As with any job, working in a warehouse requires specific skills. Additionally, you’ll typically get a chance to hone new capabilities when you accept a position. Formal training is commonly offered, and there are ample opportunities for on-the-job skill development.
Often, what you learn won’t just benefit you in your current position. Warehouse jobs are excellent opportunities to build critical skills that can boost your career. If you’re wondering which of the capabilities you can acquire are the most valuable, here are some of the good warehouse skills you’ll gain while on the job.
Shipping and Receiving
One of the core warehouse skills most workers learn is shipping and receiving. That’s a primary activity in warehouse environments, but it’s also relevant to many other product-oriented industries. As a result, learning about shipping and receiving can help you transition into other sectors if you’d like, including manufacturing, retail, and more.
Shipping and receiving often involve far more than you’d expect. You’ll typically learn about load balancing and securing while confirming that departing or received shipments are correct. Plus, you often get introduced to a wide array of logistics concepts, including shipment scheduling and incoming order tracking.
Picking and Packing
Picking and packing responsibilities come with many warehouse jobs. By engaging in these activities, you aren’t just learning how to tackle these specific tasks but also building valuable soft skills.
For example, order picking requires attention to detail to ensure accuracy. Packing can involve problem-solving to ensure items fit properly and are suitably secured to reduce the odds of damage in transit.
Time management is crucial when handling picking and packing activities, too. You need to work efficiently to ensure orders go out on time and that you hit your target, and that can teach you a lot about strategically planning your activities to improve your speed while ensuring accuracy.
Equipment Operation
Most warehouse jobs involve some level of equipment operation. For example, forklifts and pallet jacks are widely used by warehouse employees, creating opportunities for those new to the field to gain experience with that type of equipment.
Some advanced warehouses also have other technologies in place. IoT devices, handheld scanners, automated picking tools, and similar advancements aren’t increasingly prevalent in warehouses. As a result, many employees get a chance to engage with these technologies, giving them relevant skills that can help them advance.
Administrative Skills
In many cases, there are responsibilities in a warehouse job that can help you build critical administrative skills, many of which can help you advance into a warehouse office role. For example, inventory-taking involves recordkeeping, data entry, and reporting. Order management has an administrative component, too. As a result, if you’d like to transition off of the warehouse floor and into an office job, you’ll have opportunities to hone critical capabilities by accepting a warehouse position.
Ultimately, it’s easy to boost your skill set while working in a warehouse. If you’d like to find a warehouse opportunity, GSG Talent Solutions wants to hear from you. Contact us today.