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BS in Supply Chain Management, SCM for short, popped up on my screen as I scrolled down the degree options at the UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management — JSOM. The mouthful of words was fresh in my mind as I clicked on the “more information” button for finance. When deciding majors, I went for something familiar that felt safe and could be profitable; to me, finance checked the boxes. First, I decided while thinking about my parents and my friends’ parents who were already successful in the business world. Second, I thought it was a straightforward path.
I had to wake up every Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. in order to make it to a 9:00 a.m. Professional Development (BCOM 3100) as a freshman. After class, we would sit and hear about the different management programs from various people. That is when I heard the term that kept buzzing in my head from time to time. Dr. Monica Brussolo said it, “Supply chain management,” and by the end of her talk, she had me on the edge of my seat. She explained how every business connects to a supply chain that connects to many parts of the business at the same time. I immediately felt attracted to all the possibilities and diverse options I could have as an SCM professional. After I visited several times with Dr. Brussolo, who is the BS in SCM program director, and the program coordinator, Cynthia Hunt, I felt ready to make the jump. They answered all of the questions I had about the supply chain program and what career outcomes this path would offer. Dr. Brussolo told me that while supply chain was still very new to UTD, that meant that it was a tight community which I’ve found it to be as well. Soon, I realized I wasn’t taking a jump but a big leap.
Supply chain management jobs
As I was exploring the different career paths and opportunities, I made a list of some of the top supply chain management jobs I could get with a BS in SCM. I also added the respective median salary.
- Logistician: Median annual salary (2019) $74,750
- Purchasing Agent: Median annual salary (2019) $64,380
- Production, Planning and Expediting Clerk: Median annual salary(2019) $48,260
And with an MS in SCM or some years of experience, these are a few managerial positions I found:
- Supply Chain Manager: Median annual salary (2019) $110,630
- Operations Management: Median annual salary (2019) $100,780
- Purchasing Manager: Median annual salary (2019) $121,110
Changing majors to supply chain was not an easy decision to make
I cannot deny I was hesitant. It took me a little while to fully make the transition, and it wasn’t until I heard the parable about three birds that I finally crossed the threshold. The story begins simply with three birds on a dock, and one decides to fly away. The question is: How many birds are left? If you are like me, you would assume two, but the correct answer is three. Think about it, just because the bird decided to fly away doesn’t mean it went and did it. In other words, just because I decided to switch majors didn’t mean it was going to happen.
Soon enough, I found myself stepping into the Academic Advising office to make it official. It was a pretty significant life decision I made, and it has turned out to be a great one. I’ve already had an internship as a freshman, and I have another one lined up. The vast reach supply chain management has in the business field provides many opportunities. While, from time to time, I do have to explain SCM to people, I don’t mind it because I’m confident it was an excellent decision for me. I’m not going to lie; I still question the decision I made to switch majors to supply chain management. Yet I am confident I have learned what it is like to take a leap, and I am not scared. I learned that switching majors isn’t a life or death decision and you should choose your major based on what you want to get out of it more than just the major itself. I wanted lots of job opportunities that reached a vast network of businesses and supply chain was the place for that.
