Why You Should Pursue a Career in Logistics

For playing such an integral role in our everyday experience with our favorite brands and businesses, the logistics industry still has a tendency to operate behind the scenes. It’s understandable — after all, the supply chain often only becomes a point of discussion for the general public when unexpected factors lead to empty shelves in your local grocery’s toilet paper aisle.

But the truth is that good logisticians are a necessary building block of every successful business and are expected to be in noticeably higher demand as the e-commerce economy continues to boom. Here’s what you need to know about how the logistics industry impacts every business involved in selling and distributing goods, and why careers in logistics are likely to step more fully into the spotlight in the years and decades ahead.

Logistics Make the World Go ‘Round

Smooth logistical planning is the lifeblood of any business making, selling, and/or distributing products of any kind. The Department of Transportation expects the total cost of goods being distributed over the country’s transportation network to eclipse $38 trillion by 2045 — a near-unimaginable number requiring the most adept logistical minds to find solutions to challenges we likely haven’t yet foreseen in order to keep businesses operating at maximal levels.

Though careers in logistics (and the broader tree of supply chain management jobs) are sometimes overlooked, they are the roles that translate great business ideas into reality, optimize internal operations, and ultimately deliver new products into the hands of waiting customers.

How Logistics Connects to Supply Chain Management

There was a time before Amazon when products arriving on your doorstep in under 48 hours seemed an impossibility. In today’s economy, keeping pace with the expectations set by Amazon and others’ ability to get goods to the right place (and in record time) requires well-versed experts in all practical modes of transportation, storage, and delivery management. It includes the valuable ability to anticipate threats or changes to existing supply chains and streamline new ones for optimal distribution.

Logistics jobs frequently specialize in one or two specific areas of the supply chain, but must always remain oriented toward a company’s big-picture goal — helping customers receive goods in the most efficient, most cost-effective way possible.

How COVID-19 Impacted the Supply Chain

The pandemic’s negative effects on the global supply chain were felt almost immediately. While most store shelves have returned to some degree of normalcy (and the great toilet paper shortage of spring 2020 is thankfully behind us), you can still see the lasting imprint of COVID-19’s havoc on the world of logistics throughout several major industries — for a prime example, look no further than the many parking lots packed with unsellable, newly-constructed vehicles lacking computer chips due to a global chip shortage.

Though some segments of the economy have appeared to recover from the pandemic’s initial blows, the sudden shock of a worldwide shutdown emphasized the need for new logistical solutions to safeguard against potential future disasters.

Why We Love the Outlook for Jobs in Logistics

In the past 18 months alone, careers in logistics have taken some bold steps into the spotlight as immensely valuable assets to companies of all sizes. Whether it’s successfully navigating global supply chain disruptions or guiding an office of employees away from in-person work and toward a fully remote, digital workplace, the viability of every business relies on careful planning by those trained to anticipate and overcome potential pitfalls.

That’s great news for individuals pursuing SCM careers. One study found just 27% of supply chain leaders believed they had the talent needed to meet current supply chain performance requirements. With demand for logistical experts highlighted by a recent pandemic and accelerating quickly as the world of e-commerce continues to thrive, the field of logistics is expected to be ripe with jobs for years to come.

Logistics Is a Big Umbrella — Your Skillset Is Needed Somewhere!

It’s important for logisticians to understand the big picture of supply chain management, but often they will specialize in one facet of the process. The SCM umbrella is vast enough to cover an entire business’ global operations, meaning that even after segmenting the logistical solutions into categories, each branch of the process is a big job.

The expansive variety of skills necessary to excel at managing different aspects of the supply chain make it possible for job-seekers with backgrounds just as varied to become effective logisticians. No matter your current specialty, be it data analysis, UI development, or financial management, there will always be a need for those who can apply their area of expertise to solve logistical challenges.

Ready for a New Challenge? Make Your Career GO! at First Call Logistics

Are you looking for a new challenge? Want to build a career somewhere you can make a real impact? Consider joining the team at First Call Logistics. As a fast-growing 3PL, we’re expanding our footprint and hiring for multiple roles. To learn more about our open opportunities, visit our careers page and apply today!