What Should I Include on a Purchasing Manager Resume?

When compiling a purchasing manager resume, you should include all of your experience working supply chain management. Any education or certifications you have earned should also be included on your resume. Leadership experience also should be included on the purchasing manager resume, since purchasing managers must work without direct supervision and might manage other employees working in a company’s supply chain department.

If you have any experience with the types of products or materials that an organization purchases, highlight that experience on your purchasing manager resume. For example, oil and gas drilling companies purchase heavy machinery, while computer manufacturers purchase microprocessors and other computer hardware components. Demonstrating that you already have knowledge of the products or materials the organization uses shows that you will require less training to perform the work.

Always include any certifications on a purchasing manager resume, as long as those certifications relate to the work. For example, if you have earned certification as a purchasing manager through organizations like the Institute for Supply Management, put those certifications on your resume. Also, note if you are a member of any purchasing manager associations, such as the American Purchasing Society, as a way to demonstrate that you are heavily involved in the profession. Listing your membership in such organizations also shows that you bring extra resources with you if hired for the job.

Listing any experience you have with successfully managing business negotiations also strengthens your purchasing manager resume. Purchasing managers often must negotiate purchasing terms for a set period of time with different suppliers or wholesalers. If the purchasing manager does not obtain a fair price through negotiations, either his employer loses money or the supplier might decide to cancel the contract and do business with the competition. If you do not have formal experience with business negotiations, consider doing volunteer work for a not-for-profit organization where you must perform negotiations between two or more parties, as a way to strengthen your resume.

Include on your purchasing manager resume any experience in other jobs, if you do not have extensive experience as a purchasing manager. When you list these other jobs, you need to not give a general description of the jobs, but instead highlight the transferable skills from the jobs as they relate to functioning as a purchasing manager. Transferrable skills might include good communication, navigating various computer software programs and experience performing financial analyses.