How to Land a Good Ecommerce Job

There are lots of great reasons to work in ecommerce. Maybe you’re drawn to the industry’s rapid expansion. Or perhaps you see ecommerce marketing or operations as a challenge — a mountain you want to climb. In”How to Locate (Great) Ecommerce Workers ,” I offered tips to prospective employers. In this post, I will address job seekers.

Everybody’s priorities are different. Every organization is different. As proof of this, career”specialists” contradict each other all the time. Some advice will suit you; some won’t. So consider what follows as food for thought, ideas you can try. If these recommendations help you or perhaps encourage you, this report is going to be a success.

The Ideal Job

Don’t begin your job search on a project board. Job boards are useful. They represent 20 percent or so of available positions. You may use job boards. Just not yet.

To paraphrase Liz Ryan, C.E.O. and creator of Individual Workplace, the point is to land an intriguing and satisfying ecommerce job, not take any crappy ecommerce job some business will provide you with.

There are certainly great jobs available on job boards. But in case you haven’t invested time considering your ideal job, how are you going to recognize it when you see it on a job board?

Consider making a list of what’s important to you. Are there products you are passionate about? What type of a work culture suits you? Are there any perks or benefits you want or need? How much do you need to earn?

Here’s an example list.

• “I need a V.P. of advertising position with an ecommerce business.”
• “I wish to have a part in the provider’s strategic decisions.”
• “I wish to work for a company that sells technology products or applications.”
• “I need work that’s measured on creation and that rewards achievement.”
• “I wish to work remotely from my home office as I travel the planet.”
• “I need equity.”

As soon as you’ve written your list, start to search for companies which meet your expectations.

You can look on Google –“best online retailers for remote workers” — or check out firms on LinkedIn. You might search for friends and colleagues who also work in ecommerce and consider their businesses. Or maybe you go into a job board, now you know exactly what you would like.

Your aim is to identify 25 target ecommerce businesses.

Get a Referral

By some estimates, as many as eight out of 10 jobs are not posted on a project board or otherwise promoted. Rather, most jobs are full of internal candidates or by a referral.

Employers have many good reasons for working this way. Paul Petron, an editor for LinkedIn Learning, enumerated some of the reasons in an article published on the Linkedin Talent blog.

• A referred candidate is quicker to hire than a conventional candidate. A referred candidate will come on board between 10 and 25 days earlier than candidates from job postings or job websites.

• A referred candidate is less expensive to hire than a conventional candidate. Some businesses could save money by selecting a referred candidate.

• A known hire will remain at work longer than a conventional hire. Petron quoted a Jobvite study demonstrating referred candidates are more likely to make it beyond the 1 year mark.

What is more, companies are often encouraged to seek out known candidates. “99 percent of the time your best hires will come from the team’s combined network,” wrote Peter Kazanjy, co-founder of TalentBin.

Combining Petron’s reasons a company should hire known applicants with Kazanjy’s advice, and it’s clear you would like to be known (even if you’re applying to a position you found on a job site).

Take the list of goal ecommerce firms you identified in the preceding step. Search your system of relations, friends, and old school chums to locate somebody who might refer you for a position.

Expand Your Network

If you are having difficulty identifying a referral contact for one or more target businesses, consider expanding your system.

This will take some time, but if you land a excellent ecommerce job, it may be well worth the work.

Here are a few things you can try to broaden your network.

• Go where the people are. Attend ecommerce or similar Meetups in your area.

• Join professional associations. When you stem your target business on the internet, you might see a link to a professional organization. Join that organization.

• Volunteer. If you love the C.E.O. of a goal ecommerce business is on the board of a local animal rescue group, help out.

An Ecommerce Presence

Landing a excellent ecommerce occupation is something like relationship. There needs to be mutual interest. To draw attention, develop an ecommerce presence to impress. And as you search for a job, do these items also:

• Write articles about the job you desire. If you wish to be an ecommerce logistics supervisor, clarify your zone skipping thoughts in a post on LinkedIn, Medium, or your blog.

• Do volunteer work. Not only does this construct your network, but it’s also valuable for your resume.

• Present at a conference. Do a little research, prepare a sound, helpful demonstration, and speak at a business conference. If possible, record your presentation and post it on YouTube, LinkedIn, or comparable.

• Assist a reporter out. Become a source for your own ecommerce press.

That is it — all my recommendations. Now go get yourself a excellent ecommerce job.