How to Get a Job in E-Commerce

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In 2019, e-commerce sales soared up to $3.5 trillion. COVID-19 further boosted the revenue to a continuous upward trajectory. Traditional stores had to transform and adapt to the enormous paradigm shift, having their current stand jeopardized. However, the job market remains. Here’s all you need to know about getting a job in e-commerce.

Why Get a Job in E-commerce?

Current e-commerce statistics and predictions have been showing promising reports ever since, all proving it’s here to stay. In 2020, e-commerce sales reached more than $4.9 trillion. By that year, Amazon’s net profit grew to a whopping 80%. 

There are approximately 12 to 24 million e-commerce websites existing, growing in numbers daily, and 3.8 billion online shoppers worldwide. Forbes estimates that by 2040, e-commerce will be making 95% of the total purchases.

Find more statistics at Statista 

All this growth implies that there are tons of e-commerce job opportunities everywhere as online businesses will need all relevant skills onboard. While there’s no need for physical staff at online shops, e-commerce needs some people to work behind the scenes and make the online business succeed. 

Aside from the rapid growth, e-commerce also provides both in-office and remote work opportunities. In fact, as e-commerce sales leapt during the pandemic, a lot of jobs have transitioned to remote set-ups.

The Most In-Demand Skills and Careers in E-commerce

When you work in e-commerce, you’ll need several skills handy as the business requires diverse talents to keep it up and going. Here are some skills that will most likely help you land an e-commerce position if you have one or more of them:

The Most In-Demand Careers in E-commerce

The 6 Best Entry-Level E-commerce Jobs

Here are some job positions that may not require any experience at all:

#1Internships

Usually, only large firms offer internship positions, which could either be paid, unpaid, or compensated through a stipend, the latter meaning your travel and other expenses are covered. Starting off as an intern is a great way to get inside a business and learn some of its ins and outs. You may not get hands-on with the job but you’ll gain the relevant experience.

#2Warehouse Staff

Every e-commerce business will need logistics in place, including supply chain, fulfillment, and warehousing. Even if they have the best marketing and SEO strategies, sales will still hit low when they can’t promptly and efficiently fulfill orders. As a warehouse staff, you may be tasked with managing the inventory or picking, packing, and ensuring products are sent out on time.

Related Reading: How Does an Amazon FBA Warehouse Work and What are the Conditions? I Worked at One

#3Customer Service Representative

Customer service reps serve as the frontline staff—handling orders, answering customers’ queries, and also even doing inbound sales. If you’re in a smaller company, you may also be given other tasks, like email marketing and others.

#4Administrative Assistant

Less on the client-facing side, admin assistants usually handle the organization’s paperwork, including supplier payment, accounts, and more. However, if you land in a smaller company, your tasks may overlap with that of a customer service representative.

#5Marketing Specialist

Marketing helps e-commerce businesses understand and get on the bandwagon of market trends. Usually, as a marketing specialist, you will work under a marketing manager to help ensure every product and promotion strategy fits the current customer demands.

#6Content Writer

There’s no other best way to boost an e-commerce site’s traffic, visibility, and ultimately sales than with quality content. As a content writer, you’ll be tasked with content creation, search engine optimization, keyword research, and even link building. 

The 6 Best Experience-Level E-commerce Jobs

Here are a few skill-specific e-commerce jobs that require experience:

#1Web and Software Developer 

Website developers create sites while software developers usually build applications and specialist databases. These roles usually need a bachelor’s degree or related field and experience. 

Web developers will need to be proficient in CSS, HTML, and JavaScript and have substantial knowledge and hands-on experience in programming applications. Software developers must also have intensive knowledge of coding languages, alongside familiarity with Agile development methodologies, databases, and more.

#2User Experience (UX) Designer

UX designers are usually required of a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Design, or related fields and have a portfolio of design projects. In-depth knowledge of wireframe tools and design software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop) are also must-have skills.

They are responsible for customizing the site, app, or other interactive media to fit the customers’ convenience and make sure they work perfectly. They generally collaborate with product managers and engineers to process flows or sitemaps, gather users’ requirements before they can design, among others.

#3IT Technician

The more complex the brand’s IT infrastructure is, the more software solutions and hardware tools to manage. IT technicians are needed to provide all kinds of technical support. They need to have a degree in Computer Science, engineering, or a related field, experience, an in-depth understanding of diverse computer systems and networks, and more. Usually, having certifications for the role will give them an advantage.

#4Video Editor

While some companies require candidates for the role to have a bachelor’s degree in film studies, cinematography, or a related field, some will accept those who studied within six months via an online course as long as they have proven experience as a video editor. They need to be creative, artistic, have a hands-on experience with editing software, be familiar with 3D composition and special effects, etc.

#5Business Analyst

Most often, only bigger businesses hire business analysts. These professionals need to have a bachelor’s degree preferably related to business, computing, economics, and others, as this can be a very competitive field. Business analysts need to have excellent problem-solving skills, proficiency in working with complex data and systems, etc. They are responsible for assessing the performance of the brand, researching and analyzing issues, coming up with solutions, and recommending improvement strategies.

#6Graphic Designer

E-commerce is largely visual as after all, customers can’t see products in person before purchase. Graphic designers usually create logos, posters, billboards, marketing materials, and more, so they’re usually required a bachelor’s degree and proven experience in graphic design, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop.

How to Get an E-commerce Job without Experience

It wouldn’t be a big deal when you’ve already found your niche and have worked on the necessary skills around it, but if you’re just starting, the best you can do is get into an entry-level position and see which fits you. Here are some of the steps you can take:

Where to Find E-commerce Jobs

There are a lot of job boards that advertise for e-commerce positions, such as the following:

Indeed

This job board takes you to global positions. You can just upload your resume on Indeed for recruiters to find you. 

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional social media platform where you can search for jobs and even set up job alerts for the latest position advertisements.

ZipRecruiter

ZipRecruiter is another job board with a worldwide reach that comes with several extra features when you set up a profile, including “suggested jobs” and alerts.

Onlinejobs.ph

For Philippines-based applicants, they can use onlinejobs.ph. This is one of the best platforms to find virtual assistant jobs and more.

Final Thoughts

E-commerce keeps growing and so does the need for skilled employees and freelancers to help work behind the scenes. If you want to get into the industry, try to get into a related organization. And even if you don’t have any experience, everyone has the chance to start from scratch and work their way up.