See her winning essay below -
At 23, I knew a few things outside of college textbooks: I liked manufacturing, traveling to China and solving problems. However, the job positions that catered to these passions were unattainable due a lack of experience on my young resume. A chance encounter with an APICS advertisement, touting the statistical career advantages of achieving an APICS certification, changed everything.
I attended the Toronto conference, a bit skeptical of the potential benefits. However, every single member that I spoke to relayed testimonies of tangible gains, such as resumes landing at the top of the pile and faster-than-normal salary increases, thanks to APICS. After attaining the CSCP certification myself, I realized that for an individual truly passionate about supply chain, the career boosts were just icing on the cake. The real reward for being an active APICS member is the daily benefits I get through the value of the education, the continued deepening of understanding of supply chain, and marked improvements in my problem solving abilities.
APICS members strive to be the best in operations management, often meaning they take their wealth of knowledge for granted. During an interview last year, I was drilled on the definitions of kanban, vmi, incoterms and challenges with SOP. After I answered these questions with ease, the interviewer said, “Out of the 30 people I have interviewed, you have the least years of experience but are the most qualified.” This compliment made me realize that APICS members might assume that this jargon and these methodologies are second nature, but when compared to the applicant pool, this competitive education puts us in the top 5%.
As a young professional, suggesting and taking leadership initiatives to implement new ways of transforming supply chain and becoming lean has made senior management view me as a key player. APICS monthly meetings provide fuel for me to brainstorm these sought-after strategies, and I always walk away inspired with new ideas that ensure I am an asset to my company. A few years later, I am now achieving my career goals well beyond my peers. My APICS affiliation has given me both tangible and intangible benefits to my career development, enhanced my image as a professional, and provided me with the heightened sense of achievement that I carry into every task I approach.
