Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits
Aspiring purchasing agents should take as many math and business classes as possible and participate in internships to gain experience in the field.
Purchasing agents should have calm temperaments and have confidence in their decision-making abilities. Because they work with other people, they need to be diplomatic, tactful, and cooperative. A thorough knowledge of business practices and an understanding of the needs and activities of the employer are essential, as is knowledge of the relevant markets. It also is helpful to be familiar with social and economic changes in order to predict the amounts or types of products to buy.
Related Professions
- Accountants
- Ambassadors
- Arbitrators
- Auditors
- Automotive Dealership Owners
- Bank Examiners
- Billing Clerks
- Biotechnology Production Workers
- Bookkeeping and Accounting Clerks
- Budget Analysts
- Business Continuity Planners
- Business Development Managers and Directors
- Business Intelligence Analysts
- Business Managers
- Buyers
- Chief Customer Officers
- Chief Executive Officers
- Chief Financial Officers
- Chief Information Officers
- Chief Information Security Officers
- Chief Restructuring Officers
- Chief Revenue Officers
- Chief Robotics Officer
- Chief Sustainability Officers
- Chief Trust Officers
- Client Services Managers
- Collection Workers
- Community Health Program Coordinators
- Compliance Managers
- Continuous Improvement Managers
- Corporate Climate Strategists
- Corporate Community Relations Directors
- Corporate Lawyers
- Corporate Librarians
- Cost Estimators
- Credit Analysts
- Cultural Advisers
- Customer Service Directors
- Customer Service Representatives
- Customs Brokers
- Customs Officials
- Data Entry Clerks
- Decision Scientists
- Digital Workplace Experience Engineers
- Directors of Corporate Sponsorship
- Directors of Security
- Document Management Specialists
- Economists
- Entrepreneurs
- Environmental Economists
- Ethical Sourcing Officer
- Event Planners
- Executive Recruiters
- Export-Import Specialists
- Fashion Models' Agents
- Federal and State Officials
- Financial Analysts
- Financial Consultants
- Foreign Service Officers
- Forensic Accountants and Auditors
- Franchise Owners
- Futurists
- Health Care Managers
- Health Club Owners and Managers
- Health Data Analysts
- Human Resources Managers
- Industrial Traffic Managers
- Information Technology Infrastructure Engineers
- Internet Consultants
- Internet Executives
- Internet Store Managers and Entrepreneurs
- Internet Transaction Specialists
- Interpreters
- Investment Fund Managers
- Investment Professionals
- Labor Union Business Agents
- Legal Operations Specialists
- Logistics Analysts
- Logistics Engineers
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- Management Analysts and Consultants
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- Regulatory Affairs Managers
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- Secretaries
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- Stenographers
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- Translators
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