Education · 1 of 5

The path

One of the few office careers you can still enter straight from high school and build upward from.

1. 1

   High school diploma

   Grade 12

   Take business, accounting and every spreadsheet class offered. Accuracy matters more than brilliance here.

2. 2

   Entry job

   Straight after high school

   Purchasing assistant, purchasing clerk, receiving clerk or warehouse clerk. Hospitals, school districts and manufacturers hire constantly at this level.

3. 3

   Learn the system and the rules

   1 to 2 years

   Requisitions, purchase orders, quotes, bids, receiving and three-way matching. In the public sector, also the bidding law your agency must follow.

4. 4

   Degree or certification, while working

   2 to 4 years, part time

   An associate or bachelor's degree in business or supply chain, or a professional procurement certification. Either one moves you off the clerk ladder.

5. 5

   Buyer or contract specialist

   After 3 to 5 years

   Now you negotiate, evaluate bids and own supplier relationships instead of processing paperwork.