If you are one of the few able to get past your 60 day probationary period, consider yourself lucky. Even after the 60 days, there is no guarantee for any job security what so ever. The purchasing departments upper management can implement (and does very often) to “dehire” you. Ask all about it in your interview.
This leads to my next point, which is the employee turnover in the purchasing department specifically. If you are going for an interview, please ask about this topic. This is a red flag of a bad culture lead by a terrible “manager”. I invite you to read what some other individuals have posted on the “Interviews” section and read about their experience with said “manager/boss”.
You will also notice that titles don’t matter. All the fancy “Category Manager “, “Brand Manager”, “Procurement Analysis” and “Global Buyer” titles are just a lie they create. They aren’t used at all. Those titles are created to entice talented individuals to apply. They will hire just about anyone who seems intelligent and has a good work ethic in order to fill a seat because they have no employee retention.
After about a month in a buyer role, you will typically start going to the weekly marketing meetings. If you have ever seen Shark Tank, it is a similar situation. You will be responsible for presenting new items through your knowledge, data analysis, and research. Using these factors, you will need to fight for why we should stock a particular item and its “strategy”. Come prepared or be destroyed and publicly humiliated, for fun might I add.
Instead of having an intelligent and professional conversation with upper management, you will be talked to like a child who is incapable of wiping one’s own butt. There is no constructive criticism or collaboration feedback, just this is what we are doing.
Also, make sure you know about DiSC before your interview because this is how Clark Associates will profile you and determine how you fit best within the company (if at all). I would also highly recommend knowing who you will be working for and reporting too. It will make a huge impact on your stress and aggravation level.
In summary, do not work in the purchasing department. It can be a stepping stone for a new college graduate until you find another position but that’s all it should be.
