Trying to predict the next big seller

As retail buyer for Party Favors, a Brookline gift and novelty store, she is keeping an eye on the supply of black light strip while still looking toward Feb. 14 and forecasting what might be hot for that holiday. She’s predicting that the cupcake motif — sweet, sexy, and cute — will continue to be a top seller, and she’s placing orders for cupcake bandages, lip balm, floss, stickers, and key chains.

“It’s all about knowing our customers and what they want to buy, as well as predicting trends,’’ said Dunbar, 32.

Nearly half of purchasing managers in the nation work for wholesale trade or manufacturing operations, with 10 percent employed at retail establishments. Some purchasing agents are college graduates, while others, like Dunbar, work their way up to the position. She began by selling merchandise at Party Favors, then gradually was given additional responsibility, such as checking invoices on products received, keeping track of stock, then buying-related duties.

What sort of special requests do you get from customers?

We have so-called pink slips or special request forms that our clientele can fill out. They’ll ask for anything from certain color napkins, such as brown and pink, or a specific stationery brand, such as Crane. One customer requested miniature picture frames, which we previously carried. I’m still searching for those and looking into why we stopped offering those.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

I love walking around the store and seeing what I ordered that sold, whether it’s kids gifts and puzzles, or lunch boxes, games, and cards.

Is your idea hat always on even when you’re off work?

Yes. I was up in New Hampshire with my husband and daughter and wandered into a cute little gift shop. The merchandising really inspired me, and I jotted down some thoughts in a notebook. While I was there, I bought a roll of very pretty, glittery wrapping paper, brought it back, and looked up the company name. So my brain is always working.

A. There are typically two basic ways to present an employment history in a resume. The first format is the chronological resume. The second format is the functional resume, which groups similar job responsibilities together.

A functional resume often omits dates (which is sometimes frustrating for the reader). So as an example, one section of a functional resume may be focused on sales experience while the next section might be on management experience.

Most employers are more comfortable with the chronological resume because it is used more frequently and you can determine length of service at each role or company and find gaps in a candidate’s employment history.

Functional resumes tend to minimize gaps in a candidate’s work history.

With 14 years of experience in one field, you may want to consider a chronological resume. My recommendation assumes that you had a steady employment history with just a few employers.

Some employers will strongly prefer a computer science degree. Others would prefer a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent. What your challenge will be is how to get a prospective employer to put you in that “or the equivalent’’ bucket. Detailing your academic credentials and specialized training will be critical.

Lastly, if you are Massachusetts resident, the Massachusetts One-Stop Career Centers have a variety of resources and services available to unemployed residents. You can download a brochure called “The Resume Guide’’ by visiting www.mass.gov/Elwd/docs/dcs/1865_508.pdf.