Navigating your career in procurement
Procurement careers within the Queensland Government are diverse, and the way you navigate your career has undergone a transformation. Today your career trajectory is in your hands.
You need to be both proactive and courageous to build the skills for a successful career in procurement.
Our role has changed
Achieving your career success will be shaped by how well you actively take the lead to seek out opportunities to broaden and deepen your skills. Advancing your career isn’t always about obtaining a promotion; it can also come from taking a lateral step or transitioning into a different procurement role.
As a procurement professional, you need to continue to build your expertise to ensure you can deliver value for the business.
Our profession now requires an even greater set of skills to deliver on the Queensland Procurement Policy 2023 priorities, target and commitments, including:
- technical skills
- relationship management, negotiation and leadership skills
- well-developed business and commercial skills
- project management skills
- finance skills
- digital and technology skills.
Continuing professional development
Accessing relevant continuing professional development (CPD) supports you to deliver on your career goals and aspirations. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Formal training
- Short courses to target specific skill development priorities
- Best practice thought leadership
- University study.
Finding new career opportunities
- Temporary and permanent roles advertised on Smart Jobs
- The Queensland Government Graduate Portal accepts applications for graduate entry
How career development has evolved
Historically, careers were a linear journey. You would progressively increase in seniority in your profession, and you had little control of your own continuing professional development (CPD).
Today, you and your employer are likely to negotiate what support the employer can offer to assist you to:
- meet the increasingly complex job requirements
- access professional courses and applied experience
- advance your career progression goals
The table shows this shift from a traditional, manager-led career journey to a more contemporary, person-led approach where you:
- actively seek to develop a good understanding of the career options available to you
- map the desired career pathways and options that will guide towards achieving your career goals – including sideways moves to deepen experience/exposure and desirable job promotions
- position yourself to access the needed experiences, knowledge, coaching and training to underpin your career journey strategy.
Traditional vs contemporary approaches to career development and management
| Traditional | Contemporary |
|---|---|
| Career development means ONLY upward progression | Career development means growth through new experiences |
| New positions are offered to me when I am seen to be ready | I seek out and find new opportunities |
| My manager lays out my career plan for me | My manager, mentor and others help me find job opportunities |
| Development funding focuses on mainly senior leaders | Development funding is applied to all roles and functions |
| My manager decides when I am ready for a new position | I decide when I'm ready to change roles or compete for an advancement opportunity |
| Taking a new assignment is often seen as disloyal and risky | Seeking out challenging roles and moving to a new position is respected and considered important for continued growth |
Want more information?
Access the Continuing Professional Development Guide
To find out more, email skills2procure@epw.qld.gov.au.