Is a Warehouse Job Right For You?

Warehouse jobs are a large part of the U.S. economy. Based on recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6.6 million people work in the warehousing and transportation industry, which includes 5% of all jobs in the private sector. You may be wondering if you should be a part of this enormous industry.

With our country’s continued reliance on e-commerce, warehouse jobs are here to stay. There are new job openings every day throughout the U.S., many of which offer flexible scheduling options and competitive pay.

Who Is a Good Fit For Warehouse Work?

For people who are comfortable with fast-paced and physically demanding work, warehouse jobs are often a great choice. As you gain experience, you may have opportunities to advance into higher-level or more specialized positions such as forklift operator, team lead, or supervisor.

You don’t need a lot of qualifications to get started in warehouse work, often just a high school diploma or GED. If you want to eventually qualify for higher-level warehouse roles, the experience you gain on the job will be more important than any additional education.

However, warehouse work is not right for everyone. These jobs tend to involve a lot of heavy lifting, repetitive tasks, and long periods on your feet. You need to be able to stay attentive to do the job safely, particularly if you have a role that involves operating machinery. Some warehouse environments also include relatively extreme temperatures and high noise levels.

Common Warehouse Roles

Warehouse Labor and Material Handling

Labor is an important part of warehouse operations. In these physically intensive roles, you may need to use power or hand tools to do your job. Many warehouse workers start out cleaning, helping with stocking, and doing other maintenance tasks as general laborers or assembly laborers.

If you learn to use heavy machinery, such as forklifts and packing machines, you may also be eligible for more specialized material handler or forklift operator roles. In these roles, you use machinery to move pallets and other materials into shipping containers and around the warehouse.

Stocking

As a stocker or stocking associate, your primary job is to keep the shelves stocked. Depending on the products involved, you may need to rotate stock to ensure freshness or check for expired stock. Some jobs may also involve ordering products at the warehouse, checking that the warehouse is receiving the right amounts of different items, and preparing products for shipping.

Stocking roles involve physical activity, including lifting heavy boxes, bending, and reaching to stock shelves. Your role may also require staying on top of records, so it helps to have good organizational skills.

Clerking

Warehouse clerks are the ones who manage the administrative side of warehouse inventory. They make sure the warehouse has all the equipment needed for smooth operations by tracking stock levels. They sometimes also load and unload trunks, pack items, generate shipping labels and documents, and complete orders.

Like stockers, warehouse clerks need strong organizational skills and basic math skills. You may need to speak with suppliers or customers about orders, so communication skills are also important. You will likely be expected to use computer systems to record data.

How to Find a Warehouse Job

As with other jobs, you will likely need to apply for a position and then attend an interview to get hired for warehouse work. Most employers are looking for candidates who can show they are organized and reliable. It also helps show that you’re interested in the job by researching the company and demonstrating that knowledge in the interview, such as by asking questions that you couldn’t find answers to on the organization’s website.

A staffing agency like LG Resources is a great place to find a warehouse job. We can connect motivated job seekers to employers who need their skills.

While LG Resources hires for a wide range of jobs, warehouse and light industrial work have been among our specialties from the beginning. We’ve placed thousands of candidates into roles that suited them. If you’re eager to get started in a warehouse job, apply with LG Resources today.