11 August 2011 | Paula O'Reilly

Paula O’Reilly, managing consultant at Purcon, says:

1) When joining an organisation, procurement heads must understand the skills in their team before making changes, such as hiring former colleagues.   

2) Do not jump into taking the next step up the career ladder even if it is a bigger salary. Getting depth of experience in each role adds weight to a promotion.

3) MBAs may not be the answer for everyone. They can differentiate you as a job candidate, but theoretical knowledge must be backed up with practical experience.