On ThE JOB
What Employers Want

WiLLinGness To LeARn
cliff lynch, a board member of the american
society of Transportation and logistics and a
logistics consultant in memphis, Tennessee, says
Life on the
high school graduates can gain employment in any
number of jobs in warehousing and distribution,
GO
including warehouse worker, customer service
representative, and forklift operator.
“They need a willingness to work and a willingness
to learn,” lynch says. “The employer can train
students for these jobs. They don’t expect a person
coming out of high school to know how to do them.”
eDUCATion
lynch adds, however, that having a college degree
will boost your chance of landing an executive
position. Job seekers who have an undergraduate
or a graduate degree with a major in logistics, and
who have about 10 years of work experience in that
field, are qualified to become a vice president of
logistics for a manufacturer or retailer, says lynch.
if you like moTion AnD ChAnGe, you might love
postsecondary education is also a requirement
a career in Transportation, Distribution & Logistics.
for candidates applying for automobile technician
jobs at a car dealer’s service center. stephen
finstad, service manager for five star ford in
north richland Hills, says he prefers applicants
who have obtained an associate’s degree at
J
obs in Transportation, Distribution & will be gone for three or four days.” Wood adds
Logistics involve action and movement the FAA allows pilots on domestic flights to
across large distances through every fly only eight hours a day, but because of their
a community college that combines a ford-
kind of terrain and environment. This is other duties, such as readying the aircraft and
specific repair program with academic courses
a field that requires people to adjust to a taking care of paperwork, they may work as
such as math and psychology. finstad adds that
variety of responsibilities and working many as 14 hours a day.
successful job candidates must be willing to
conditions. Workers routinely get up early
produce high-quality work, have good attendance,
each morning and by mid-afternoon are Continuing Education
and be punctual. They also need good social and
thousands of miles away. Lifelong learning is a part of most careers in
communication skills.
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics. If an
Odd hours automotive technician works at a dealership,
CommUniCATion skiLLs
That’s part of the excitement of careers for example, he or she must take manufacturer-
Interpersonal communication skills are critical
in the cluster, but because the movement specific training leading to certification. Other
for job candidates at southwest airlines
of goods and people happens around organizations, such as the National Institute
in dallas, too, says chris mainz, a
the clock, irregular work schedules are for Automotive Service Excellence, also offer
spokesperson for the airline.
common for those employed in the field. advanced training and certifications.
“we’ll do group interviews and see how
“It’s shift work,” says Andrew “There’s always the need for continuing
that person interacts with other people,”
LeBovidge, an air traffic controller based education,” says Mark Larkin, owner of An
he says. “are they listening to others? can
in Houston. “Day shifts are usually Honest Mechanic in Austin. “It is necessary
they play off of what other people say?”
from 6 a.m. to 2 or 3 p.m. For the most because technology for cars is advancing so fast
part employees work a couple of night it’s unbelievable.”
sAFeTY
shifts from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Those at Technology is used everywhere in the
safety is of utmost importance in this
control facilities that operate 24/7 work cluster. Automotive technicians, for example,
cluster, and employers for many
midnight shifts, too.” use laptop computers or handheld devices to
jobs require candidates to have a
Airline pilots must also work diagnose problems through modules
flawless personal history. “one of
irregular hours. “The day-to-day that evaluate operations such as fuel flow
the big things is employees need
schedule for a pilot is usually 16 to 17 or air conditioning.
to be drug free,” lynch says.
days of work a month,” says Kevin Pilots, too, rely heavily on technology, says
“with the potential for accidents, people
Wood of Collinsville, a first officer Wood. “Pilots do more monitoring than actual
need to be aware and alert.”
for American Airlines. “Pilots show flying. Ninety percent or more of the time, the
up one hour before their trip and autopilot is flying the plane.”
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