How to become a Supply Chain Analyst

How to become a Supply Chain Analyst

A Supply Chain Analyst is concerned with the network or channel involved in supplying an organization’s products or services to the public or consumer. The main role is efficiency and effectiveness in all aspects of the supply chain. A good definition of the Supply Chain would be a series of processes involved in the production and movement of a product to the market. In any business, their finished product is what adds value to their bottom line, which makes a Supply Chain Analyst extremely important. If a failure were to occur in the supply chain, the result could have a negative impact on the company’s profits. Profgrad would like to discuss in detail how one will go about becoming a Supply Chain Analyst. Profgrad.co.za provides a summary of how to become a Supply Chain Analyst on the website below.

http://profgrad.co.za/proffesion/economy/SUPPLY%20CHAIN%20ANALYST.html

How many years of study?

Most companies in South Africa need Supply Chain Analysts. Companies like to train young energetic people through learner-ships where the company work ethic and company values can be instilled. The minimum duration of study will be at least 3 years. Further qualification is preferred by most companies. Therefore an additional year or two is usually a pre-requisite in order to be successful in a job seeking environment. Not only will you need to study further but also excel in your degree as there are many supply chain analysts around the country. It is important to stand out from the crowd.

What is the degree called?

The degree is an undergraduate Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management which can be studied at a few Universities in South Africa either full time or part time. The next step after your undergraduate degree will be an Honors’ or Masters Post-Graduate qualification which could make your academic repertoire more impressive. The Universities that offer this degree is University of Pretoria, University of South Africa and the University of Johannesburg.

Do I Need to do Community Service?

Community Service in this field is not required. You might however, as mentioned above, be required to participate in an internship. During this time the business you are employed by will teach you the ropes of being a Supply Chain Analyst. You will learn from experienced professionals in the field and will be able to apply the knowledge gained at University in a practical environment.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 What can I expect as a salary?

As a junior leaving University you could expect a starting salary of between R10 000 and R15 000. After gaining experience and working for 2 – 3 years you could easily find a company willing to pay between R20 000 and R30 000 for your expertise. See the link below to see the demand as well as current salary for this position

A general description of your life as a supply chain analyst

You will work normal office hours (08am to 5pm) Monday to Friday. Your daily duties will consist of using analytical and quantitative methods to understand, predict and enhance supply chain methods. You will need to investigate challenges or bottlenecks within the Supply Chain, find root causes, and propose solutions. Your job could have a substantial amount of stress as you could be pushed for time. Every day that goes by without an effective and problem free Supply Chain could cause losses for the company. In South Africa, most companies will provide Group Life Cover, Disability, Pension and Medical Aid Benefits. You could also receive a car allowance and cellphone allowance to be productive in your role.

Do you plan to become a supply chain analyst?

How to become a Doctor

How to become a Doctor

A doctor is a professional who practices medicine. They are concerned over the health of their patients. They diagnose and treat injuries and sickness. They are also referred to as general practitioners. Becoming a doctor requires a lot of preparation from an early age. Subjects at school level, such as Biology, Mathematics and Science need to be above a certain standard in order to qualify for further studies at a University.  Profgrad would like to discuss in detail how one will go about becoming a doctor. Profgrad.co.za provides a summary of how to become a doctor on the website below.

http://www.profgrad.co.za/proffesion/health/DOCTOR.html

How many years of study?

In order to become a doctor one needs to study and complete the necessary training at an approved University. In South Africa not all Universities offer this as a degree. The degree will be offered at University of Pretoria, University of Stellenbosch, University of the Witwatersrand, Walter Sisulu University, University of KwaZulu Natal, University of the Free State, University of Cape Town and University of Limpopo. You would need to apply to a University of your choice. The selection process is quite strict and only a select few applications get approved. It will be good if you could do job shadowing and charity volunteering before you apply. You might want to apply at more than one University. This degree should take you 6 years to complete.

What is the degree called?

This degree is generally known as a MBChB. This abbreviation is short for Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery. This name is used by all the Universities in South Africa and does not differ from one to another. For more information on the degree please see the link below:

http://www.profgrad.co.za/opportunities/medical/Bachelor%20of%20Medicine,%20Bachelor%20of%20Surgery.html

Do I Need to do Community Service?

You will need to register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). In order to become a doctor you would need to do 2 years internship. Internship will require you to work in a hospital under medical supervision. During this period you will learn a lot from experienced doctors and will be able to apply the knowledge gained while studying in a practical environment. When you have completed your 2 year internship you will need to also do 1 year of community service. During this year you will work at a public Hospital and will need to complete a certain amount of hours. For more information on the requirements to register with the HPCSA please see the link below.

http://www.hpcsa.co.za/PBMedicalDental/Education

                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 A general description of your life as a doctor

After studying, doing internship and community service and registering with the HPCSA you will finally become a doctor. Being a doctor offers many challenges and opportunities. You need to work well with people as this is one of the main tasks a doctor does on a daily basis. You will also need to diagnose and treat illnesses on a daily basis. You will work long hours and might be in the office a lot. You will need to work hard to build up a client base initially and it could take a few years before you reap the benefits.

Do you plan to become a doctor?

Becoming a....! Part 1

Becoming a …! Part 1

Over the course of the next few weeks, Profgrad will discuss a different profession each week, in detail. Profgrad will determine how many years of study you would need to do to become a professional in that field, what kind of a degree you need, what is expected of you from  community service and a general description of your life as a future professional in that field. These are all important aspects you would need to consider before studying in a certain direction. Becoming a professional in a field takes hard work, commitment and many years of your life. Therefore, making the right choice upfront is of the utmost importance. Profgrad will explore many professions over the next few weeks.

How many years of study?

This is an extremely important question to answer before you dedicate the next few years of your life. It will determine how many years you have to give of your life to become a professional. It is usually a minimum requirement to study a certain amount of years. After your initial studies, you could be required to do additional courses or even a continuous development program to enhance your skills as a professional. These requirements change from time to time. It might also be different when studying part time compared to full time.

What is the degree called?

There are many different types of degrees. At undergraduate level you usually receive a Bachelor’s degree. For most professions you would usually need to study towards a post graduate qualification. This is called Honours or Master’s degree but sometimes a post graduate diploma would also be accepted. As the profession changes for example, new breakthroughs or new ways of doing certain tasks, you might be required to study further to ensure your competence in the profession.

http://profgrad.co.za/opportunities.html

Do I need to do Community Service?

Many Professions require future professionals to do community service before being accepted in the industry. Community service is important as you learn the fundamentals of your field. It is here that you will learn valuable skills and gain insight/ knowledge of your future profession. You will have more experienced individuals by your side to assist when you are unsure and coach you in the ways of the specific profession. This is important as this person can teach you what they have acquired through experience.

http://profgrad.co.za/proffesion.html

A general description of your lifestyle as a professional

Before making the decision to embark on a journey towards you dream occupation, you need to make sure of the lifestyle that will be required. You need to be comfortable with the demands and everyday life of a certain profession. Some occupations might require you to work night shifts or extended working hours. This could put you outside of your comfort zone. If you feel at this stage that you have made the wrong decision based on the fact that you do not like the way of life in that profession, you have effectively studied all those years and completed all your requirements for no reason.

Have you researched all of the above before embarking on your journey?

A Career in Professional Sport for students

A Career in Professional Sport for students

Being a professional athlete is not as easy as it sounds. It can be extremely rewarding but can also be extremely cruel. Most sporting disciplines require an extensive amount of time for training and hard work to be the best. If time is focused here, it could be extremely difficult to succeed in any studies you were planning for. There are many factors that need to be weighed up before choosing a career path in professional sports. Profgrad would like to discuss these factors.

As a future professional, you can use your profession to generate an income for the rest of your life. If you have chosen to play a professional sport, you need to be realistic when it comes to the longevity of your career. It does not matter which sporting code you choose, you need to be aware that it could be cut short at any moment through physical or mental impairment. If you then at that time rely solely on your income from your chosen sporting career, you might land up in trouble. To give an example of the limitations of longevity, many sports stars in the field of boxing, rugby, swimming, athletics and cricket to name a few, barely make it to the age of forty.

http://www.faqs.org/sports-science/Je-Mo/Longevity.html

In every sport there are many important aspects that play a role in the success of your career. One of these aspects is the ability to have a strong head on your shoulders. Your mind plays a very important role. Many would say more important than the physical aspect. Your mind needs to always be in the right place. In for example tennis, when the player starts losing points, it is important that he does not lose focus and give up. This can be harder than one would expect when the pressure arises. Many individuals in the sporting community have personal psychologists to make sure their minds are always in the right place.

The most important thing you can do when considering a professional sporting career is to educate yourself and ensure that no matter what happens you are able to provide for yourself. As a student you have the opportunity to up skill yourself and ensure that your future is bright. Education is the one thing that no one can take away from you. If you are a professional sportsman and you get injured your sporting career has come to an end, where as your education will stand you in good stead.  To provide you with a role model, Profgrad would like you to view the link below and see how Jannie du Plessis managed to become not only a professional sportsman but also a doctor. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jannie_du_Plessis

Are you considering a career in professional sport?

To initiate or not to initiate!

To initiate or not to initiate

In South African Universities it has been a long standing tradition to initiate first year students. Over the past few years the initiation process has been under the spotlight. Many feel that this is a violation of human rights. The initiation process was never intended to violate any rights whatsoever, but instead bring unity amongst first year students. This process involves first year students spending many difficult hours fulfilling various tasks. Profgrad would like to discuss the initiation process and how to prepare for it.

Fun: A very important aspect of initiation is to have fun. Many Universities have “Jool” to keep the fun of initiation alive. Students dress up, collect money, build floats and have a good time. This is what initiation should be about. At these events there is a great atmosphere and this allows for the opportunity for students to bond. At the end of the whole process there is a parade where the hard work finally pays off. The best float gets a prize and all the students are seen as equals. You will no longer be seen as an outsider but instead will feel more a part of the university than ever before.

Preparation for Life: The aim of initiation is to not only prepare you for university but also to prepare you for life in general. When leaving school you have very little life experience. An initiation is a great way to see that Life can be a cold dark world if you are not prepared. Having friends in the same position as you make it easier to cope with the stones life can throw at you. Initiation is there to help you make friends and associate with other students. Not all initiation practices are fair and just. See the article below to find out where initiation took a turn for the worst. 

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/initiation-ritual-to-be-scrutinised/158435.article

Authority: If an initiation ceremony is to be carried out, the responsibility of having a successful initiation lies with those who are carrying out the process. Fellow students who have completed at the very least their first year are usually the initiators. First Year students see this person as someone with authority. It is up to these individuals to keep the practice safe and not to violate any rights. Whilst being initiated you know that the authority figures have been through the same ordeal with their predecessors. This is why it should be an important ceremony to uphold as it has been a longstanding tradition. Always keep an open mind but know when thing are taken too far.

Do you agree or disagree with the initiation process?