A Purchasing Agent coordinates purchases of products and services for the company they work for. Below is a general job description:
A purchaser is responsible for coordinating purchases of various products and services for their company. They order supplies, inventory, equipment, and services for all departments in the company. They also have to ensure that they are keeping costs under control while not sacrificing quality in the items and services they buy.
They submit purchase orders in accordance with their company's policies and also verify that the order has been placed and that delivery has occurred. They also reconcile shipments, manifests, back-ordered items, and damaged items, and they also follow through with the supplier to correct any discrepancies.
If this is the kind of job you want or you have, you're in the right place! We have a resume example for you and three tips from our professional resume writers below.
Purchasing Agent Resume Example
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Purchasing Agent Resume (text version)
Name
email | www.linkedin.com/in/ | phone number
Purchasing Agent
Accomplished Purchasing Agent with a proven excellent track providing exceptional leadership and strategic solutions for industry leaders. Extensive cross-functional expertise in purchasing, materials management, logistics, relationship management, and the development of integral process improvements. Outstanding academic qualifications including a Bachelor of Business Management combined with over five years of industry experience. Proven ability to develop procedures that result in a decrease in overhead while increasing profits. Highly capable of analyzing existing systems and processes to devise notable enhancements to integrate technology and automation to eliminate inefficiencies and maximize revenues.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Opportunity/Trend
Suppliers/Planners
Market Research
Competitor Research
Procurement Process
Process Improvements
Logistics/Supply Chain
Materials Management
Relationship Building
WORK EXPERIENCE
Purchasing Agent | New York City, NY
Year – Present
Negotiated contracts and pricing with vendors and saved over $15M with superior negotiations
Placed orders for various mechanical components to ensure company was working at top productivity
Collaborated with numerous departments to ensure on time delivery of all material and played a key role in increasing customer service efforts
Responsible for developing solutions for numerous non-conformance issues between vendors and the company to improve our inventory, flow of parts and maintain our growth strategy
Collaborated directly with key engineers and acted as a liaison between engineering and suppliers regarding key issues/modifications necessary as well as upgrades - able to improve overall quality and relationships
Performed physical inventory on a quarterly basis - able to reduce dead stock by 10%
Plan, schedule and troubleshoot complex plant wide production schedules utilizing capacity, cycle time and forecasting
Account for over $3M of corporate inventory
Purchasing Agent | New York City, NY
Year – Present
Presented production control and procurement information to large groups of colleagues, customers as well as key stakeholders/upper executives
Utilized ERP systems, MPS Reports and additional technology to maximize productivity
Lead complex projects delivering each on time and under budget while exceeding client expectations
Responsible for improving methods for developing purchase orders, production scheduling, lead times, logistic and overall documentation
Improved our production strategy and functionality within the areas of supplier sourcing, supply management, process improvement and cost efficiency.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Major | New York University
Bonus: free resume template
ZipJob now offers a resume template you can download. The template is set up with an easy to read layout like the example above: clear section headings, modern font, and follows a reverse-chronological resume format (preferred by both hiring managers and ATS scans).
How to write a Purchasing Agent resume: 3 tips
Maximize your core competencies
Your core competencies, or key skills, are a powerful way to show an ATS scan that you're a great applicant. This section should change slightly for almost every job you apply for. You want to keep it highly tailored to the job description. For example, if one of your core competencies is customer service but the job description is looking for client communication skills, swap out "customer service" for "client communication."
To identify the best skills to highlight here, this list of 10 vital skills to put on your resume is a good starting point.
Soft skills help leaders stand out
When applying for a leadership position, be sure to include examples of your soft skills throughout your resume. Your resume should include specific examples of how you have motivated, encouraged, supported, and taught people to accomplish a result.
Here are some examples:
Hired and trained team of 10 sales reps; by focusing on more empathic communication, sales increased 64% in 2018
Supported newly remote team of 4 software engineers by providing resources, support, and tools needed to accomplish their goals
Organized and motivated a team of 16 volunteers for a two-day fundraising event that earned 4k+ for cancer research
Always add a cover letter
Your cover letter is your chance to start a conversation with your employer. Your resume proves you have the skills and qualifications for the job, but your cover letter invites a further discussion. Whenever possible, use a cover letter to succinctly explain why you're the perfect fit for the role. You can also highlight your most compelling achievements from your resume--but limit yourself to two or three achievements. Finally, invite the employer to contact you by phone or email.
For more cover letter tips, head over to our guide: What A Good Cover Letter Looks Like
Summary
Having a great resume will help you land your next job as a Purchasing Agent. Have accomplishments and keywords to stand out among competitors. Use this example as a guide to what kind of skills and experience employers are looking for in this field.
Still have questions? Comment below or hire your own resume writer. Zipjob has over 100 professional resume writers with experience in all industries, ready to help you create your best resume. Click below to see our services:
Written by
ZipJob Team
