If you are a purchasing professional, when you promote the purchasing profession, you promote yourself as well. Making the purchasing function ever more important in the eyes of business and the public helps improve status, salaries, and the authority of the occupation.

One of the best ways to promote the profession is by showing off the American Purchasing Society’s logos, your membership certificate, and your certification plaque. Company members should make sure they display the membership plaque in their lobbies so salespeople and others can see that they support the Society’s efforts and adhere to the Society’s ethical standards. Members should make sure that the Society’ logo is placed on their business cards. Also, get your printer to add the logo to the bottom of your letterhead. To easily obtain any of the logos go to the Society’s website at www.american-purchasing.com.

Another way to support the Society and at the same time help yourself is to make sure you include your membership under the Memberships and Awards section at the end of your resume. Doing this will show recruiters and prospective employers that you are a dedicated purchasing professional.

You can also help the Society and yourself by making sure you complete the surveys sent to you by the Society. For example, each year the Society sends a Salary Survey to each member. The data accumulated by this survey is used to determine average salaries paid to buyers, purchasing managers, and others in the profession. The salary report is then sent to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and each member of the Society. You can use this information to see how your earnings compare with others in a similar occupation.

Another survey sent by the Society is the Benchmarking Survey which compares the activities of purchasing departments nationwide. The resulting report helps purchasing managers plan for improvements in certain areas where they may be below average. It provides information on new developments in the profession.