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To become a wholesale buyer, a degree in business administration or related field is often required, but experience can also be considered. Joining a professional buyers association can help gain knowledge and certifications. Communication, negotiation, math, and analytical skills are important, as well as proficiency in computer software and the ability to work under pressure.
Wholesale buyers purchase goods and merchandise from manufacturers and others for resale to retail businesses and sometimes to other wholesalers. A bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing, supply chain management or a related field is often required if you want to become a wholesale buyer. Some employers may hire people with an associate’s degree and the necessary experience or without any college education but with substantial prior purchasing experience. Being familiar with the specific industry you are looking for a job in can also help you get started on becoming a wholesale buyer.
Joining a professional buyers association as a college student can help you gain knowledge about the field through classes, events, and written material. A professional organization may also offer job listings and career contacts. Organizations such as the American Purchasing Society, for example, offer membership memberships to full-time students in the United States. This organization and other similar organizations also provide professional field workers with certifications that signify experience as a supply chain and procurement professional. Certification may require various combinations of education and experience, depending on the organization offering it.
Excellent communication skills for working with suppliers and teammates are important if you want to become a wholesale buyer. Having a natural intuition about people and being able to read and understand body language and voice inflection can be helpful when it comes to negotiating purchases, which is a big part of the wholesale buyer’s job. Having some degree of friendly assertiveness is also important for negotiation.
A penchant for math and numbers will also help you perform some of the tasks of buyers: determining needed inventories; review of invoices, purchase orders and other related documents; and determination of resale prices. The use of spreadsheets, databases, purchasing programs and other software is also required for someone in this position, so having a computer proficiency is important. Familiarity with using the Internet to conduct research and find information is helpful.
A wholesale buyer’s job can involve reviewing past buying trends, forecasting purchase quantities to ensure adequate inventories, and developing sales and profit plans, so good analytical and planning skills will come in handy if you want to become successful. become a wholesale buyer. Buyer work can be very fast-paced, so you need to work well under pressure, multi-task, and be flexible enough to deal with changing priorities. Having attention to detail to keep track of various goods and materials is also helpful.
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