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Purchasing Agent

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Life As a Purchasing Agent

Purchasing Agent Example Purchase machinery, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, or services necessary for the operation of an establishment. Purchase raw or semi-finished materials for manufacturing.

Daily Life Of a Purchasing Agent

  • Study sales records and inventory levels of current stock to develop strategic purchasing programs that facilitate employee access to supplies.
  • Arrange the payment of duty and freight charges.
  • Review catalogs, industry periodicals, directories, trade journals, and Internet sites and consult with other department personnel to locate necessary goods and services.
  • Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices.
  • Confer with staff, users, and vendors to discuss defective or unacceptable goods or services and determine corrective action.
  • Monitor changes affecting supply and demand, tracking market conditions, price trends, or futures markets.

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What a Purchasing Agent Should Know

Purchasing Agents state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Management of Financial Resources: Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.

  • Procurement Agent
  • Purchasing Manager
  • Purchasing Assistant
  • Purchasing Coordinator
  • Area Field Person

Purchasing Agent Employment Estimates

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 309,400 jobs in the United States for Purchasing Agent. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Purchasing Agent. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 23,800 job openings in this field each year.

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The states with the most job growth for Purchasing Agent are Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Tools & Technologies Used by Purchasing Agents

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Purchasing Agents:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Web browser software
  • Microsoft Access
  • Data entry software
  • SAP
  • Microsoft Project
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • IBM Notes
  • Google Docs
  • FileMaker Pro
  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • Oracle PeopleSoft
  • Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne

How to Become a Purchasing Agent

Learn what Purchasing Agent education requirements there are.

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Similar Careers

Those thinking about becoming a Purchasing Agent might also be interested in the following careers:

Career changers with experience as a Purchasing Agent sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

References:

Image Credit: Nick Nijhuis via Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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