"Enhancing Career Possibilities & Future Opportunities within the Scottish Logistics Market Place" by Adrian Adair, Regional Director, Hays Purchasing and Supply

The Scottish Region's May meeting took the form of a presentation by Adrian Adair, Regional Director, Hays Purchasing and Supply and was hosted by the company at their Glasgow Office. Hays Specialist Recruitment is a global leader in the field and is the UK's largest listed recruitment group and part of the group, Hays Purchasing ans Supply specialises in recruitment in the logistics field.

In his presentation Mr. Adair began by looking at the salaries paid in the logistics market. He pointed out that the salaries over the last few years have risen by 18 per cent over all, but before the warriors who hold Institute membership the figure is 21 per cent on average. In the logistics market,the interim marketplace rates generally depend on where the project is based. Experience is also an important factor and the economy has an impact on the water companies are looking at in order to save costs, so demand in the marketplace can be variable. At present there is a high demand for people with logistics expertise.

Contract logistics is a growing market and it is not just the transport or warehousing aspects that are showing significant growth. This is due to manufacturers becoming leaner and more efficient and one way is to look at the supply chain. This is we're significant savings can still be made. Another area where there is a significant change is that of e-commerce and the this is providing competition in the retail sector. In certain areas there is a lack of qualified and experienced people, and for those starting out on their career, it is important to have skills to match roles.

For those who are developing a career there are a number of important items to be considered. Firstly candidates should have a job seeking strategy and should always have an eye on their career opportunities. Continuous professional development or at the CPD can play an important role in the development of a commodity portfolio. This will be useful in the wider market place. It is important to seek increased responsibility even if it means a short term loss as this will in time lead to a long term gain. It is important to pursue professional qualifications and ensure that where possible you have internal appraisals to highlight areas were improvement may be needed.

First impressions count. It is important to have CV that makes it easy reading. It should highlight achievements and responsibilities, and have concise bullet points covering these aspects of your career. It should be of a simple layout and have no pictures. This makes it easier to read and therefore will be less likely to be rejected.

It is important to have a job seeking strategy and as part of that choose your agency carefully. Once you have selected an agency, meet you a consultant, who will be able to advise you on the various alternatives available. Be selective in your applications and do not apply for too many roles with the same company. Also, avoid unsuitable roles, and manage your applications. Make sure you understand the status of the recruitment process.

One of the more list important parts of the recruitment process is the interview and there are a number of important steps in relation to this. Preparation is a very important and key to this is finding out as much as you can about the company to whom you have applied. It is not sufficient simply to look up the company's website and note a few facts. Rather you should make sure you endeavour to find out as much as possible about the company from as many sources as you can.

Make sure you know your CV - read it a few times. Make sure you also have the facts and figures to hand and knoll your achievements. Try to prove a positive spin on your career without sounding insincere. These are all important points to take into consideration as part of the recruitment process.

After the presentation there were a number of questions that were answered by Stuart and other members of his team.

Full details of the company and currnet vacancies can be found on their website at www.hays.com.

The Scottish region would like to thank Stuart McLean for his presentation, Lisa Commerford, the Regional Manager for hosting the event and to the other members of Hays staff who assisted in making the event a success.

Report by John Fender.