$1.$ Skills Required to Become a Purchasing Professional

Let's take some time to consider the skills required to become a purchasing professional. Your textbook will reinforce many of the ideas that you will bring forward, but at the start, don't worry about what the textbook might or might not say about these discussion topics. Allow yourself to think freely. Let's also think about some of the roles, responsibilities, and activities that might take place in a typical purchasing department.

Let's assume that you are the Human Resources Manager for a mid$-$sized company. The buying of goods and services has traditionally been handled by the owner of the company, who wants to retire within the next couple of years. The owner thinks it would be wise to hire a new buyer, to take over this important task. As an HR Manager, you are not familiar with the technical aspects of the buying function, but the owner tells you not to worry $...$ the owner will teach the candidate all that he or she needs to know. "What I need is a young person, preferably a graduate of a post$-$secondary supply chain related program, who has a little bit of business experience, and most importantly has some basic skills and is willing and eager to learn!"

With this story as background, present $1,2$ or $3$ "soft skills" and $1,2$ or $3$ "hard skills" that you think a good buyer should possess, and discuss why you think each of those skills are important.

$($What do you think is the difference between "soft skills" and "hard skills"? You might want to Google the definitions!$)$