Purchasing Agent Resume Examples
Purchasing agents buy products, supplies or services to be used for a company’s business operations or to be resold to customers. Successful purchasing agents are often the unsung heroes of large companies with huge inventories that need to be efficiently managed behind the scenes.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, purchasing agents made a median annual salary of $69,600 in 2019. Our purchasing agent resume example demonstrates the kind of qualifications needed to nab this role, and the way you’ll need to write about them. Read on to learn more about how LiveCareer helps get you hired.
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What is a Purchasing Agent?
A purchasing agent researches products and their suppliers, evaluates cost, quality and delivery logistics, selects suppliers, then purchases the products for their employer. A purchasing agent typically reports to a purchasing manager, and needs a minimum of a high school diploma to qualify for their role.
However, some organizations will require purchasing agent applicants to have a bachelor’s degree in something like finance, business or supply management. To further stand out among the competition, becoming certified as a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) or Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) may help too.
What Makes This a Great
Purchasing Agent Resume Example?
Your resume should portray your skills and achievements in the way most likely to grab the attention of hiring managers in your industry. Our purchasing agent resume example was written by our team of certified resume writers to help you meet this standard.
Here are some of the main benefits of referring to our resume examples:
- Pre-written content: This purchasing agent resume example uses industry-relevant keywords like “supply chain management” and “loss-prevention” to immediately communicate to recruiters that this job seeker knows their industry well. Follow this expert-crafted example as you write your resume, or use our Resume Builder for an even easier, guided writing experience.
- The right resume format: This example uses a combination resume format to highlight skills and work history equally, which is a sound strategy for applicants with only a moderate amount of experience. A more experienced candidate, however, might opt for a chronological format to show off their more impressively long career trajectory.
- Appropriate template choice: Purchasing agents work in many different fields, so be sure to choose your resume template accordingly. Communicate to hiring managers that you’re a perfect fit for your role by choosing a design that matches their company culture. Our builder offers a wide array of templates, with customizable options for every job seeker.
3 Purchasing Agent Professional Summary Examples
Your professional summary needs to make an impactful first impression that convinces hiring managers to read the rest of your resume. Easily customize an excellent summary with our Resume Builder or study our example for inspiration in writing your own.
Below are a few more example summaries to guide your writing:
- Process-oriented purchasing agent with over five years of experience in the fashion industry. Ability to establish strong relationships with key vendors, prepare purchase proposals, forecast prices and ensure cost-effective purchase agreements. Negotiated prices, delivery timelines and return policies with fabric suppliers, reducing company costs by 35%.
- Multifaceted and innovative purchasing agent with a decade of experience in supply chain management. Possess rich knowledge of market research, vendor selection, contract negotiation, inventory management and discrepancy resolution. Trained five buyers on new purchasing practices to lower inventory management budget by 25% over five years.
- Self-motivated professional and great team player with two years of experience as a purchasing agent. Adept with Microsoft Office Suite, SAP and Microsoft Dynamics. Skilled in coordinating with purchasing managers to prepare and review purchase orders, and ensure quality compliance for over 500 vendors. Currently pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA).
3 Purchasing Agent Work Experience Examples
Including quantifiable achievements in your work experience section goes a long way to prove your hireability to employers. Look over our resume examples for an idea of how this is done, or borrow our Resume Builder’s pre-written content, which you customize with your own metrics.
Here are some work experience examples our builder might suggest:
- Sourced and negotiated pricing for over 5000 products while identifying and eliminating excess purchases worth $2 million of annual budget.
- Processed purchase requisitions for over 150 new and existing vendors.
- Implemented new software to manage purchase order scheduling, reducing shipment processing time by an average of 18%.
Top Skills for Your Purchasing Agent Resume
Our Resume Builder recommends job-relevant skills you’ll need to land a purchasing agent job. Our purchasing agent resume example also offers more sample skills, as well as it shows you how to format this section of your resume.
Here’s a list of hard and soft skills you could list on your resume:
Hard Skills
- Inventory and purchase management
- Adept with management software
- Forecasting market trends
- Cost accounting
Soft Skills
- Analytical skills
- Excellent negotiation skills
- Developing strong relationships
- Problem-solving skills
Building Your Purchasing Agent Resume with Our Builder:
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Purchasing Agent FAQs
- What is the ideal length of a purchasing agent resume?
- How do you write an education section for a purchasing agent’s resume?
- How do you write achievements on a purchasing agent’s resume?
What is the ideal length of a purchasing agent resume?
Hiring managers have many resumes to read, so most applicants should stick to a single page when writing a resume for a purchasing agent job. Applicants with over 10 years of relevant experience can sometimes justify adding a second page to their resume if needed, but this will not apply to most purchasing agent applicants, since this is typically an entry- to mid-level role.
How do you write an education section for a purchasing agent’s resume?
First, read the job description closely to understand the employer’s expectations. Organizations may hire candidates with just a high school diploma for purchasing agent roles, however, many companies prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree in finance, business or supply chain management. List your highest degree first, followed by other qualifications. If you have other relevant certifications such as being a Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP) or Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), add these to your resume too.
How do you write achievements on a purchasing agent’s resume?
List your work experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent achievements. Rather than listing only past responsibilities, mention ways you contributed to each employer. For example, you might write “Implemented cost-saving methods to reduce inventory budget by nearly $50,000 annually.” If you have no experience as a purchasing agent, similarly mention relevant experience from internships or part-time roles, if possible.
