Supply Chain Analyst | Male | 22
Supply Chain Analyst excited about his new role, but not so much about the office politics
Disclaimer: For brevity and ease of read, some answers have been edited.
Snapshot
Job Title: Supply Chain Analyst
Industry, or desired industry if unemployed: Manufacturing
Time in workforce: 0-5 years
Age: 22
Company type, by FTE size: 3001-8000
Total compensation: 62k, with dental, health & 401k
Location: North Carolina
Sex: M
Degree: BA in Business Administration
Satisfaction with current role (1-5): 3
Satisfaction with overall career progression (1-5): 5
Exploring Career
What are your main responsibilities in your current role? Please list specific tasks in your day-to-day that you feel encompass the duty of your role.
Right now i’m still in the onboarding process so i’m honestly just getting paid to chill and learn about the company. Once I actually start working, i’ll be analyzing data to improve supply chain processes, identifying areas that could be made more efficient, and proposing solutions. My manager is super chill though so I don’t think my day-to-day will be that demanding.
What about your job do you enjoy the most? What could be improved about your job situation?
I haven’t really started doing the job, still onboarding but my favorite thing about the responsibilities I will have is the problem solving aspect. I think i’m good at doing things better so i’m exited to figure out those inefficiencies. I also like that I get to work 2 days from home cause I started college during COVID and I got used to the home life.
How much of required capabilities and skillsets in your role are coming from a formal education (your degree), certification, or apprenticeship (experience)?
My degree gave me a solid foundation in understanding business concepts, data analysis, and problem-solving, all of which I threw into my interview to sound like I really paid attention, but I think most of my success in this role will come from the fact that I interned with this company already and kinda know what I have to do to move up. I will say my professor helped shape my analytical thinking (s/o ECU business school).
What made you pick this career -- did you have a specific career goal growing up, or did your career path develop over time?
I don’t think I had a specific career path growing up, I just know I want to make good money and be a business man. When I got to college I was in a frat and many of my brothers were business majors so we kind of stuck together (makes it easier to pass classes too when we all have the same assignments lol). My school was very close to a hub for a huge supply chain manufacturer so my business college got the opportunity to go tour the facilities and we all figured since we already had a foot in the door we might as well leverage that and work for that company. We all applied for the internship and I was one of the ones who got it. I’m excited about what I do now, but I was mostly thinking about the easiest route I can take to be rich and successful.
Please describe how you got your job and what the process was like.
Like I said, my business college planned a trip to the facilities and they regularly higher interns from my school so I just reached out to one of the senior leaders and said I was on the college tour, I loved the company and I wanted to intern. I ended up hearing back pretty quickly and interning for 2 months and then once I graduated, I had built a really good relationship with my manager and he wanted me on his team. It only took about month to start, because my manager endorsed me I kinda fast passed the interview process and only had to interview with HR.
How long have you been working at your current company? Are you considering leaving? If yes, could you briefly share the main reason driving this decision?
I just started. I graduated in May and started end of June so I'm still in the onboarding process.
How well does your career progression match your vision or plan so far? Consider aspects like your timeline to promotion, compensation, and overall fulfillment.
My plan is just to be rich and successful so I really only care about a high salary. I just started and my manager helped me map out a 5-year plan with my company so I feel confident that I will get to where I want to be with this company so I think my career progression matches up pretty well.
Do you have mentors? If yes, how did you find them, and what impact have they had on your career? If no, how has the lack of mentors affected your career?
My first 2 years of college I looked up to my fraternity big and tried to do everything like him so I would say he was a mentor to me. He was an a*** but he got things done. I also consider my boss my mentor and he has helped me really get acclimated to my role and set goals for my future in the company.
Getting Deeper
Share a career-related question you are currently or have struggled with. Make sure to give context!
As I mentioned, I recently landed a job at a major supply chain manufacturer and I go into the office at least three times a week. My manager is f*** awesome, but the rest of my team and people in the company aren’t. There are a lot of office politics going on and it’s overwhelming. I think gossip is stupid but when people come up to me and say things, or they’re talking amongst themselves and ask for my opinion, I don’t want to refrain and have them think I suck, and I don’t want to participate and it come back around to bite me in the a**. I was in a frat where we all were chill but also blunt with each other whenever someone had a problem so I have no idea how to navigate this. What should I do?
What's the most impactful career advice you've ever received?
My big always said it’s all about who you know and I think that’s true. The rest is just being able to make people like you.