Additional Information
There are a number of different ways to get into this career. People with
a background in the building trades do well in this industry, as do former
lumber graders. A background in drafting and design is also helpful. Experts
suggest getting a technical degree of some sort, along with some training
in sales.
Bill Billups, technical support manager of a laminating firm, strongly
recommends a technologist designation to anyone selling engineered wood products.
"There are a lot of technical questions that are asked when you are doing
a sale," he says. "If you don't have the technical side, you can't answer
the questions and the customer soon realizes that. They'll take their business
elsewhere." A degree in chemical or other forms of industrial engineering
can be useful in acquiring this technical understanding.
Technical salespeople in this industry need to have as much knowledge about
wood products as possible, says Bill Luke, sales manager at a lumber manufacturer.
He says two-year technical programs should open doors.
Another way to enter the field is to obtain a degree from one of the wood
products programs offered by universities throughout North America. These
schools teach everything from research to engineering, to marketing, to forest
management and environmental studies. Many are located in areas where the
forestry industry is one of the main industries.