Purchasing Manager: The Personal Shopper of Big Businesses

Introduction
Get an MBA if you want to make the big bucks and work at the tip-top as a Purchasing Director. If you dont, you're more likely to be stuck in an assistant position forever. That said, this formal training will only give you the basic knowledge you need and get your foot in the door at an employer. Each business is different, and each one has different requirements. So, once you are hired, you'll undergo a pretty lengthy training period where you'll get acclimated to the environment and the ins-and-outs of the business. Usually, you'll work with the director directly, so be sure to pay attention! It's an invaluable learning experience, especially if you plan on taking his job from him one day.

Job Function
If you aren't aware, your job as purchasing manager is to shop and buy supplies that your company needs to function properly. You're basically the stock guy of a retail store but with far more prestige and importance. Don't confuse this with a 'buyer', though. A buyer buys inventory for the business to sell. That's slightly different. Anyway, a lot of your time is spent researching different suppliers and wholesalers. You have to check for price, availability, quality, etc. The rest of the time I oversee the other purchasing agents, check stock and look over invoices. The most enjoyable part? Honestly, it's not the type of work that one really enjoys, per se. That's not to say that it's terrible work, because it isn't. But, it's not like super fun. I guess I get the most kicks out of securing big deals, but that's not an everyday occurrence. The worst? Dealing with suppliers who want to screw you by jacking up prices and such. Advertisement
Lifestyle
Lots of work. You're an important part of the business and saving money always makes the bosses happy. You typically work more than 40 hours per week, because you often have to attend special conference and meetings. Sometimes you have to travel too, so I suppose that qualifies as "play". I'd say you need to have a lot of energy, because the market is constantly changing and wholesalers are really competitive. So, the profession requires you to be a good, yet aggressive negotiator. Passive people need not apply.

Additional Information
As you'd imagine, the job pays pretty well (~60k or so). So, if the career sounds appealing to you, then go for it.