A lot of people think buying is glamorous and artsy," says Charlotte Chang, 24, an assistant buyer at Macy's West in San Francisco, who's responsible for a $10 million clothing and product budget. "But mostly it's very business-oriented. You've got to be a tough negotiator, make hard decisions and handle large budgets."

To become a buyer, you need a head for statistical analysis, negotiation, time management and organization, not to mention common sense, tons of energy and a roll-up-your-sleeves, can-do attitude..

 If you have all of that, you can embark on a career buying just about anything. Michelle Currier, 34, buys parts for ships. She's a civilian contract specialist with the Military Sea Lift Command in Norfolk, Va., where she administers $30 million worth of contracts. She purchases parts and labor for conversion of the U.S. naval ship Mount Baker into a support mission ship. She wear overalls, a hardhat and boots to work.

Essentially, buyers evaluate and select suppliers -- based on availability, reliability and price -- to obtain the highest quality products at the lowest cost. You can work in commercial purchasing for private corporations or government purchasing. In public sector jobs, there are a lot of regulations to abide by.

Buyers usually work long and sometimes unusual hours, and have to travel a lot. You'll take trips to industry conferences, seminars and tradeshows, interacting with people selling merchandise as well as the people manufacturing it.

"In college, you think buying is all about clothes, and that it'll be so fun spending other people's money," says Chang. "It's fun, but only 10% of my job is picking out merchandise. Most of the time I'm dealing with budgets. It's a lot of pressure and responsibility, and you don't get to go to runway shows in Paris every other month." Plus, everyone wants a piece of a buyer's time, since your job is key to influencing sales, beating the competition and earning profits.

If you want to be a buyer, it's advisable to get an undergraduate or graduate degree in purchasing or contract management. In addition, most employers will put you through their own training programs. Large companies' programs can last from two to five years.

Information from www.womenswire.com/work/go/buyer/what.html