Do you want to apply for a Purchasing Agent position to help you get closer to your career goals? Applying for jobs on Seek, LinkedIn, and other job boards can be a time-consuming process, however, to streamline the process, you can ensure your resume writing helps you to stand out from the crowd, and your online profile helps you to get an interview!

If a recruiter or hiring manager are looking for a Purchasing Agent, they are searching for specific transferable skills. With less than ten people being interviewed for the job and hundreds of people, just like you, applying, The Perfect Resume team have created Resume Writing Tips to help you stand out from the others.

What do recruiters look for in a Purchasing Agent resume or an online profile?

Tailoring your resume to a Purchasing Agent position is mandatory today to ensure that your application will pass Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). In doing so, your resume will be read by the prospective employer. Then, fingers crossed, you will be shortlisted as a potential candidate and be called for not one, but multiple job interviews!

Firstly, before you apply to be a Purchasing Agent, you need to be acquainted with what a Purchasing Agent does!

Purchasing Agents handle the suppliers, product research and purchase orders.

Hiring Managers are looking for a dedicated Purchasing Agent to assist in identifying suppliers, researching goods and services, processing purchase orders, and verifying delivered items.

To be successful as a Purchasing Agent, you should have knowledge of necessary Manufacturing, Transport, and Logistics procedures, be open to learning, and have strong communication skills. Ultimately, a quality Purchasing Agent should be able to achieve keen sense of business and determine the best supplier in terms of standards, dependability, and cost-effectiveness.

Knowing this, your resume and online profile should include the hard and soft skills that the recruiter or hiring manager is looking for in a candidate.

The Purchasing Agent position description template will also contain pivotal information about what the candidate will need to do daily. Such as:

• Researching and comparing suppliers, goods, and services.
• Selecting the most suitable suppliers in terms of reliability, product quality, and cost-efficiency.
• Monitoring inventory levels and determining purchase needs.
• Requesting cost proposals and negotiating contracts and prices.
• Preparing and processing purchase orders.
• Maintaining records of all transactions, purchase orders, receipts, and payments.
• Scheduling and verifying purchase deliveries.
• Building and maintaining positive, long-term supplier relations.


You will also have some requirements and personal attributes that you will need to demonstrate in your resume to ensure your potential employer will take your application seriously, such as:

• Degree in business administration, procurement, or a related field preferred.
• Previous experience as a purchasing agent or in a similar position.
• Proficiency in CRM and inventory management software programs.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Strong organization and documentation skills.
• Strong research and analytical skills.

You may also want to do some industry research to find out what other companies want in their Purchasing Agents.