E–Commerce Industry

E – Commerce is an industry that is changing the face of Retail Industry across the world, including India. Working for E – Commerce companies like Amazon, Flipkart and others are slowly becoming popular career options for students. However, most people do not know what it is like to work in this industry. Read below to find out.

What are the jobs really about?

Building an Online Shop

The E – Commerce industry revolves around building a shop online and providing a customer with all the services he/she is accustomed to while shopping at a normal retail outlet. This includes displaying products, mentioning details, accounting and deliveries.

Even though building a website with the help of Software engineers, Graphic Designers and Writers is critical, it is only a small part of the industry. Most of the work in the E – Commerce industry is related to getting customers to visit the website (Marketing) and tying up with brands and suppliers so as to be able to sell their products online (supplier management). Another major part of the operations includes the transportation of products from the suppliers/warehouses to the customers (logistics).

Find out about different Online Careers.

As a professional working in the E – Commerce industry, you can be involved in a role related to Marketing, Logistics, Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Warehousing or Operations. Most of these roles are also found in the Retail Industry, although in different forms. Some people also find jobs related to the support functions of an E – Commerce Company such as Customer Service (Call Centers), Graphic Designing, Software Engineering etc.

Why do people work in the E – Commerce Industry?

Growing Industry

The E – Commerce Industry is growing at a fast rate with consumers shifting towards using online modes of purchasing goods. As is the case with any growing industry, the E – Commerce industry also offers plenty of jobs and growth opportunities to talented and skilled individuals. As more companies join the business, more opportunities develop. Not only that, but the industry also offers good salaries at the entry – level as compared to other industries due to the high demand for professionals with relevant skills. The growing number of opportunities and good salaries are huge motivating factors behind people wanting to work in the E – Commerce Industry.

Varied Experience

People who work in the E – Commerce Industry generally gain experience in a vast variety of fields and products. As a professional working in the E – Commerce Industry, you might start off in an inventory management role at the company’s warehouse but then move towards dealing with suppliers or other roles within a short span of time.

Not only that, but you might be responsible for different types of products during your career. For example, you might spend the first 6 months of your job dealing with suppliers related to an electronic device and then move on to dealing with suppliers of books. This kind of variety in terms the roles and products provides employees with a lot of experience in different fields, adds to their knowledge base and allows them to specialize in a role that suits them the most in the due course of time.

What is it like to work in the E – Commerce Industry?

Rapid Changes

As is the case with any other IT dependent industry, the E – Commerce Industry also goes through changes rapidly, with the popularity of new technologies and concepts leading to changes in business strategies and methods. The very basis of the existence of the E – Commerce Industry is due to some massive changes in the field of IT, such as the development of the internet and the advent of Internet Banking.

An example of a recent change that has impacted the E – Commerce Industry is the use of internet on smart phones, which has prompted E – Commerce to develop phone – centric websites and apps that make the user experience smoother on phones and other such devices. Professionals who become successful in this industry are the ones who are always willing to adjust to new changes, learn new concepts and processes.

Competition

There is massive competition in the E – Commerce industry, primarily because everybody follows the same methods and caters to a common, country – wide consumer base. To remain profitable in such a competitive environment, it becomes important for companies to cut costs wherever possible, leading to frequent dismissals of non – performing employees. As a professional working in this industry, you will always have to be performing to the best of your abilities so as to remain valuable to the company at all times.

Teamwork

Inventory Management, Operations, Supplier Management or Marketing etc., regardless of the job you’re performing in an E – Commerce Company, you will have to work in a team and coordinate with other professionals who might or might not agree with your opinions and views. Professionals who become successful in this industry are the ones who are able to prioritize the goals of the team above their personal goals and adjust with their team members while performing tasks.

Long Hours

E – Commerce websites are open to orders 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. This often leads to professionals in the E – Commerce industry working for long hours, especially during sales, festive seasons and rush periods. Professionals who succeed in this profession are the ones who can sacrifice their personal time for work purposes as and when required and not let fatigue affect their performance.

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