Tuition Reimbursement
Here’s a video of 5 companies that offer tuition reimbursement to their employees. Walmart, Target, Starbucks, Boeing, and T-Mobile are the 5 companies talked about in this video. Some of these companies do have requirements that are explained in the video.
I highly recommend that if your company offers tuition reimbursement, take advantage of it. I was fortunate enough to work for a company that offered tuition reimbursement. I was able to obtain a B.A. in Organizational Management, A.A. in Business Management, Six Sigma certification, and PMP certification all for free. What’s really nice is that I don’t have to worry about paying back my student loans that has many Americans struggling financially.
ISO 9000
If you’re looking to make a career in the warehouse industry I recommend landing a position in a warehouse that implements an ISO 9000 quality management system. These companies pay their employees very well because they want the best employees to ensure 100% accuracy and quality to their customers. ✅
I worked for an organization called Southwire Company in California that manufactured and distributed copper and aluminum cable wire. It’s a privately owned company that generates 5.6 billion in revenue annually. Southwire implements ISO 9000 standards that requires a series of quality checks before it goes out to the customer. For example, the material handler must check the cable wire, the cutter must check the wire, and the runner must also check the wire before it goes into the staging area. All these phases require the employee’s initial to ensure the wire passes the quality check through each phase. Each employee also gets cross-trained in each position so the job rotation goes smoothly. ✅
Here’s a short video on ISO 9000 standards. ✅
Warehouse Unloading
Here’s a short 3 minute demonstration of the warehouse unloading process. In this video you will notice the forklift operator is driving backwards because he is carrying a stack of pallets. But it doesn’t matter if the operator is transporting freight or not, the mast still obstructs the view of the operator creating blind spots. Forklift operators must drive backwards at all times constantly honking the horn.
Also in this video you will also notice the forklift operator is unloading the container by himself. In a normal situation, there would be at least two lumpers unloading and a forklift operator to move the completed pallets to its designated location. The unloading by hand process takes around 6-8 hours to complete. If you’re new to the warehouse industry, this is just one of the many duties a warehouse associate can do. The objective is to learn these duties and work your way up to a leadership position or another position with more responsibilities and higher pay such as a Quality Assurance.
Stand-Up Forklift
Here’s a short training video on how to operate a stand-up forklift. These can be difficult to learn at first without the proper training. I remember applying for a warehouse job that required employees to operate a stand-up lift. So on my lunch break at the company I was working at I would practice on a stand-up everyday. I ended up getting the position with a $5 per hour pay increase. Having experience on a stand-up is a valuable skill to have in the warehouse industry.
Material Handler
Here’s a video of warehouse employees demonstrating what a material handler does on a day to day basis. To me these are more like order fillers as opposed to material handlers. I used to be a material handler in 2007 for a company that manufactured adult diapers and hospital pads. I used to have to supply the machine operator with the four materials he needed to manufacture these goods. It was a real easy job because I supplied him with 2-4 hours worth of material to keep him busy while I put away the product he was manufacturing.
I started off just packing the diapers than one night I walked up to the shipping supervisor and asked him if I could move up to a material handler position. I told him I have forklift experience and would learn the job duties quickly with no problem. I demonstrated that I could drive a forklift and the following day I was hired on as a material handler with a $3 per hour pay increase. Don’t be afraid to ask your supervisor to move up or move to another department. Always remember closed mouths don’t get fed. Take your shot, worst they can say is no, but you’ll leave an imprint in their mind for any future opportunities.
https://youtu.be/Drx0XZcYs0M?si=eitvfG7A3XQt1PAe
#warehouse #career #opportunities #advice #motivation #jobcase
How to become a Safety Coordinator
In my 15+ plus years of working in a warehouse, I’ve always been fascinated by the safety coordinator role. In my opinion it’s the most important role because safety is the number one priority in any blue collar position. I highly recommend if you’re going to make a career in the warehouse industry, get your credentials and experience to become a safety coordinator. Depending on the company, the safety coordinator position has a decent salary in the 6 figure range. Some companies require a college degree, while others don’t. There are certifications involved such as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Certified Safety & Health Manager (CSHM) that will boost your qualifications. Check with OSHA in your state on what exactly you need to meet the Safety Coordinator requirements. ✅
Amazon Order Picker
Here’s a quick video of what order picking is like at an Amazon warehouse. If you’re going to work at any warehouse, I highly recommend working for Amazon because after 90 days of working for Amazon, employees are eligible for their tuition reimbursement program. The best part is their program is a “Career Choice Program” that allows employees to pick a career that is in high demand. So not only will the employee be student loan debt free, they will also have the skills to enter a career that will employ them quickly with a high salary. Amazon is the way to go for any warehouse worker. 😁
Package Handling at UPS
Here’s a video of a few employees handling packages at UPS. This position would be to boring for me and I’ve actually turned down positions that operate like this in the past. Even if there was a job rotation I still couldn’t do this for 8-10 hours a day. 🥱
Would you apply for this package handling position for $23-$25 per hour with union benefits? 🤔
What do you think about this position?
Warehouse Cross-Docking
In the warehouse industry there are three types of facilities; manufacturing, distribution, and cross-docking. I personally worked in all three of these facilities and understand how they operate. Cross-docking is probably the easiest to manage because freight comes in one trailer and right into another. A cross-docking warehouse rarely stores any inventory overnight. If you ever decided to own a business in the warehouse industry, cross-docking is the easiest, quickest, and is a low cost start up business. I recommend working in a cross-docking facility before you actually make an attempt to start a business in this industry. Once you understand the functions, just leap frog the the company’s business model. Here’s a short video on how a warehouse cross-docking operates.
Job Titles in a Warehouse
If you’re interested in the warehouse industry and you want to have a career in this field, here’s a video that you’ll want to watch. This video explains the different job titles and their duties. In my 20 years of working in the warehouse industry, about 90% of the management team started out as a warehouse associate which is the entry-level position. I also started out as a warehouse associate and worked my way up to management.
I started out as a warehouse associate and moved around from department to department so I can understand how the different functions of a warehouse work. A strategy I recommend implementing is move up one position, then make lateral moves to different departments then apply for a leadership position. When a company recognizes you understand how the operations work as a whole, you’ll be the top 3 candidate on their list when the time comes. In the book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” Robert Kiyosaki states “It’s better to know a little about a lot”. Making lateral moves jumping from department to department is what he is referring to. This actually helped me obtain my management position along with my college degrees.