Since the pandemic, supply chain issues have been in the news repeatedly. Something most of us took for granted—the transportation of goods from one place to another—is responsible for many of the shortages, higher prices, and empty store shelves we continue to see. If you're intrigued by supply chains and would like to make a career out of helping goods get to market, there are a number of interesting ways to do just that. We're highlighting what we think are some of the most interesting, challenging, and lucrative supply chain management careers.

Let’s take a crash course into one of the basic economic laws: supply and demand. A market is driven by supply and demand-supply referring to how much product is produced at a set price, and demand as how much consumers are willing to pay for the supplied product. When variables affect supply and demand unexpectedly, disruption occurs.

COVID-19 hit the world hard and changed the way we do business. Supply chains were disrupted across every industry and in every country. With supply shortages and changing consumer demands, many companies were struggling to reduce revenue loss. Companies are now re-evaluating their supply chains in order to adapt to a coming post-pandemic world.

Not quite sure what “logistics” and “supply chain management” are in the career sense? Many aren’t until they realize this industry’s impact has made on nearly every facet of their modern lives. The logistics sector ensures that goods are available to consumers when and where they need them.

Supply chain management has seen considerable change in the last several years, with recent technological advancements prompting both new opportunities and new challenges. In 2019, several trends we've observed in other industries will begin to dominate the supply chain sphere. Many of these trends are expected to improve both efficiency and customer service. Others, however, could be cause for concern. All call for a more flexible approach, in which systems evolve alongside the rapidly shifting market.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics makes the answer clear: the need for skilled professionals is climbing, the median pay is attractive, and you don’t have to have extensive experience to land a great job. In fact, according to the BLS research, a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management is a great springboard to an exciting career.

Maria Schwartz, ’19, knows a thing or two about hard work and dedication. A former baking and pastry student at the Johnson & Wales University campus in North Miami, Florida, Schwartz is now in the process of completing her BSBA – Operations & Supply Chain Management degree online through JWU.

Today’s global marketplace demands skilled professionals with expertise in operations and supply chain management. Specialized bachelor, master, and MBA degree programs prepare students for this exciting field, but what can you do with a operations and supply chain management degree?