So you went through the hassle of getting your bachelor’s degree, and yet you feel like you haven’t quite figured out what you’re supposed to do with yourself. You had heard that getting a degree in business or economics would be a good idea, but perhaps none of the regular options really seem interesting or exciting to you. The question you must be asking yourself is what’s my next step?

If this describes you, you might want to look into the exciting world of being a purchasing manager or purchasing agent. A purchasing agent is what it sounds like: you would be purchasing and negotiating prices for goods and services for your company. In fact, the best place to look for a purchasing agent job is in the growing field of air and ocean logistics.

• What does a purchasing agent really do?

  Essentially, a purchasing manager’s responsibilities are to find the best products and goods, and negotiate for them at the lowest price. This also entails finding the lowest shipping price, while getting the product to its destination in the quickest time. While normally a college degree in either business or economics is preferred, there is a lot of on-the-job training as you will need to have in-depth knowledge of the business or industry that you will be purchasing for, especially since you will be purchasing in bulk.

• Why work in air and ocean logistics?

  Air freight and sea freight are the two most trustworthy and cheapest options for transporting bulk commodities from their point of production to their destination, basically door to door service. This is doubly true for the air cargo industry, as it offers secure transport quickly, making it very good for perishable or time sensitive items, while keeping costs down due to low insurance premiums and less fuel usage. In fact, the air freight industry generates billions of dollars in revenue every year, and its market continues to grow.

• What do you need to start working as a purchasing agent working with air and ocean logistics?

  Outside of having a bachelors degree, you need to become a certified purchasing agent. Depending upon your company or industry, different levels of certification will be required, so talk to the companies that you would be interested in working for about what their requirements are for the position. Several institutes offer certification, with requirements ranging from simply taking a test through gaining on-the-job experience and more education.