Career Opportunities in Packaging

By Kim Magon-Haller, Marketing Manager, Triangle Package Machinery Co., Chicago

Since joining the packaging industry in 2007, I’ve learned much about packaging processes, materials, markets, machinery and people. What is most interesting about this industry is that there are career paths for everyone, no matter what their interests and goals are. Fortunately, this multi-billion-dollar field is expected to keep growing, so multiple opportunities abound. According to Clemson University’s Packaging School, there are currently more than 100,000 packaging jobs waiting to be filled. Whether you’re a student who is investigating future career options or you’re presently employed but looking for a change, you can find your dream job in the packaging field.

Career paths in packaging run the gamut from business, engineering or graphic design to machine operation and plant management. In addition, the packaging industry is further broken down by segment, such as food and beverage, health and beauty, materials, machinery or pharmaceutical. Before you start your search, think about what your dream job would include. What is your passion? Do you tend to be more creative or more analytical? Some people excel at visualizing the whole picture and making strategic plans, while others prefer to follow a set list of instructions.

There are opportunities in business, such as sales, business management or project management. Every company needs people to help grow sales and in the packaging industry, there are a wide variety of sales opportunities. Account executives may sell supplies and materials, such as cartons, rollstock or adhesives. Or they may sell capital equipment, like cartoners, bagging machines, scales or robotic solutions.

There are also many opportunities in manufacturing or plant operations, with jobs ranging from packaging machinery operators, mechanics and assembly line workers, to plant managers and specialists who manage departments or determine what machinery will help optimize their packaging lines.

Perhaps the largest number of opportunities exist in engineering, as the packaging industry needs a variety of engineering disciplines: mechanical, electrical, chemical and design, just to name a few. These individuals are needed to develop packaging supplies, such as boxes, bottles or film. They might work in the equipment area, helping to design and build new machines for a manufacturer or specifying the best solutions on the packaging line of a consumer products goods company (CPG).

You can also enter the packaging industry through the creative side, which is what I did. As a former business journalist, I transitioned to marketing communications, writing corporate and promotional items, advertising copy and working on websites, as well as managing trade show exhibits and company events. Today I manage all marketing functions for a Chicago-based packaging machinery manufacturer. In addition to marketing, career paths on the creative side of packaging include graphic design, package design or technical writing. And, with the growing amount of video being used in marketing, media types such as photographers and videographers could easily find full time work in this industry.

Take some time to research industry trends, as these will influence future job opportunities. Someone who specializes in an area such as sustainability or e-commerce, for instance, will certainly have a marketable advantage.

For those who choose to focus on sustainability in packaging materials, the goal is to reduce packaging. On the machinery or plant operations side, sustainability goals include reducing energy use, wastewater, etc. Sustainability continues to be a hot topic in packaging and manufacturing. I’m reminded of an experience my former supervisor had on an airplane. Flying from a trade show across the country, he was seated next to a young college student, who asked what he did for a living. “I work in packaging,” he replied. “Oh, so you make garbage,” said the student. Certainly this was not the response he was expecting! But he was happy for the chance to explain the many things we do in this industry to help the environment, by reducing the amount of packaging that ends up in landfills through better, more sustainable materials, or developing processes like Ultrasonic sealing, which actually results in less film being used to make a bag, or flexible packaging options such as a Stand-Up Pouch (SUP), which can replace the need for a cardboard carton.

E-commerce is another important industry trend, as the amount of people who purchase products online for home delivery rather than buying at a retail store continues to grow. In 2018, US e-commerce sales grew 15% and accounted for more than half of all retail sales growth, according to digitalcommerce360.com. The rise of e-commerce has led to a growing need for packaging that can be used for delivering products to the consumer safely, economically and sustainably. For this reason, more and more packaging schools are including e-commerce specialties in their packaging design curricula.

Whatever path you choose to follow in the packaging industry, we’re fortunate that there are thousands of opportunities available. Remember, it’s more important to find work that ignites your passion than to simply find a job. Or, in the words of football coach Jen Welter, “Don’t pick a job with great vacation time. Pick one that doesn’t need escaping from.”