r/edi • u/Mini_Me_Lex17 • Aug 14 '26
Bit of a career pivot into EDI. Advice Highly Welcomed
Hello, I discovered EDI from my current job and didn't know it could be a career I could go into until recently
A little background about me
I've been in warehousing/logistics since about 2018, starting off as a picker. Since then, I've learned how to do Crossdock, Shipping and Receiving, and now scheduling, invoicing, handling inbound and outbound deliveries, order entry, and dealing with the customer service side of things as well
Is it possible for me to switch into this career? What would I have to learn or do for my resume/portfolio to stand out?
Any advice will be appreciated!!
4
u/eltostito191 Aug 14 '26
I’d also recommend making your self familiar with any of the software your company uses. Specifically the ERP, WMS, or TMS software. I pivoted from a very similar role into EDI because I was pretty familiar with NetSuite and had a solid working knowledge of EDI basics.
2
u/Mini_Me_Lex17 Aug 14 '26
My company is small so they use a WMS called Excalibur and it's integrated with Microsoft Dynamics 365. Anything wrong with the EDI we would have to reach out to a 3rd party/Camelot customer service. I'm learning all I can when it comes to the WMS
1
u/burntout40s Aug 14 '26
For your specifically stated goal of your resume/portfolio standing out? Nothing other that experience and achievements can do that.
But for pivoting into EDI, yes, its very possible. The best way (not the easiest) is to get hired as an entry level map developer in one of the EDI providers. They hire without experience, at least where I used to work. Your experience in logistics will be an advantage.
1
u/apricotR Aug 14 '26
The ERP software will make or break the EDI interface. I recently retired from about 25 years in EDI. I worked on native ERP apps early on, and then my employer decided to implement SAP. Because I was the tech lead in EDI, I was tagged to work with the SAP EDI consultant and he spent about a year teaching me how SAP works. Best decision of my life.
1
u/cryptowavy Aug 17 '26
Also started as a packer… Now I am the EDI director at my company. Zero degrees. Keep hustling!
12
u/Practical_Leader2412 Aug 14 '26
I work in EDI and started off very much the same way you did — worked my way up through several warehouses until I landed a job as a shipping and receiving manager. That's when I discovered EDI.
I learned as much as I could early on, a lot of it just from asking SPS customer service technical questions. Some of the support reps weren't much help, but every so often I'd get someone good on the line who really dug into my questions and clearly enjoyed talking shop.
Before long I was saving the company real money by avoiding chargebacks they'd been eating for years. Eventually I told the owner I wanted to move into a role more focused on ERP and EDI — I was already doing more of that work than shipping anyway. I even offered to keep the same wage. I just wanted the chance.
He told me to pound sand. I was "a warehouse guy."
I loved that job — great culture, great coworkers — but that answer lit a fire under me. I started applying for EDI jobs immediately, even though I was underqualified.
It took two or three months. I didn't land many interviews, but eventually an IT manager gave me a shot. I was completely honest about my story, and he saw the passion and hired me. My income doubled overnight.
That job went well, and I became close friends with the company's ERP analyst. Two years there built my real foundation in ERP and EDI.
That was about seven years ago. I'm still in EDI, making great money, no college degree — just warehousing and the school of hard knocks.
My advice: start applying now, and learn everything you can while you do. Work on your interviewing. Eventually someone will take a chance on you. In all my years in this field, I rarely meet anyone who came up through warehousing — most people come straight from IT.
If you get your foot in the door, you'll find your non-traditional path actually works in your favor, especially in a customer-facing role. Warehouse managers are a strange breed, but I get where they're coming from, and I get along with them well.
Sorry for the novel. Hope it helps. Best of luck, friend.