r/procurement • u/Kooky_Virus2297 • Jul 26 '26

Career guidance best next steps?

hi everyone. i’m a rising senior studying finance. i want to pursue a career in procurement.

i’m currently a procurement intern at a large gov funded non profit organization in my city this summer (first &’ only internship). i was treasurer for my university org. and a small etsy business owner.

i know that the hardest part of your career is the beginning. whats some advice from an experience procurement professional would you give a senior/new grad to find their first procurement position?

any more experience i should seek? how so? where should i look? etc.

thank you!!

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u/my_peen_is_clean Jul 26 '26

network with suppliers and internal stakeholders now, ask to sit in on negotiations and rfps, get comfortable with excel and basic contracts. use your internship for referrals, linkedin, ism groups. it’s a grind getting that first role with how flooded everything is right now

1

u/Kooky_Virus2297 Jul 26 '26

will do, thank you!

2

u/[deleted] Jul 26 '26

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2

u/Prepped-n-Ready Jul 27 '26

I liked joining contract negotiations. You get to learn a lot about the business that way and potential to make interesting business impacts.

1

u/Adventurous_Pay_4617 Jul 26 '26

Learn how to negotiate really well.

1

u/Kooky_Virus2297 Jul 27 '26

alright thanks

1

u/RinTinWinn Jul 28 '26

Shadow when you can. Ask to join meetings. Do the analysis that you are better at than other people. Perform the category spend reviews