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In today’s procurement career market, visibility is no longer optional. Yet many procurement professionals remain hesitant, quiet or completely invisible on LinkedIn.

This episode tackles the uncomfortable but important question. What is your LinkedIn presence quietly costing your procurement career?

In a market shaped by restructuring, increased competition and fewer internal opportunities, LinkedIn has become a powerful career lever. Not just for job searching, but for positioning, credibility, discoverability and influence.

And yet procurement as a profession is still significantly underrepresented compared to other corporate functions.

In this conversation, Donna and Laura explore the visibility gap in procurement careers. They unpack the fears that hold professionals back, the myths around posting and self-promotion, and the real opportunity cost of staying silent.

This is not about becoming louder. It is about becoming intentional.

In this episode we explore

1. The fear versus reality of LinkedIn visibility
   Why worries about judgement, ego and self-promotion are often stronger than the actual risk.
2. Why posting is not step one
   The overlooked foundations of LinkedIn that create career leverage without constant content creation.
3. LinkedIn as a search engine for procurement careers
   How profile optimisation impacts recruiter searches, internal mobility and external opportunity.
4. Visibility versus ego
   Why showing your value is not arrogance, but education.
5. Procurement’s visibility gap
   Why procurement professionals are behind other corporate functions and why that creates a differentiation opportunity.
6. Comfort zone, stretch and growth
   How to build visibility in manageable steps rather than jumping into fear.
7. The hidden cost of staying invisible
   How silence limits optionality, credibility and career control.

Takeaways

A clearer understanding of how LinkedIn impacts procurement career progression, even when you are not actively job seeking.

Practical reflections to help you define your next intentional step on LinkedIn.

A reframed view of visibility as a strategic career asset rather than a self-promotion exercise.

Encouragement to shift from focusing on what could go wrong to what could go right.

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In this episode of Procurement Pivots, we explore a topic that often feels uncomfortable but quietly shapes careers more than performance alone: internal networking.

Many procurement professionals associate networking with politics, self-promotion or big events. But internal leverage is not about being the loudest in the room. It is about building genuine, consistent relationships that create influence, sponsorship and long-term career optionality.

Donna and Laura unpack why internal networking feels emotive, how fear of perception holds professionals back, and why clarity of purpose changes everything. They discuss how procurement’s unique cross-functional position creates powerful opportunity, and how relationships built beyond projects can open doors you did not even know existed.

This conversation reframes internal networking from something awkward or transactional into something strategic, intentional and career-defining.

In this episode we explore:

1. Why internal networking feels uncomfortable
   How fear of judgement and misconceptions about personality types stop capable professionals from building influence.
2. Purpose before action
   The importance of knowing whether you are building relationships to perform better, increase visibility or position yourself for future opportunities.
3. Starting with what you already have
   How to leverage existing strengths, stakeholder maps and past relationship success to build confidence.
4. Moving beyond project-based relationships
   Why the strongest careers are built on connections that continue after the work ends.
5. Procurement’s unique cross-functional advantage
   How the touchpoints across the organisation create opportunities for influence, sponsorship and even career pivots.
6. Consistency over intensity
   Why showing up steadily and genuinely builds more leverage than transactional networking.

Takeaways

A reframed view of internal networking as strategic career leverage rather than self-promotion.

Practical reflection points to identify where your internal relationships are strong and where opportunity exists.

Encouragement to build influence before you need it, rather than waiting for a restructure, promotion or crossroads moment.

A reminder that internal sponsorship and opportunity rarely happen by accident.

Hosted by
Donna Bowden | Procurement Career Coach, Narrate Your Career
Laura Sellers | Executive and Leadership Coach, Coaching for Procurement

New episodes weekly
Listen on Apple and Spotify
Watch on YouTube: Procurement Pivots
Follow us on LinkedIn: Procurement Pivots

Want to ask a question or share a topic you would like us to cover? Message us via the Procurement Pivots LinkedIn page or reach out to Donna or Laura directly.

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In this episode of Procurement Pivots, we unpack one of the most talked-about transitions in the profession: the move from operational to strategic procurement.

We hear it everywhere. Procurement must become more strategic. Roles are evolving. Expectations are rising.

But what does that shift actually mean in practice?

And why does it feel harder than it sounds?

In this conversation, Donna and Laura explore the realities behind the operational to strategic transition. They discuss why the word “strategic” is often misunderstood, how misalignment creates frustration, and why many procurement professionals feel stuck between firefighting and future thinking.

This episode shines a light on the behavioural, relational and mindset shifts required to move beyond operational delivery and into strategic influence.

In this episode we explore:

1. Defining what “strategic” really means
   Why the word is frequently used but rarely clarified, and how misalignment creates career friction.
2. Context matters
   How operational and strategic procurement look different depending on sector, organisation and leadership appetite.
3. The gap analysis
   Understanding whether the real gap is skills, relationships, visibility, confidence or support.
4. Stop waiting for permission
   Why strategic influence often begins before the title changes.
5. Visibility and communication
   The risk of internalising ambition and assuming others know what you want.
6. Strategic does not mean political
   Why influence is not manipulation and how values-led leadership still drives results.
7. The role of relationships
   How stakeholder trust and advocacy accelerate strategic progression.

Takeaways

• Clarity on what strategic procurement means in your current environment.
• A practical framework to assess the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
• Encouragement to take ownership of small, intentional shifts rather than waiting for a promotion.A reminder that strategic behaviour often precedes strategic titles.

Hosted by
Donna Bowden | Procurement Career Coach, Narrate Your Career
Laura Sellers | Executive and Leadership Coach, Coaching for Procurement

New episodes weekly
Listen on Apple and Spotify
Watch on YouTube: Procurement Pivots
Follow us on LinkedIn: Procurement Pivots

Want to ask a question or share a topic you would like us to cover? Message us via the Procurement Pivots LinkedIn page or reach out to Donna or Laura directly.

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