r/supplychain

I'm a 1st year Logistics & Supply Chain Management student currently doing my 2nd semester of this 4 yr degree, but I'm wondering if supply chain is really the way or if I should transfer into a procurement centred programme instead before it's too late, please advise.

Hi everyone,

I am a 27-year-old man who has gone from sales to operations to Supply Chain and I am planning at a manufacturing site and I have to respond to 20 different sales reps while also working with JD Edwards I’m 4 1/2 months in, but I feel like I’m still learning when it comes to how everything is manufactured and assembled and especially with the ERP system.

I have a litany of complaints about the role and how I feel like I’m doing three jobs at once, but I am trying to be a little bit more positive from my previous posts.

Can it take a year to feel comfortable and end up planning roll with a new product?

Is it normal to have a learning curve with an ERP system?

I really like supply chamber, but maybe I’m not cut out for this and I wanna be honest with myself so that I can grow as an individual.

I also know that this organization fires people out of nowhere and my managers is on the hot seat so I worry very much about my job security instability and I would like to get government work, but I don’t know if that’s possible or where to even start and I’m also Not sure what fields are left for provide stability.

Thank you all for any word 🙏

I’m 27 and planning to go back to school, trying to decide between Supply Chain & Operations Management and Accounting.

My background is completely unrelated. I’ve spent the last ~6 years in the oilfield (coiled tubing), and before that about 3 years as a tankerman on tugboats. So I’m used to long hours, physical work, and being away from home a lot.

At this point I’m trying to transition into something more stable where I can actually be home consistently. I’ve got a fiancée and a young daughter, so that’s a big priority now.

I’m seriously considering supply chain, but I want to hear it straight from people already working in it before I commit.

Here’s what I’m trying to figure out:

•How realistic is it to land a job right after graduating with no direct experience?

•What do entry-level roles actually look like (titles, responsibilities, pay)?

•Is starting around $70k–$80k realistic, or not really?

•How fast can you realistically move up if you’re motivated?

•What does your day-to-day actually look like?

•What kind of hours/schedule should I expect?

•What are the biggest downsides people don’t talk about?

•If you could go back, would you still choose supply chain?

I’m not afraid to take a pay cut starting out, but I do want a path where I can grow into solid income sooner rather than later.

I’m also considering accounting, but wanted to come here and get the supply chain perspective directly.

Any honest insight is appreciated—even if it’s “don’t do it.”

I have been in the same company for over 10 years. I am attending university to obtain my bachelor's in supply chain. I chose supply chain since its the backbone of every business. I currently working as a tech support representative in a remote call center. I've been in this position for 5 years. Before that I worked as an operator in production. I've plateaud in my role and I think my boss knows this since she suggested I apply to a production planner position at the same company since it is related to my degree. I interviewed and it went well since I know a lot about the company and resolving back order issues. I understand that working in a call center is kind of a dead end career. How's it like working as a production planner? Would this be a good move? I have thick skin so not really worried about stressful environments. Thanks

Lots of supply chain folks trying to understand the esoteric ACE portal.. so I made this guide to give clear instructions for how to pull an ES-003 report. Don't thank me, I'd rather make one post than waste time explaining repeatedly to every client, I'm lazy in a productive way

Steps:

1. Log in to ACE. Go to the ACE Website and select Trade / PGA User Login. Use this login for all future ACE sessions.
2. Select your importer account. Once signed in, open the Accounts dropdown and choose Importer.
3. On the right side of the screen, click Reports.
4. A new tab opens. Click Folders.
5. Find the Entry Summary folder. In the left sidebar, expand Public Folders → ACE → Trade → Importer → Entry Summary, then click Entry Summary inside that folder.
6. Select the ES-003 report. The right pane will show a list of Entry Summary reports. Click ES-003 Entry Summary Line Tariff Details.
7. A new page loads with a parameter pop-up. Wait a moment for it to finish loading, then locate Trade Account ACE ID. On the right, search for and select your Account Name.
8. Set the start date. Click Entry Date (Begin) in the left column. In the field on the right, enter 2/1/2025 and press Enter. (You can also use the calendar icon )
9. Set the end date. Click Entry Date (End) in the left column. Enter 3/1/2026 in the right-hand field and press Enter. (again, you can also use the calendar icon)
10. With all three fields set (Trade Account ACE ID, Entry Date Begin, Entry Date End), click Run at the bottom right of the pop-up. The report will start generating; this can take a few minutes. Stay on the page and do not close the window.
11. Wait for results. Once finished, the report will appear in the window.
12. Download the report. In the top-left toolbar, click the Download icon. A pop-up will prompt you to choose a file type. Leave the defaults as-is and click Export at the bottom right.
13. Upload to a tariff refund platform to run your IEEPA refund calculation and prepare your refund claims.

Looking up schools and found some big state schools have out ranked some prestigious highly rejected schools in SCM. Just wonder during job hunting for a fresh college grad if the ranking matters or not. Thanks

Hi everyone, I’m an Industrial Engineering graduate interested in pursuing a career in the supply chain field. I currently have an opportunity to work as a CI Engineer would that be a good step, or could it distract me from my career path, especially since I don’t have any offers in supply chain or planning yet?

Just looking for insights from the community

Hi everyone,

Please use this pinned weekly thread to discuss any career and/or education/certification questions you might have. This can include salary, career progression, insight from industry veterans, questions on certifications, etc. Please reference these posts whenever possible to avoid duplicating questions that might get answered here.

Thank you!

I apologize for my last post which was typed poorly but I was tired as hell. I will summarize :

I started a new job last month as a Warehouse controller(trainee) at a construction company but I heard people complaining about the salary issue and the HR clerk told me to keep applying and leave ASAP if I manage to get a job. So I got invited for an interview by this big beverage company and I managed to succeed and got an offer letter. Leaving a company​ within a month of starting is feeling weird but I need your honest opinion in this case on whether its wise proceeding with this new job because they want my presence tomorrow.

And I was told I have to forfeit April's salary due to leaving without notice

Transition out from SC background

Hi, I have over 7 years of working experience in the supply chain field ( involves capex procurement- contract drafting and negotiating and direct consumables procurement for OEM inj. moulding machines).

Risk management field has piqued my interest. Is there anyone who has successfully made such transition?

Is it even advisable and what kind of jobs are most advisable with this profile?

Please advice.

I’m graduating in May and recently accepted a full-time offer in the logistics industry, but it’s not a logistics/ops role. I’m super grateful as finding something wasn’t easy especially given my prior experiences .

My last two internships/co-ops were in CPG, and I feel like I built a pretty solid base there. Part of me thinks I could’ve kept growing in CPG and maybe leveraged that experience more long term but for some reason the competition in CPG is so competitive and so I wasn’t able to land something.

Now I’m switching into logistics industry and I’m not really sure how to feel about it. I know the industry tends to have thinner margins and doesn’t always pay as well, which makes me a little worried about getting stuck later on in the industry.

I’m not sure if I’m overthinking it this early in my career. For anyone who’s been in logistics or made a similar switch how’s the long term growth? Is it easy to pivot industries later on or do you kind of get locked in?

Hello all. I just turned 39. I only have a handful of college classes under my belt bevause I never rely knew what to pursue. I ended up in warehouses/distribution centers for most of my life. I have stints as a pack house supervisor and a receiving/cross dock lead. I have had some excellent managers to learn from and have experienced a wide range of situations both good and bad. At this point in my life getting a degree is going to be a slow arduous process. I have been looking into the ASCM CSPCP program. I could dig into this for a year without all the fluff of college. I feel confident in my intellectual ability to learn the material and pass the exam. I am wondering how beneficial this would be to me without a degree and if 20 years of various warehouse/distributed experience would help. I know it would t put me into an executive level position but id be ok getting into the 60-65k range as I make only 25 an hour currently. Im leaning towards staying on the logistics side and would actually love to get back into the warehouse supervision/management side as I love operations and improving efficiency metrics. In the long term the ability to apply for remote or contract logistics coordinator positions would be appreciated as well as my wife and I would like to travel the country when the nest is empty. Any input would be appreciated. Im im the miami valley area of Ohio if anyone is familiar with that market.

Thanks in advance

https://preview.redd.it/etazez2zidwg1.png?width=2528&format=png&auto=webp&s=a7c30854cda7ff32478628acdc8ea4bbd29f06bc

Hi all, I am looking to pursue the CSCP certification as my employer's agreed to pay for it. I'm looking at the bundle as it's cost optimal but was curious does the $2620 include the cost of the membership ($199) or do I have to first pay $199 just to get the discounted pricing of $2620?

The way their website reads is $2620 should include the cost of that membership but their customer service support is telling me the membership is not included and is incremental cost. So curious if anyone recently has purchased this and can help clarify? Thank you

Hi Folks,

Not sure how many folks here are in clinical supply management but I was just wondering if roles like mine is AI automatable. I don’t know what AI can and cannot do, I just use ChatGPT and that’s about it.

I did ask ChatGPT (of course, I was curious) about this and it said roles like mine are highly prone to be replaced by an AI agent ( not sure what that is exactly but doesn’t sound good). Reading ChatGPT’s analysis, it’s true much of what I do can possibly use an AI agent but it also said the advantage a “human” over an AI is primarily the human interaction with scientists and team members.

So basically I’m left unsure. I am hoping if there’s other folks in this space,who’s more familiar with AI than me, to share your thoughts on this.

Hey everyone,

I’m currently a 2nd-year BBA student specializing in Logistics & Supply Chain Management. Honestly, I feel a bit lost right now. I don’t have any strong skills yet, and I’m not very confident in studies either. I kind of chose this field without much planning, but now I realize I’ll need to start working soon and can’t afford to waste more time.

I really want to do an internship as early as possible but I don’t know where to start or what skills I should focus on first.

So I need some honest advice:

- What are the most important skills I should learn for supply chain/logistics?

- Is it possible to get an internship with almost no skills?

- Where should I apply (platforms, companies, or offline methods)?

- Any beginner-friendly roadmap I can follow in the next 1–2 months?

I’m ready to put in the effort, I just need some direction.

Would really appreciate any guidance 🙏

I am director level. I’m terrified. I have a few months in savings but this job market is brutal. They wouldn’t tell me what I did or said, just that I “know”. I have had hundreds of texts since the news came out from people being shocked.

I’m so lost and feel like giving up.

Hey everyone,

My partner and I are setting up an export-import proxy business (India to Canada). To protect ourselves from the classic "Quality Fade" or Bait-and-Switch from Indian manufacturers, our protocol is standard: 30% advance, 70% against the BOL, and a mandatory Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) by a 3rd party (SGS, Intertek, etc.) before the final payment is released.

However, I’m trying to bulletproof the model and looking at the obvious loophole: Inspector Bribery.
If a supplier stands to make an extra $10k by shipping substandard grade goods, slipping a local inspector $500 to pass the shipment is a no-brainer.

For the veterans here who source heavily from India (or China/Vietnam):

1. How common is it for reputable 3rd-party agency inspectors to take bribes?
2. What operational fail-safes do you build into your process to prevent this? (e.g., rotating agencies, demanding continuous video feeds, blind testing?)
3. Are there any specific clauses you put in your POs to hold the inspection agency liable if they pass garbage?

Any ground-reality advice & experience is highly appreciated!

So I got hired by this construction company as a warehouse controller trainee ( I graduated in 2024). The job was going well and I had a team i was leading and this previous week I got called for an interview for an Issues Clerk by a big beverage company and I attended the interview, and it went really well. A day after the interview, I was given an offer letter, and they wanted me to leave my job and appear on Friday, but I told them on Monday would work for me. So at my current company, I was told by the HR clerk that the salary payments have been inconsistent since January, and as someone close to 6 advised me to apply for a job. She was even pissed post interview at my new company that I had told them about the 2 week notice period, and she said I can leave to save myself money wise. Leaving a company that recruited me recently feels wrong as hell.

Anyone who had experienced a similar situation what would you do in this case, stay or evacuate in this case?

I am now taking MIT x MM and currently taking SCx1. If everything goes well, I am targeting to take the comprehensive exam in May 2027.

My manager wants me to take CSCP this year. He doesnt know I am taking MM. And I do not want to share yet. So, I am planning to allot my weekdays for the MM, and weekends for the CSCP.

At what point in the SCx courses is enough foundation to start preparing for CSCP?