What a purchasing agent really does
You get the right parts at the right price at the right time, and you are the one people call when a shipment does not show up.
FieldBusiness
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Considerable preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for purchasing agents, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Reviewing purchase requests from other departments and turning them into purchase orders
- Sending out requests for quotes and comparing supplier bids on price, quality and lead time
- Negotiating prices and contract terms with suppliers
- Tracking open orders and chasing late shipments
- Working with engineering and the shop floor on specifications and defective parts
- Keeping purchase records accurate and following purchasing policy and regulations
- Watching market prices and adjusting buying plans
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- Following rules is the most important part of the job by O*NET's measure, more than getting a good price. Task 1 (Core, importance 96): Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations (O*NET)
- Deadlines hit almost every week, because production waits on what you buy. Time pressure: 40% every day, 50% once a week or more (O*NET Work Context)
- A lot of the work is careful repetition: requisitions, purchase orders and records. Importance of repeating the same tasks: 37% extremely important, 37% very important; Importance of being exact or accurate: 55% extremely important (O*NET Work Context)
- You decide things daily, often small calls about which supplier, how many and when. Frequency of decision making: 53% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- The phone never really stops. Suppliers and internal customers expect you to answer. Telephone conversations: 95% every day; E-mail: 100% every day (O*NET Work Context)
How people get into it
Most purchasing agents hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4), commonly in business, supply chain management or a technical field related to what they buy. Many start as purchasing clerks, buyers' assistants or expediters and learn suppliers, systems and negotiation on the job, sometimes adding a supply management certification later.
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks at Kestrel Foodservice Equipment, a fictional company, with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: The trial cannot show supplier site visits and trade shows, the feel of physical parts you learn to judge over time, real ERP systems and approval workflows, or relationships built with suppliers over years. Prices, suppliers and parts are fictional, and purchasing rules are simplified.
Reading about it is one thing.
Find out how the work feels to you before you spend on a degree, course or job change. Your first trial is free.
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Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 13-1023.00. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.