Resume guide · Job Zone 4

Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Productsresume guide.

Purchase machinery, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, or services necessary for the operation of an establishment. A strong Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products resume shows negotiation, reading comprehension and active listening, and names the tools you have worked with, such as SAP software, Microsoft Access and Oracle Database.

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01Also called

O*NET
BuyerContract Administrator (Contract Admin)Procurement and Contracting Administrator (Procurement and Contracting Admin)Procurement and Contracting BuyerProcurement OfficialProcurement SpecialistPurchasing Administrator (Purchasing Admin)Purchasing AgentPurchasing and Contracts CoordinatorContract Analyst

02Skills employers expect

O*NET

Importance is how much the skill matters to the job; level is how much of it the job demands. Both are worth naming on the resume, in this order.

SkillImportanceLevel
NegotiationVery highAdvanced
Reading ComprehensionVery highAdvanced
Active ListeningVery highAdvanced
Complex Problem SolvingVery highAdvanced
SpeakingVery highAdvanced
WritingVery highAdvanced
Active LearningHighIntermediate
Critical ThinkingHighIntermediate
Judgment and Decision MakingHighIntermediate
Management of Financial ResourcesHighIntermediate

03Knowledge areas

O*NET
  • English Language
  • Law and Government
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Administration and Management
  • Administrative
  • Mathematics
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Economics and Accounting
  • Personnel and Human Resources
  • Education and Training

04Common responsibilities

O*NET

Ordered by importance. Each one is a bullet waiting for a result and a number.

  1. Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations.
  2. Purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price and in correct amounts.
  3. Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services.
  4. Formulate policies and procedures for bid proposals and procurement of goods and services.
  5. Write and review product specifications, maintaining a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased.
  6. Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices.
  7. Research and evaluate suppliers, based on price, quality, selection, service, support, availability, reliability, production and distribution capabilities, and the supplier's reputation and history.
  8. Hire, train, or supervise purchasing clerks, buyers, and expediters.
  9. Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives.
  10. Evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and to determine need for changes.

05Software and tools

O*NET

56 tools across 20 categories. The six largest categories are below; Hot marks a hot technology, In demand a tool employers ask for most often.

Enterprise resource planning ERP software9
+ 4 more
Data base user interface and query software7
+ 2 more
Financial analysis software5
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
  • Cost estimating software
  • CPR Visual Estimator
  • IBM Costimater
  • Softstar Costar COCOMO II
Accounting software4
  • Intuit QuickBooksHotIn demand
  • Cost accounting software
  • CPR International GeneralCOST Estimator
  • Choice Job Cost
Analytical or scientific software4
  • Construction Management Software ProEst
  • WinEstimator WinEst
  • QSM SLIM Suite
  • Resources Calculations Incorporated SoftCost
Project management software4
  • Microsoft ProjectHotIn demand
  • Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio ManagementHot
  • Galorath SEER-SEM
  • Dexter + Cheney Spectrum Construction Software
Spreadsheet software4
Data base reporting software3
  • SAP BusinessObjects Crystal Reports
  • Database reporting software
  • Software AG enterprise software
Business intelligence and data analysis software2
  • IBM Cognos Impromptu
  • MicroStrategy
Document management software2
Electronic mail software2
Word processing software2
Enterprise system management software1
  • IBM Power Systems software
Graphics or photo imaging software1
  • SmugMug Flickr
Internet browser software1
Inventory management software1
  • Inventory management systemsIn demand
Office suite software1
Presentation software1
Process mapping and design software1
Sales and marketing software1
  • Google AdsIn demand

06Education and preparation

O*NET
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
65% of surveyed workers. Others report High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (15%) and Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree (10%).
Preparation level
Job Zone 4 · Considerable preparation
Usually a four-year degree and several years of related experience.

07Putting it on your resume

ResumeXRays guidance
BEE · How to show it

Lead with what you built. For a Job Zone 4 role, hiring managers and parsers both look for outcomes before credentials. Put two or three results at the top of each job entry, with the scale or effect stated plainly.

Name the tools exactly. This occupation is heavy on named software. A skills section that says "SAP software, Microsoft Access, Oracle Database, Intuit QuickBooks" matches more job descriptions than a general phrase. Use the spelling employers use.

Show reading comprehension and active listening, not just negotiation. Reading comprehension and active listening rank close to negotiation for this occupation. One bullet per role that shows a decision, a tradeoff or a result covers them.

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