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How Do I Become an Expediter?

Sheri Cyprus
Sheri Cyprus

If you want to become an expediter, it's a good idea to get as much experience as possible working with material handling and product delivery. You'll need to thoroughly understand the processes of the industry, such as food, construction or transportation, that you want to become employed in as well as shipping and delivery options. This knowledge and experience, coupled with a business or technical education, can help give you the skills to become an expediter.

Courses in relevant computer software and accounting can be extremely helpful in establishing a career in expediting. No matter what industry you end up working in as an expediter, your main goal will always be to make sure a company has supplies exactly when it needs them. In many companies or industries, storage is either expensive or non-existent, so getting needed materials delivered on a particular project's schedule is crucial. Experience in the related software is important since the more advanced technology becomes, the less demand there is for expediters. Establishing yourself as a technical expert in the required software can be a way to become an expediter who is more likely to stay in demand.

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Woman posing

Consider the industries that offer the most job potential for your future, as well as those that hold the most interest for you. Getting work experience in an industry while taking online or in-person classes can be a beneficial combination in helping you become an expediter. For example, working as a laborer in the construction industry and understanding what materials are needed at what stages of the building process can form a background in this type of expediting. You would need to learn how materials are best shipped to the job site as well as how they can be protected from damage and theft.

Smaller companies are often a richer source of expediter jobs than larger ones, but you may have work duties besides just expediting. The ability to handle several different projects at once is a good skill to develop if you hope to have a career in expediting. You may have to coordinate the materials delivery of more than one project at a time and would be expected to have everything there on time. To become an expediter, critical thinking skills and attention to the smallest details are necessary. If you aren't a highly organized person who likes to write things down and keep detailed lists, a career as an expediter may not be best for you.

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