytical skills
  • commercial awareness
  • adaptable
  • numeracy skills
  • analytical skills
  • negotiation skills
  • decisive
  • confident
  • tactful and diplomatic

Purchasing Responsibilities

Deciding what goods, services or equipment is required.
Monitoring and forecasting stock levels.
Researching and finding new products and suppliers.
Assessing offers from potential suppliers.
Negotiating prices and agreeing contracts.
Keeping up to date with market trends.

Purchasing Jobs

At Bridgewater Graduates, we offer a variety of commercial graduate and trainee jobs, including purchasing positions, with market-leading businesses across the UK and Ireland.

Discover what roles we currently have available by clicking the button below.

Purchasing Resources

Chess game negotiation skills

Become an Expert Negotiator with 7 Steps

Discover what steps can you take to ensure that your negotiations run smoothly and result in you achieving your goals.

purchasing careers

10 Skills Purchasing Professionals Must Have

Here is the Most Wanted Skills List for the most dangerously good purchasing managers in the world!

Commercial awareness

The Importance of Commercial Awareness

An interview is essentially a sales pitch; you’re selling yourself as an employee, hoping the interviewer will buy it. Here you’ll find sales interview tips that will help you steam ahead of your competitors!

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