Research Paper on "Career Life Path"

Research Paper 4 pages (1219 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Career Path

Career of Interest: Contract Specialist

A contract specialist straddles a line between business and law. The necessary background for contract specialists varies from organization to organization, but most do not expect a degree in law. On the contrary, a business background is more appropriate for the fulfillment of the duties of a contract specialist. The contracts in question pertain to "the procurement of supplies, services, construction, or research and development using formal advertising or negotiation procedures," (NIH 2010).

Therefore, a contract specialist does exactly what the title implies. Specializing in the analysis and procurement of contracts, the contract specialist aids an organization in fulfilling its goals. The contract specialist fulfills multiple duties and obligations related to the acquisition of contracts. Specific duties of a contract specialist may include, but are not limited to, "soliciting and acquiring contracts, negotiating and closing deals and evaluating a contract's performance," (Damewood n.d.).

Negotiation skills are requisite, as are deft analytical abilities. The specialist will be working with people, both those parties who are external to the organization and also with parties internal to the organization. Thus, communication skills are a must. Although not always mentioned in career descriptions of contract specialists, communication skills are essential for performance.

A contract specialist also requires skill in analytics. The contract specialist determines how a contract impacts an organization in terms of finances but also in terms of short- and long-term goals. For example, one contractual agreement might reflect poorly on the organization's ethics. The contract specialist might evaluate that contractual relationship and determine that the poor publicity and bad press is hurting the organization more than the cost savings involved. Brokering a new contract with a different supplier might mean more short-term expenditures but yield greater long-term revenues due to the more positive publicity.

Following from this, a contract specialist is in charge of maintaining or breaking contractual relationships. Again drawing from a wellspring of communication resources, the contract specialist needs to convince supervisors and coworkers of the relative merits or drawbacks of any one contract. This may involve frequent meetings or presentations, or it could also entail one-on-one conversations. Ancillary leadership and communication-related duties may include managing assistant staff. Furthermore, contract specialists may work with a legal team during the analytical process. The contract specialist will then act as a liaison between the many different parties, helping with interpretation and also offering administrative support (CIA 2010). A contract specialist must become familiar with the goals and mission of the employing organization. It is crucial that the contract specialist understand what the organization hopes to get out of each contractual arrangement and aid the organization in fulfilling that objective.

The contract specialist does not need to be a finance expert or have an accounting background. However, the job description of a contract specialist does include the analysis of price proposals and financial data "to determine reasonableness of prices," ("Contract Specialist," n.d.). Solid bargaining skills, ie. good communication skills, are therefore more important than mathematical genius. The contract specialist might at some point interact with members from the marketing or accounting departments. On the other hand, the contract specialist is mainly concerned with making the right deal with the right parties at the right time.

The avenues by which an individual becomes a contract specialist are varied. Rare is the person who as a child exclaims to his or her parents, "I want to be a contract specialist when I grow up!" Rather, the individual comes to appreciate the nuances of the position and the need organizations have for a person who fulfills the role. A contract specialist is a multifaceted position, ideal for a… READ MORE

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