How To Prepare For Operations & Supply Chain Roles In A B-School

Operations and Supply Chain Management is not a domain opted by many. However, with changing times, the implication that this field has is certainly immense with no alternative. Coming to the crux of the matter, Operation roles at a B-School are generally niche and require some degree of past work experience or background in the given domain.  Here we give you tips on how you can prepare for Operations & Supply Chain Roles. Read more to find out.

Generally, it is believed that mechanical or industrial engineering students have a good shot at this domain. However, the preparation for getting an operations-based role is tricky. Your past work experience plays an immense role in you getting the offer.

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Tips to Prepare for Operations & Supply Chain Roles

• Starting from the very basic, having an understanding of the basic nuances of the Supply Chain is extremely important. This can be learned online for free from multiple resources.
• The most important characteristic or trait that the Operations role requires is being well versed in handling huge data sets. Smoothness and flexibility in this domain are of extreme importance. One should know how to manage data and at the same point in time play with it to get relevant results.
• You should be well versed with softwares' that help in managing and analysing the data. To start with, one must be good with Excel – which includes VBA scripting, Macros analysis, Pivot Table, Conditional Querying, and V-Look Up.
• Second to this is programming languages. Python and R could be of good use for this role. Apart from that, Big Data languages like Hadoop are also of help.
• The majority of organizations are now shifting to personal databases where they can have a centralized system of sorts. In such a case, having skill sets in the domain of SQL is a big advantage for getting a shortlist and moving ahead.
• For Operations, certifications as such do not hold any significant value but can be done for learning's sake. The importance however is given to certification programs like Six Sigma which can be obtained before or during your B-School.
• A textbook on basic Supply Chain Management by the author Sunil Chopra is also a relevant textbook that helps individuals prepare for Supply Chain Opportunities in terms of Summer Placements 

Having said all of this, the number of offers that are rolled out in a B-School for core operation roles are generally low in figure because of it being a core specialisation. Amazon, Uber, Flipkart, are some of the big names that hire for Supply Chain roles. Several FMCG firms also come on campus to hire for Supply Chain roles.

I hope this short article will give you a starting point towards preparing for your journey at a B-School in the domain of Supply Chain Management.

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