FROM THE CHAIR
Time for your career check-up
By Leah Bach, C.P.P., PMAC National Board Chair
January 2010
With the arrival of a new year, we take another step closer to the launch of our new Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP) designation. The PMAC National association together with our Provincial and Territorial Institutes are hard at work concluding the legal aspects of this change across the country. In the coming weeks, you will be receiving further updates as we move forward with our implementation plan.
The new year is not only a good time to check the batteries in your smoke detectors; it’s also the right time to schedule a routine check-up for your career. With the economy rebounding – though this varies by geography and sector – organizations will start hiring again. And, whether you are new to the profession or a seasoned veteran, you need to be ready.
You can start the process by reviewing and clarifying your career goals. Dream first – don’t be too concerned at this point whether or not you have the skills to fulfill your goals.
Discover what’s possible! Consult PMAC’s Career Link to see the kind of supply chain roles that employers are posting. Use information sources such as PMAC’s Annual Salary Survey and Salary Calculator. Events are also a great way to get an outlook on the marketplace. PMAC’s 2010 Conference in Regina will feature a panel of top recruiters that will help you set realistic goals, as well as provide the opportunity to consult with your peers for invaluable career guidance.
The next step is for you to list your skills. Review your resume and current job description. Identify your successes and recognize your failures. What did you learn? What are you good at? Where did you excel?
Analyze the disparity between your goals and the skills necessary to realize them. There are many ways to fill these gaps. Poor public speaking skills? Sign up for a group like Toastmasters. Looking to work in the non-profit arena, but you only have private sector experience? Why not start by volunteering for a deserving non-profit organization? Do you require further education to get ahead? Investigate the numerous options, such as PMAC’s Strategic Supply Chain Management Leadership Program(SSCMLP), to find the training that’s right for you.
It’s important to plan the path that you will take to fill in the skills you need, and to set a timeline for completion. Don’t forget to celebrate milestones along the way. They will help you to keep focused and motivated.
A dream becomes reality when opportunity meets preparation. Or to paraphrase a famous scene from Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland, "One day, Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. ‘Which road do I take?’ she asked. ‘Where do you want to go?’ was his response. ‘I don't know,’ Alice answered. Then, said the cat, ‘it doesn't matter.’"
Contact me at: lbach@pmac.ca
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