A Career as an Inventory Control Clerk?

Answer 1

What does an inventory control clerk do? What are their main functions and what are the necessary attributes and education needed to succeed in this career? An inventory control clerk manages the distribution of parts and materials out to a company’s manufacturing or distribution channels. Their main function is to ensure that the materials and parts specified in a given bill of materials, work order and shipping document, are properly allocated. They must coordinate between incoming and outgoing shipments to ensure inventory levels are properly counted for and addressed. While not necessarily directly involved in purchasing decision making, they still require the ability to work within the framework of an inventory and procurement department. As such, they must be adept at working with inventory control systems, MRP (Materials Resource Planning) software packages and have a solid understanding of inventory management approaches. Inventory clerks must take part in quarterly inventory counts to ensure the amount of parts and materials within inventory matches the company’s stated inventory levels within its MRP system.

Education and training required for inventory clerks

Most companies are quite lenient on the education required to be an inventory clerk. In most cases a high school degree is an absolute minimum. A post secondary education is always a plus. Many candidates take additional night courses at local community colleges to get a certificate or designation in inventory practices and management. However, most companies simply require the individual be meticulous, detail oriented and able to immediately capture mistakes.

Salary and career opportunities

While the salary is on the low end, it’s important to remember that the education required is quite minimal. Candidates aren’t required to spend large amount of money on their education and therefore don’t enter the position with large student debts. Typically salaries for entry level inventory clerks start anywhere from $25,000.00 to $30,000.00 per year. Over time, and with the proper experience and education, inventory clerks can easily expect to advance to higher paying positions in purchasing and inventory management.

For anyone interested in starting off their career in inventory or procurement, becoming an inventory clerk is the perfect stepping stone. It provides individuals with in-depth knowledge of inventory practices and the importance of proper inventory counting practices.