Self-test: Is the course "Purchasing Clerk (Cert.)" (formerly Purchasing Assistant) the right course for me?
Analysis of the functions and activities of purchasing clerks
Who is the "Purchasing clerk" course suitable for?
- Persons with purchasing tasks
- Re-entrants or career changers looking for a job in purchasing
- Employees in purchasing or in a related area who would like to take on greater professional responsibility
- People who are preparing for further training as a purchasing specialist
What does the day-to-day work within these functions look like? Which activities are carried out and how often?
Purchasing clerks are responsible for the procurement process of certain product groups in production or trading companies. To this end, they monitor material stocks and trigger orders when necessary. They maintain the master data of their articles and the associated suppliers in the IT system and continuously update the stock figures on the basis of information from incoming and outgoing goods and the warehouse. To optimize procurement processes, they are always on the lookout for new suppliers, whom they also visit to prepare for negotiations. They analyze and calculate prices and support their superiors with their analyses when evaluating suppliers and in price negotiations.
Depending on the job profile, they provide customers and employees from other departments with telephone and written information, are involved in stocktaking and act as deputies within the team.
Job descriptions in job advertisements for purchasing clerks:
| Main tasks | Frequency in % |
|---|---|
| Administrative support and processing of purchasing, invoice control, returns management, credit notes and clarifications | 30 |
| Support in the evaluation and selection of new suppliers, support for existing suppliers | 25 |
| Independent handling of goods procurement. Determining requirements, monitoring stock levels, maintaining master data, supporting and assisting with stocktaking | 45 |
The weighting of the individual areas of responsibility can vary greatly depending on the job profile.
Typical requirements in job advertisements:
- Completed commercial training
- Professional experience in purchasing
- Good written and spoken German, French and English language skills
- Very good communication skills
- Good IT skills (MS Office, ERP systems) Affinity for IT
- Good assertiveness
- Good and quick comprehension skills
- Strength in dealing with customers
Question 1:
Do the activities of purchasing clerks correspond to my expectations?
Yes, if you like the actual job, you can assume that you are on the right track thematically. The next question is what type of training is right for you to acquire the relevant skills.
If you only like the job to a limited extent or only individual parts of it, you could think about what interests you the most. And then look at subsequent training courses to see if there is one that appeals to you even more:
Course description "Purchasing clerk"
The most important key points of the "Purchasing Clerk" course are described here:
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Question 2:
Are you generally interested in this course?
If you are interested in this course but answered "partially" or "no" to question 1, you should either consider whether you would like to do the "Purchasing specialist with federal certificate" course.
Or study job advertisements and see if there are job profiles that suit you better.
If you have already answered "Yes" to question 1, then this course seems to fit your expectations.
If you like the job description under question 1 and you have marked "No" here, you should try to analyze which contents of the course would appeal to you and which would not. And with what you find out, you can look at the following further training opportunities in related fields to see if you can find something that better suits your interests:
- Logistics clerk
- Internal sales clerk
- Product Manager
- Import / Export / Foreign Trade Clerk
- Purchasing specialist with federal certificate
Prerequisites at the time of starting the course
- Completed apprenticeship of at least 2 years
- Or professional certificate from a commercial or technical professional examination
- Or diploma from a higher commercial examination
- Or graduation from a recognized commercial secondary school
Question 3:
Do I meet the requirements?
If you meet the requirements, you can start your training at the earliest possible date.
If you do not have a federally recognized qualification because you completed your training abroad, it is best to contact the schools directly. They will be able to tell you which courses you can be admitted to with your previous education.
If you do not meet the admission requirements because you do not have an apprenticeship qualification, you should look into the possibilities of basic commercial training. For example, with a course leading to a VSH commercial diploma or an EFZ commercial apprenticeship. Building on this, all further training courses in the commercial sector are then open to you.
Financing of further training
The course fees for the "Purchasing Clerk" course are to be paid either at the beginning of the course or by the semester. However, in individual cases it is also possible to agree individual installment payments.
Question 4:
Are you able to finance between CHF 3,000 and CHF 4,200, depending on the course and type of school, for course fees, teaching materials, final examinations plus expenses for travel and meals?
If you have marked "Yes" and would even be able to pay the full amount upfront, many schools will give you an additional discount.
If you have marked "Partial" or "No": Ask the schools about the possibility of individual installment payments. Or try to get your employer to make a contribution to your further education costs or find someone in your private social circle who will support your specific further education project with a loan. There are also banks and credit institutions that grant educational loans.
Time spent on classroom teaching and learning (homework)
The course lasts 1 semester while working. The time required for classroom teaching is approx. 8 hours per week (there are different course models, such as evening courses or Saturday courses).
The learning effort (homework) amounts to about 4-6 hours per week in addition to school lessons.
Question 5:
Can I cope with the time and effort required for the face-to-face lessons and homework?
If the workload is even very manageable for you, you could check whether there are intensive courses for this training. This would allow you to complete the same training in less time if you are able to accept a slightly higher time commitment.
If you are short on time, look for courses that extend over a longer period of time and require fewer lessons and less time for homework each week. And if that's still not enough, you should check whether you can free up more time in another way. Perhaps someone close to you can take on certain tasks for you for the limited period of your training?
Conclusion
Will I graduate?
The "Purchasing Clerk" course is usually completed with final examinations in all subjects.
General success factors are:
- Regular preparation and follow-up of the lesson material at home
- Committed cooperation in group work, case studies etc.
- Participation in learning groups for regular exchange
- Practise exam situations by working on previous exam tasks
Question 6:
Do I have the confidence to pass the final exams?
If you are confident that you can pass this qualification, the most you can do is consider whether you would like to achieve even better results using suitable learning and working methods or whether you would like to achieve the same results with less effort.
Or you could consider going straight for the federal certificate as a "Purchasing Specialist". You can find more information on this at www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch
If you have marked "Partly" or "No", we recommend that you attend an information event about this course and ask the school management for information about support options. External help from learning therapists, kinesiologists, autogenic training providers or mental training providers can also be considered.
Receive course or training documents from suitable schools immediately
Under {#CourseLink#} you will find an overview of schools that offer the "Purchasing Clerk" course. You can request detailed documents with just one click and usually receive them directly by e-mail. You can also use the area search to find providers in your immediate vicinity.
Conclusion:
Before you want to complete the "Purchasing Clerk" course, you should be convinced that you really enjoy an administrative and organizational role at the interface between warehouse, procurement and supplier management. You should also like the course description. If you have answered these first two questions with a clear "yes", you can continue to look into this course. If you are unsure about these questions, you should consider which other further training courses are also suitable for you.
If you do not meet the admission requirements because you do not have an apprenticeship qualification, you should look into the possibilities of basic commercial training. For example, with a course leading to a VSH commercial diploma or an EFZ commercial apprenticeship. Building on this, all further training courses in the commercial sector are then open to you. If you do not have an apprenticeship qualification, but do have a school-leaving certificate or a comparable foreign qualification, contact the schools to discuss your options in person.
Financing further training is not always easy. Several thousand francs have to be paid over 1-2 years. In individual cases, many schools offer the option of semester or even individual monthly installment payments so that the entire amount does not have to be paid at once. In addition, it is helpful for part-time courses that participants continue to work during the course and thus earn money for the entire duration of the course. If this is not enough to finance the training alone, it is sometimes possible to obtain a loan from a private source. Banks and credit institutions sometimes also offer educational loans. A good argument for financing further education is the relatively quick amortization of costs through wage increases. Do the following calculation: How much would a wage increase of 10% per year amount to? How many years would you need to recoup the costs of the course? How much more will you earn over your entire working life as a result of this pay rise? In most cases, this is a six-figure sum, which confirms that training or further education is the best personal investment there is.
The time required for training or further education should not be underestimated. Going out, vacations and spontaneous wellness weekends often fall by the wayside. However, this time usually passes relatively quickly. The prospect of better job opportunities and more pay should be motivation enough to get through this time. It often helps to organize yourself into study groups. It also makes sense to stick with it right from the start and schedule fixed study times. Good learning effects can be achieved by creating summaries and mind maps. Flashcard systems help with memorization. There are many tools and ideas to make learning easier. You can obtain the guide "The personal learning strategy" free of charge if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch.
If you have doubts about whether you will pass the final exam, you can expect that every school has an interest in ensuring that as many of your students as possible pass the final exams. Talk to your head teacher or course leader and ask about support options. But with good motivation, perseverance and hard work, it is generally possible to pass these exams. If you suffer from exam anxiety, good preparation, various practical tips, therapeutic treatments or, in severe cases, even medication can help. You can obtain the guide "Overcoming exam anxiety" if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch. Here you will also findsuitable providerson the subject of test anxiety.
The benefits of further training are usually measured in terms of a higher salary, more challenging tasks or promotions. This presupposes that you make an effort to change your professional position accordingly and, if necessary, are able to assert your demands. If you have already experienced that this is not always so easy for you, you could also check whether personal job coaching could be of benefit to you in addition to further training.
Now it's up to you to decide. If in doubt, seek personal advice from a school or external advice center. If you enquire about course or training documents via www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch, you will receive a free educational or school consultation worth CHF 150.00 on request.
You can find a list of providers here: {#courseLink#}
We wish you all the best in your professional and private lives and a bright and exciting future!
The team of Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch
Linda, deine Weiterbildungsfinderin