Wholesale & Retail Buyers

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Job Outlook:
None
Education: None
Salary
Average: Not Available

What they do:

Buy merchandise or commodities, other than farm products, for resale to consumers at the wholesale or retail level, including both durable and nondurable goods. Analyze past buying trends, sales records, price, and quality of merchandise to determine value and yield. Select, order, and authorize payment for merchandise according to contractual agreements. May conduct meetings with sales personnel and introduce new products. May negotiate contracts. Includes assistant wholesale and retail buyers of nonfarm products.

On the job, you would:

  • Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers.
  • Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers.
  • Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors, such as environmental soundness.

Personality

A3 Your Strengths Importance

Characteristics of this Career

87% Cooperation  -  Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
84% Adaptability/Flexibility  -  Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
84% Dependability  -  Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
79% Integrity  -  Job requires being honest and ethical.
79% Attention to Detail  -  Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
77% Stress Tolerance  -  Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
76% Initiative  -  Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
73% Persistence  -  Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
71% Independence  -  Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
71% Analytical Thinking  -  Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
70% Achievement/Effort  -  Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
70% Self-Control  -  Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
68% Concern for Others  -  Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
68% Social Orientation  -  Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
67% Leadership  -  Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
A3 Your Strengths Importance

Strengths

100% Enterprising  -  Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
78% Conventional  -  Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Aptitude

A3 Your Strengths Importance

Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality

75% Oral Comprehension  -  The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
75% Oral Expression  -  The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
69% Written Comprehension  -  The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
69% Deductive Reasoning  -  The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
66% Problem Sensitivity  -  The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
66% Speech Clarity  -  The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Job Details

Responsibilities
Research issues related to the environment or sustainable business practices.
Evaluate logistics methods to reduce environmental impact.
Develop business or market strategies.
Identify strategic business investment opportunities.
Analyze consumer trends.
Purchase stocks of merchandise or supplies.
Negotiate contracts with clients or service providers.
Purchase products or services.
Determine the value of goods or services.
Advise others on business or operational matters.
Confer with personnel to coordinate business operations.
Obtain information about goods or services.
Determine the value of goods or services.
Confer with personnel to coordinate business operations.
Analyze market conditions or trends.
Analyze consumer trends.
Authorize financial actions.
Disburse funds from clients accounts to creditors.
Discuss business strategies, practices, or policies with managers.
Train personnel to enhance job skills.
Supervise employees.
Provide information to coworkers.
Create marketing materials.
Analyze market conditions or trends.
A3 Your Strengths Importance

Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent

100% Telephone  -  How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
100% Electronic Mail  -  How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
100% Indoors, Environmentally Controlled  -  How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
96% Contact With Others  -  How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
94% Face-to-Face Discussions  -  How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
88% Structured versus Unstructured Work  -  To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
86% Frequency of Decision Making  -  How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
85% Freedom to Make Decisions  -  How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
82% Work With Work Group or Team  -  How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
81% Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results  -  What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
78% Importance of Repeating Same Tasks  -  How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
76% Time Pressure  -  How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
75% Importance of Being Exact or Accurate  -  How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
75% Spend Time Sitting  -  How much does this job require sitting?
71% Letters and Memos  -  How often does the job require written letters and memos?
71% Deal With External Customers  -  How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
68% Responsibility for Outcomes and Results  -  How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
68% Coordinate or Lead Others  -  How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
92% Duration of Typical Work Week  -  Number of hours typically worked in one week.
A3 Your Strengths Importance

Tasks & Values

81% Getting Information  -  Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
76% Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates  -  Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
75% Working with Computers  -  Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
73% Processing Information  -  Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
70% Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events  -  Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
69% Communicating with People Outside the Organization  -  Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
69% Making Decisions and Solving Problems  -  Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
67% Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge  -  Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
66% Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships  -  Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
66% Monitoring and Controlling Resources  -  Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.

Getting Started

Education:
35%
Bachelor's Degree
20%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Information provided by CareerFitter, LLC and other sources.

Sections of this page includes information from the O*NET 27.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.

CareerFitter, LLC has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.