Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
Overview
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.
Buy merchandise or commodities, other than farm products, for resale to consumers at the wholesale or retail level, including both durable and nondurable goods. Analyze past buying trends, sales records, price, and quality of merchandise to determine value and yield. Select, order, and authorize payment for merchandise according to contractual agreements. May conduct meetings with sales personnel and introduce new products. May negotiate contracts. Includes assistant wholesale and retail buyers of nonfarm products.
Demand
Core Tasks
Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers.
Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers.
Consult with store or merchandise managers about budgets or goods to be purchased.
Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors, such as environmental soundness.
Provide clerks with information to print on price tags, such as price, mark-ups or mark-downs, manufacturer number, season code, or style number.
Recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, or merchandise selling prices.
Obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing personnel.
Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise.
Monitor and analyze sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns, company sales, and needed inventory.
Collaborate with vendors to obtain or develop desired products.
Train or supervise sales or clerical staff.
Inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield.
Determine which products should be featured in advertising, the advertising medium to be used, or when the ads should be run.
Monitor competitors' sales activities by following their advertisements in newspapers or other media.
Conduct sales meetings to introduce new merchandise.
Analyze environmental aspects of competing merchandise when making buying decisions.
Compare transportation options to determine the most energy-efficient options.
Develop strategies to advertise green products or merchandise to consumers.
Identify opportunities to buy green commodities, such as alternative energy, water, or carbon-neutral products for resale to consumers.
Monitor consumer preferences or environmental trends to determine the best way to introduce new green products.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Sales and Marketing
77%
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Customer and Personal Service
75%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language
73%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Mathematics
72%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administration and Management
69%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Computers and Electronics
68%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Economics and Accounting
64%
Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Communications and Media
55%
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Clerical
53%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Production and Processing
50%
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Top 10 Skills
Negotiation
80%
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Active Listening
75%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
75%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Persuasion
75%
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Speaking
75%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning
68%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making
68%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving
65%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Management of Financial Resources
65%
Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
Reading Comprehension
65%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Written Comprehension
75%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Problem Sensitivity
73%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Speech Clarity
73%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Mathematical Reasoning
70%
The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Speech Recognition
70%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Category Flexibility
65%
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Inductive Reasoning
65%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Top 10 Work Activities
Getting Information
85%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
81%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Interacting With Computers
81%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Processing Information
79%
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
76%
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
76%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
75%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
74%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
73%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Monitoring and Controlling Resources
73%
Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
Detailed Work Activities
Purchase stocks of merchandise or supplies.
Negotiate contracts with clients or service providers.
Purchase products or services.
Determine the value of goods or services.
Advise others on business or operational matters.
Confer with personnel to coordinate business operations.
Authorize financial actions.
Disburse funds from clients accounts to creditors.
Analyze market conditions or trends.
Analyze consumer trends.
Obtain information about goods or services.
Discuss business strategies, practices, or policies with managers.
Train personnel to enhance job skills.
Supervise employees.
Create marketing materials.
Research issues related to the environment or sustainable business practices.
Evaluate logistics methods to reduce environmental impact.
Develop business or market strategies.
Identify strategic business investment opportunities.
Work Context
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Frequency of Decision Making
How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Deal With External Customers
How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Structured versus Unstructured Work
To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
Education
Majors
Major
Interests
Enterprising
100%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional
81%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Realistic
48%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Social
34%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative
29%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic
19%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Top 10 Work Styles
Cooperation
90%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Adaptability/Flexibility
88%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Dependability
87%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail
84%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Integrity
84%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Stress Tolerance
82%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Initiative
81%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Persistence
79%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Achievement/Effort
77%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Analytical Thinking
77%
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Work Values
Achievement
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Relationships
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Recognition
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Working Conditions
50%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
