Which Qualifications Can Help You Get Into The Logistics Industry?
The logistics industry is made up of many different roles that each require their own set of skills. As a result, there are many qualifications that can help you to land a logistics career.
It’s worth noting that there are many roles that don’t necessarily need a degree to get into. However, having qualifications could help when trying to apply for certain jobs, showing proof of certain skills and helping you to stand out from the crowd.
Below are just some of the courses worth pursuing if you want to get into the logistics industry.
Logistics
The most obvious route into logistics is to take a logistics course. These courses teach key aspects of the industry such as supply chain management, inventory control, procurement skills, transportation knowledge and warehouse organization.
Some logistics courses may include work placements in the field. You can network with students who you know are trying to get into the same industry. Such a course will show that you are dedicated to pursuing a logistics career - however, you should be wary that it doesn’t provide much room for a career path change if you decide the industry isn’t for you.
Business administration
Business administration is a more general subject that can teach you business admin skills for getting into a huge range of industries. Logistics-relevant skills that it can teach you includes finance skills, procurement skills, operational skills and potentially a better knowledge of economic factors key to global trade.
With so many universities offering business administration courses, you will be spoilt for choice as to where to study. You can even look into online courses. This course also gives you the option to explore others careers as a backup.
Project management
A project management course could teach you leadership, planning and risk management skills that are essential to many higher roles in the industry. Some of these courses may even have logistics modules to help you make your degree more relevant.
You can explore online options such as this master of project management course to study flexibly or you can look into on-campus solutions to help build networking links.
Engineering
An engineering degree could teach you problem-solving skills that are key to optimizing supply chains and 3PL systems. Industrial engineering courses or modules are the most relevant as they focus on people, materials and technology. Mechanical engineering can meanwhile get you into fields like transportation design.
This broad degree does allow you to explore other industries if you decide you move on from logistics. Try to find courses that focus on the industrial and mechanical aspects.
Geography
A geography course could teach vital mapping skills necessary for optimizing routes and choosing suppliers. It could be a particularly useful degree for navigating international logistics.
There is also the option to explore other fields like urban planning and environmental management if you decide that logistics is not for you. Look for courses that may have logistics-relevant modules like introductions to GIS to increase your chance of landing a career in the logistics sector.
