If you're looking for a career path that's long-term and encompasses a variety of different jobs, the supply-chain sector may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But you might be surprised at how diverse the field is—and how much room there is for advancement.

“You can spend an entire career in a supply-chain organization and not do everything there is to do,” says Dan Chan, the vice president of Logistics at Canadian Tire. “There are many different facets. This is my twentieth year in the supply chain business, and in my 16 years with this company, I've had 10 different jobs.”

A supply chain is the system of people, companies, technology and resources that move a retail product from the raw-material stage, through manufacturing and distribution, to the customer's hands. Think of your body's circulatory system: a supply-chain team is almost like a heart that keeps the company's material circulation pumping. A position in the supply chain can involve one of many different roles, including distribution, transportation, operations planning and scheduling, logistics, or forecasting replenishment.

“If you think about this industry and look at the majority of your current possessions, remember, it was a supply-chain team somewhere that enabled those good to make their way to you,” says Clayton Ray, the vice president of the supply chain for Staples, who oversees western North America.

And it's a niche that's always hot these days. According to the Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council, there are more than 720,000 people working in the supply-chain sector in Canada right now, with a demand for more than 86,000 new employees every year.

“The entry-level folks in my organization are typically good at three things,” Chan says. “The first is problem-solving. The next is communication. Third is being action-oriented. Somebody who can step back and think about things, but also take some action on them, will be successful.”

While you don't need a post-secondary degree to enter the supply-chain field, you do if you want promotion opportunities. Mathematical skills are important, as are skills in planning and teamwork. The sector tends to attract and hire university grads who studied business (especially operations management) or industrial engineering, Chan says, and it doesn't hurt to start with an internship or co-op program.

If you're looking for a career path that's long-term and encompasses a variety of different jobs, the supply-chain sector may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But you might be surprised at how diverse the field is—and how much room there is for advancement.

“You can spend an entire career in a supply-chain organization and not do everything there is to do,” says Dan Chan, the vice president of Logistics at Canadian Tire. “There are many different facets. This is my twentieth year in the supply chain business, and in my 16 years with this company, I've had 10 different jobs.”

A supply chain is the system of people, companies, technology and resources that move a retail product from the raw-material stage, through manufacturing and distribution, to the customer's hands. Think of your body's circulatory system: a supply-chain team is almost like a heart that keeps the company's material circulation pumping. A position in the supply chain can involve one of many different roles, including distribution, transportation, operations planning and scheduling, logistics, or forecasting replenishment.

“If you think about this industry and look at the majority of your current possessions, remember, it was a supply-chain team somewhere that enabled those good to make their way to you,” says Clayton Ray, the vice president of the supply chain for Staples, who oversees western North America.

And it's a niche that's always hot these days. According to the Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council, there are more than 720,000 people working in the supply-chain sector in Canada right now, with a demand for more than 86,000 new employees every year.

“The entry-level folks in my organization are typically good at three things,” Chan says. “The first is problem-solving. The next is communication. Third is being action-oriented. Somebody who can step back and think about things, but also take some action on them, will be successful.”

While you don't need a post-secondary degree to enter the supply-chain field, you do if you want promotion opportunities. Mathematical skills are important, as are skills in planning and teamwork. The sector tends to attract and hire university grads who studied business (especially operations management) or industrial engineering, Chan says, and it doesn't hurt to start with an internship or co-op program.

One organization with its own supply-chain training system is Staples. Ray explains, “The Leadership Rotational Program recruits recent graduates and expedites their practical leadership experiences by having them work in different leadership capacities throughout our supply-chain network in North America.”

Ray adds that the industry continues to grow exponentially. “Unlike other industries, this profession develops a skill set that's transferable to the global marketplace. Apart from operational knowledge, it also develops and refines your leadership skills, as well as your ability to collaborate with various facets of an organization. Our supply-chain leaders would likely interact with sales teams, customer-service centres, internal and external vendors, direct reports, procurement teams and much more.”

Chan points out that the landscape of the supply-chain field is changing all the time. “There's a ton of new technology that's coming on board,” he says. “That's exciting, because it makes things more efficient. And the new technology tends to be more information-centric.” Meanwhile, working in the sector now involves less travel than when he began. Chan says, “There was a lot more manufacturing in Canada, and supply-chain analysts could visit vendors. Now, more manufacturing operations go overseas.”

If you're one of those people who likes to learn how things work—and then try to improve them—then the supply-chain industry may be for you. “What's that saying: 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it?’ That doesn't work here,” says Chan. “It's the opposite: 'How can I make this better?'”