Army Veteran Leverages Master of Supply Chain Management Program for New Career
Edgar Larin shares the skills he gained at Foster to transition from the U.S. Army into a successful career in the private sector
When Edgar Larin, U.S. Army veteran and UW Foster alum, applied to the Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM) program, he had a clear career goal in mind: gain the skills needed to transition out of the army and into the private sector. As Edgar started his graduate journey, he was focused on obtaining all the technical knowledge that would make him a competitive candidate in today’s job market. While enrolled in the MSCM program, Edgar packaged his army experience with his tangible skills from UW Foster to land an analyst role in the private sector and conquer the career goals he set out to achieve.
Transition from Army veteran to graduate student
Edgar joined the U.S. Army in 2014, where he worked through the ranks of operations and management roles, eventually becoming a Supply Chain Project Manager. “I kind of ended up in these supply chain roles by accident but I really enjoyed them. Supply chain is very dynamic and constantly changing. It’s not just the same repetitive work every day.”
After nearly 10 years of service in Virginia, Kansas, South Korea, and Washington state, Edgar fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and the Seattle area (who could blame him?). “I wanted to make Washington my long-term home and have some more geographic stability.” When the Army let him know it was time to pack his bags and move again, Edgar knew he was ready to step away from the army and set up roots in his city of choice.
When Edgar decided to enter the private sector, he knew he needed to take stock of his transferrable skills and knowledge gaps. Edgar wanted to continue working in supply chain management but needed to find a degree where he could gain the technical knowledge to be a strong job candidate and excel in the private sector. “The UW MSCM program offered me the perfect opportunity to connect my experience in supply chain with the latest industry knowledge and practices to remain competitive in today’s fast-paced supply chain.”
Utilizing the Master of Supply Chain Management program
“I was drawn to the MSCM program at UW Foster because I knew it would provide me with the flexible schedule and business background, I needed to bridge gaps between government and private sectors.” Throughout the interview process, Edgar leveraged his leadership experience in the army while mentioning how he aims to improve his technical knowledge through the Master of Supply Chain Management program. “When they (the interviewers) asked about my experience with Tableau and SQL, I told them that it was part of my curriculum.” So, how did the interviewers feel about Edgar’s game plan?
“I mean, I got the job! It was so helpful to be able to say, ‘this is where I’m at, these are my gaps, and this is how I’m going to fill those gaps with my graduate program.’”
Upon leaving the army, Edgar landed an analyst job at PACCAR Parts. He credits his leadership experience in the army, a corporate fellowship and the MSCM program’s curriculum for helping him thrive in this role. “The MSCM program played a pivotal role during this personal and professional transition period.”
Leveraging the skills needed to succeed
Beyond the technical skills he added to his repertoire, Edgar emphasizes how the soft skills he developed within the MSCM program have made him a better analyst. “The Negotiations for Supply Chain Management course was really helpful. I often use negotiation techniques that were introduced throughout the course to bring people together to accomplish a common goal.” The MSCM program’s flexibility enables students to simultaneously work and study full-time. This allowed Edgar to apply the most up-to-date industry methodologies and skills from coursework to real business settings in the workforce.
Edgar has completed the Master of Supply Chain Management program and found his footing as an Aftermarket Packing Analyst in the private sector. Now, with his career flourishing and a more geographically stable life in Washington state, Edgar recognizes that the time he spent rushing from work at PACCAR (Parts) to class in PACCAR (Hall) was exactly what he needed to transform his career.
Learn more about the Master of Supply Chain Management Program.
