Working In A Warehouse – Do You Have The Skills Needed?
There are many branches within the logistics industry, from freight driving to supply chain management and even warehouse management. Here at Barnes, we have 50,000sq ft of warehousing space and all our employees work hard so our clients can rely on high quality and secure warehousing and storage with us.
Does that sound like something you would like to be a part of? Well if you’re looking for a role in logistics and would prefer to work right in the heart of the chain, then warehousing could be for you. Let’s take a look at what working in a warehouse entails, what skills you need and how you can get involved today!
Working In A Warehouse – An Overview
Your day-to-day tasks won’t always be the same when working in a warehouse, so you should pick up a number of skills. Your working environment can be physically demanding and often be outside or from great heights, so keep this in mind!
Your daily tasks could include:
- Taking in deliveries and check for damaged or missing items
- Using lifting equipment to move stock around the warehouse
- Checking stock levels and make sure items are stored correctly
- Packing, wrapping and loading items to be dispatched
- General cleaning
The Skills You Will Need
When applying for a role in warehousing, it’s important to retain the necessary skills needed to carry out the job efficiently. Some of the general talents you will need when working in a warehouse include:
- Endurance – working in a warehouse is usually a role that requires stamina as there are many physical tasks to complete. Standing for long periods of time, lifting heavy boxes, or stooping to collect items and tasks such as packing a conveyor belt or loading a truck are all commonplace. Are you up to that challenge?
- Team work – the ability to work proficiently as part of a team is vital for a warehouse worker, especially for more complex tasks. Successful collaboration can improve processes and efficiency of your whole operation.
- Adaptable – being adaptable and willing to learn new things is essential for warehouse work. Those who succeed in the role embrace new technologies and collaborate effectively with co-workers and managers.
- Organised – organisation is the key to ensuring that a warehouse is run efficiently. Being well organised can help an employee maintain safety, keep an area tidy, manage an accurate inventory, and aid co-workers.
- Computer skills – as computer technology integrates more fully into modern logistics, having computer skills can vastly improve your worth. Though not necessarily required for a warehouse role, computer skills can help implement automated processes and improve efficiency. Even basic skills such as using email, storing files, and typing can be very useful.
Experience And Qualifications
Experience and qualifications are not always expected but would be preferred. Any skills you may have such as forklift driving can also be transferred over to a new warehouse role. You can firstly enter this line of work through an apprenticeship. Depending on the type of apprenticeship, you could enter the role of:
- Supply Chain Warehouse Operative (intermediate apprenticeship)
- Express Delivery Sortation Hub Operative (intermediate apprenticeship)
Applying for a role in a warehouse can also come through applying directly, but you may require having a base level qualification like GCSEs or equivalent.
How To Begin Working In A Warehouse
If you feel after reading that you actually may be great fit for a warehouse role and are looking for jobs, you can find many roles in your area through indeed. Also keep an eye on our very own job openings page for roles along with us at Barnes!
We hope to have given you a good insight into a warehousing role, and everything you need to get one if it’s up your street! Be sure to follow our Twitter and LinkedIn for all things logistics and keep an eye out for any new roles in the future.
