The growing world of business and trade has resulted in the opening up of innumerable opportunities for exploration. Multinational companies have been born from all over the world therefore creating unprecedented economic growth and expansion. Many employment avenues have been created as a result including those that major in the import and export niche. In this essay, I focus on my experience as an export coordinator. I will discuss my objectives as entered into the field and the resultant skills that I got from the experience.
As an export coordinator, my duties involve the sourcing for markets and customers in the international market. Once customers have been found, an export coordinator has to develop an enabling environment where a shipment can be planned and confirmed through order approval. A coordinator has to also ensure that he or she handles the pricing information of a shipment ranging from the purchase of the product, all the way to the shipment charges and any other inclusive duties that will be incurred in the export process. Pricing of products may fluctuate with time, but it is the duty of the export coordinator to give the clients the best deals (Lavin and Cohan, 2011). The role of an export coordinator does not end with the delivery of a product to its destination, but once the customer has been satisfied with the product they have received.
Time is of the essence in any business transaction, for successful deal to be made, a client or customer expects to be satisfied by the quality of the product, but more importantly by a timely delivery. It goes a long way in enhancing customer satisfaction; most often becomes the differentiating factor among business competitors. As an export coordinator, one of the primary goals is to ensure that a car arrives to the customer’s destination and the most appropriate time. If timelines can be maintained, then success as an export or import coordinator comes easy.
A follow up has to be made to the client for feedback regarding the car they have received. As an export coordinator in the automobile industry, knowledge of the world economy is of great importance. The international market is affected by innumerable elements and changes. From terrorism threats to changing political situations, an export coordinator has to keep up with information as it greatly impacts the nature of doing business. Communication is another crucial skill that I learned was instrumental for the export coordinator job.
Conducting business-be it through sourcing for customers on the international scene or linking with various shipment companies to get the best freight charges-an export specialist has to be able to communicate effectively if they are to succeed at their job. My first learning objective while joining the industry was to understand the nature of operation within the car industry for the international market. Understanding the nature of the Canadian car industry and its export and import regulations formed a part of my objective. The automobile business is quite competitive and tasking; there are regulations to be followed and many details to be filled (Reynolds, 2003). To ascertain progress and attainment of my objective, I had to export a car to a foreign country without any hiccups of any kind.
The timeline that I set for this objective was by the end of May of 2016. The accomplishment of this objective was only possible through research and analysis of the Canadian market, followed by the analysis of the international marketing in regards to car demand, import, and export. Having understood the nature of the export field and the requisite skills that have to be gained if success and effectiveness are to be achieved, I decided to make communication skills a priority during my time at the Co-Op. Dealing with international and national customers requires a specific style of communication. Comprehension and understanding form the primary role of communication if success is to be attained.
The entire process of exporting involves a great deal of communication, especially when sourcing for clients and receiving feedback from them (Weiss, 2013). The timeline of this objective was by the end of June of 2016. To ascertain the attainment of this objective I was to evaluate the degree of confidence that I would exude while communicating with customers from around the world. Since communication is an integral aspect of the job of an export coordinator, it is important to take note of the content of the message being communicated. As a car export coordinator, the primary content within the communication will be regarding the make and models of various vehicles I will be selling and exporting.
The communication skills I learned are instrumental in the long-term considering the fact that the export industry is built on effective communication between the sellers and the customers. The time spent at Co-op Consultant was instrumental in redefining my focus and interest in the field of export and import coordination. Research is pertinent to success within the export industry, and which is an aspect I greatly enjoy, more so with automobiles. Moving forward, the experience garnered during my stay at Co-op Consultant has been crucial in defining my resolve and focus in the field of export work. Unlike most of the business-related professions where all people have to do is sit behind desks and make calls, the export coordinator is expected to go out of their way.
Export coordination is quite involving, especially considering the fact that one has to bargain for good deals for the clients and make sure that they receive the cars of their choice (Zou, Cavusgil & Business Expert Press, 2009). While it may sound daunting and demanding to perform the duty, it is more interesting as it forces you out of the conventional business environment. The paperwork and analysis involved in most of the business-related professions make it monotonous; this is not the same for the field of export coordination. The time spent at the firm has allowed me to see the interesting aspects of the job. For instance, for effective communication to be achieved with international clients, you have to study and research about the customer’s country of origin, their way of life and culture.
New information and knowledge are gathered in the process, and you get to interact with new people in the international community, an aspect that is become speedily advantageous in the globalized world. Besides, being an asset, you get to learn about new cultures, interact with people from different socio-economic backgrounds an element that is essential in making the career more interesting and fun. The international market is filled challenges and constant competition. To keep up, an export and import coordinator has to maintain pace in regards to information gathering and research aspects that contribute immensely to job satisfaction.
References
Lavin, F. L., & Cohan, P. S. (2011). Export now: Five keys to entering new markets. Singapore: John Wiley & Sons, (Asia.
Reynolds, F. (2003). Managing exports: Navigating the complex rules, controls, barriers, and laws. Hoboken, N.J: J. Wiley.
Weiss, K. D. (2013). Building an import / export business. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.
Zou, S., Kim, D., Cavusgil, S. T., & Business Expert Press. (2009). Export marketing strategy: Tactics and skills that work. New York, N.Y.] (222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017: Business Expert Press.
