The economy is growing, which means there are more and more job opportunities available to American workers. If you’ve been struggling to find a job, however, the monthly unemployment numbers may not be very encouraging. One of the best industries you might not have considered yet in your job search is supply chain management. Here’s what you need to know about seeking one of these positions:

What Are Considered Supply-Chain Jobs?

Supply-chain jobs are any jobs that have to do with moving goods from their origin point to the final consumer. That means the process includes procurement, sourcing, vendor management, process engineering, materials management, transportation, distribution and various support services. There are supply-chain jobs at every level, ranging from something like the Chief Supply Chain Officer to plant worker or driver. The best thing about being involved in a supply chain is that you’ll inevitably learn more about various parts of the process and gain the skills and knowledge to move up that chain.

Skills Needed for Supply-Chain Jobs

The individual skills needed for supply-chain jobs depend on the details of the job, of course. But to work in this industry, there are a few traits you’ll definitely need. You’ll need to be able to make informed predictions about the future and work ahead in order to ensure good deadline management, and you’ll need to be cool under pressure. Whether the end client is a general consumer or a huge corporation, they won’t be pleased if they’re not getting what they need on time — and you need to be able to do everything you can to ameliorate delays instead of finding that displeasure debilitating. You’ll also probably need to be meticulous and detail-oriented, because accuracy is always important when it comes to supply.

Getting Hired for a Supply-Chain Job

Of course, you can conduct a job search for supply-chain positions as you would for any other job, by sending out resumes or applying online. But you should know that somewhere around 80% of open jobs are never publicly posted, making going through a supply chain recruiter a good choice (supply chain recruiters are often also called logistics recruiters). These specialized recruiters work similarly to public sector recruiters, pharmaceutical recruiters, military transition recruiters, etc. in that they have a deeper knowledge of what candidates need to be successful in supply-chain jobs and have spent the time to develop industry relationships that are likely to result in better job placement for you.

Do you think you’d thrive in a supply-chain position? Would you consider going through a supply chain recruiter, or would you rather go it alone? Discuss your thoughts in the comments.