Latest / The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo: Returning After a Gap, Stay-at-Home Re-Entry / How a Career Gap Led to Returning as a Supply Chain Analyst
Transcript
- Lucas: Alright, let's talk about a career path that a lot of people don't immediately think about when they're planning a return to work after a gap — supply chain. Luna: Yeah, it's not the first thing that comes to mind, but it's actually a field that's been exploding since the pandemic disruptions. Lucas: Exactly. So today's story is about a woman named Priya. She had a six-year career gap after working in retail buying. She stayed home with her two kids, and when she decided to go back, she didn't want to return to retail hours. Luna: And she ended up as a supply chain analyst at a regional grocery chain. How did she make that leap? Lucas: First thing she did — she didn't just start sending out resumes. She spent about three months doing a free certification from the Association for Supply Chain Management. It's called the ASCM Foundations Certificate. Covers the basics: demand planning, inventory management, logistics. Luna: Free is key. And I think a lot of people don't realize these entry-level credentials exist. They assume you need a full degree or years of experience. Lucas: Right. The certification gave her a vocabulary — she could talk about safety stock, lead times, SKU rationalization. Then she needed a way to show she could apply that knowledge. Luna: So what did she do for practical experience? She had the retail background, but that was six years old. Lucas: She volunteered to manage the logistics for her kids' school's annual fundraiser. This was a book fair — coordinating with vendors, scheduling volunteers, tracking inventory of books, managing the setup and breakdown timeline. Luna: That's brilliant. It's not glamorous, but it's real supply chain work. Procurement, logistics, inventory control. Lucas: Exactly. She documented everything. She created process maps of the book fair workflow — from order placement to cash handling to returns. Those maps became part of her portfolio. Luna: Did she put that on her resume under 'relevant experience' or just 'volunteer'? Lucas: She framed it as a project. On her resume, she had a section called 'Supply Chain Project Experience' and listed the book fair logistics project with specific metrics: managed 2,000 units of inventory, coordinated delivery from three publishers, reduced setup time by 20 percent. Luna: And that got her interviews? Lucas: It got her phone screens. She also networked. She reached out to former colleagues in retail and asked if they knew anyone in supply chain. One connection led to an informational interview with a supply chain manager at that grocery chain. Luna: So the certification gave her the language, the volunteer project gave her proof, and networking opened the door. That's a template. Lucas: Exactly. And the grocery chain was hiring because post-pandemic, supply chain resilience became a board-level priority. They needed analysts who could help with demand forecasting for seasonal items. Luna: Let's talk about the interview. How did she explain the six-year gap? Lucas: She was direct. She said she stepped away to focus on her family, but she stayed engaged with the industry by reading supply chain trade publications and completed the ASCM certification. She framed the gap as a period of skill-building in project management and logistics through volunteer work. Luna: And the hiring manager bought it? Lucas: More than bought it — he saw the volunteer logistics project as more relevant than a retail job from six years ago. He told her that managing a complex event with multiple stakeholders showed initiative and organizational skills that many entry-level candidates lack. Luna: So the gap actually became an advantage in a weird way, because it forced her to be creative about building experience. Lucas: I think that's often the case. The gap can be reframed as a period of deliberate preparation if you use it strategically. Priya didn't just wait — she studied, she volunteered, she networked. She treated re-entry like a project. Luna: And now she's been in the role for about a year. What does she do day to day? Lucas: She runs inventory reports, analyzes sales data to forecast demand, works with the buying team to optimize order quantities. She uses Excel and a supply chain software called Blue Yonder. She says the first three months were steep learning, but the certification gave her enough foundation to ask the right questions. Luna: I love that she started with a free certification. That's a low-risk way to test whether a field is a fit. Lucas: And the ASCM certification is recognized industry-wide. It's not a one-off. It's actually the same body that offers the Certified Supply Chain Professional credential, which she's planning to pursue next. Luna: So there's a career ladder in place. That's a big deal for someone who's been out of the workforce. Lucas: Yeah, and the salary range for supply chain analysts is solid — entry-level roles in a mid-sized city start around fifty-five to sixty-five thousand, and senior analysts can make ninety or more. Luna: For a field that doesn't require a four-year degree in supply chain specifically, that's attractive. Lucas: Right. And the job outlook is strong. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects supply chain logistics jobs to grow faster than average through 2030, driven by e-commerce and global trade complexity. Luna: Before we get into more tips, I want to mention something briefly. If this kind of practical, specific career advice is helpful, a handful of listeners help keep this show going through Buy Me a Coffee at buymeacoffee.com slash fexingo. It's ad-free because of that support, and it's never expected, but it makes a difference. Lucas: Yeah, and it's exactly what allows us to dig into stories like Priya's. So thank you to anyone who's chipped in. Luna: Alright, back to the supply chain path. What other resources would you recommend for someone starting from scratch? Lucas: Beyond the free ASCM cert, I'd suggest the MIT Supply Chain Management MicroMasters on edX. It's more in-depth, but you can audit the courses for free. Also, LinkedIn Learning has practical courses on inventory management and logistics basics. Luna: And for someone who doesn't have a volunteer opportunity like a school fundriaser, what can they do? Lucas: They can create their own project. For example, analyze your household's grocery spending over a month and create a demand forecast for the next month. Show how you'd optimize stock to reduce waste. That's a real supply chain problem. Put it in a portfolio. Luna: That's a great point. It doesn't have to be a formal role. It's about showing the thinking. Lucas: Exactly. And when you interview, talk about the problem-solving process, not just the gap. Hiring managers care about whether you can do the job, not whether you had a continuous employment history. Luna: I think the big takeaway from Priya's story is that a career gap can be a launchpad, not a liability, if you approach it with intention. Lucas: Absolutely. Supply chain is just one example. The same playbook — certification, volunteer project, networking — can work in many fields. It's about being strategic. Luna: And starting small. One free certification, one informational interview, one portfolio project. Lucas: That's the way in. Next episode we'll talk about a completely different path — maybe something in HR or finance. But for now, if you're listening and you've been hesitating, Priya's story shows it's possible.