Viewpoint: And now, some good news...
Michael A. Levans, Group Editorial Director -- Logistics Management, 3/1/2009
Like you, I've been combing my trusted news sources every morning for some sliver of good news. Well, look no further. I'm about to share what I believe to be two of the most upbeat news nuggets I've found over the course of the last year.
First, the results of our 25th Annual Salary Survey tell us that the median salary for a logistics professional has actually ticked up by $5,000 to $85,000. That's the first year-over-year increase since the 2004 salary numbers were reported. Amid all the doom and gloom and mounting operational pressures facing shippers these days, these numbers suggest to me that U.S. business is beginning to place more value on the problem solving skills that top logistics and supply chain professionals can offer.
And while many shippers may feel that a vote of confidence from the corner office should come naturally, I could not have made that statement over the past three years when the median remained stuck at $80,000.
Second, and this may be my favorite bit of good news considering today's challenging environment, this year's survey validates that shippers are still quite passionate about what they do. In fact, we found that 60 percent of responding shippers say they're "quite satisfied" with their current career. Respondents cite factors such as a "feeling of accomplishment," "relations with employees," "salary," and "advancement opportunities" as a few of the key reasons for their positive outlook.
As our Jeff Berman points out in his analysis of this year's findings (page 27), one of the other top sources of job satisfaction is the fact that there is no such thing as a typical day. In fact, shippers continue to tell us they're energized by the challenges being thrown their way and that they simply love solving the ever-changing logistics puzzle. In short, upper management is looking to cut costs, and today's shippers have been up to the challenge.
I've always been a firm believer that if you love what you do, and do it well, you'll eventually receive the recognition you deserve. Five years ago, when I first started writing this column, shippers were looking anxiously for the attention they believed they deserved. Many conferences had sessions designed to help communicate success up the ladder to put the logistics function on the map. Well, the current cost-slashing environment may very well have helped logistics professionals in that quest.
While you may feel like you've been swimming against the tide for the past few years, rest assured that the results that savvy logistics professionals are producing—be it through distribution network re-organization, shipment consolidation, or overall cost cuts—are finally being noticed and rewarded.
Comments? E-mail me at michael.levans@reedbusiness.com
View All On-Demand Webcasts
