Growing a Career in eCommerce

A career in eCommerce is generally a diverse role that may be working directly for one brand, or you could be agency-based and working for a number of clients at once. You will likely manage all online marketing channels – such as SEO, PPC, social media, affiliate marketing, content, merchandising and trading of the site.

If you’d like to know more about pursuing a career in eComm – some practical insights here from Glenn Noble, eCommerce Trading Manager at Outdoor and Cycle Concepts.

We caught up with Glenn to find out about his career journey so far to give you a little more insight.

ADLIB: Let’s start with ‘why eCommerce’. What made you decide to get into this aspect of marketing specifically?

Glenn: It was while studying for my degree that I developed an interest in web content and the web layout and design module seemed to come more naturally to me than the other modules on my course. After completing my Sports Journalism degree and realising my degree had lots of transferable skills, I took up a product content role working on the Snow & Rock eCommerce website.

ADLIB: Can you share the key steps you’ve taken that have lead you to where you are today?

Glenn: One of the keys to progressing in eCommerce is learning. There are lots of different functions within eCommerce and being able to expand your skillset will open doors for you. Having good mentors around you and tapping into their knowledge and experience is also crucial to developing. And then hard work is a given if you want to succeed in eCommerce.

ADLIB: What are the top soft skills you believe it takes to succeed in an eCommerce role?

Glenn: Teamwork, the most important campaigns and projects are always delivered by a team, without good teamwork you will get a disjointed output and not the outcome expected. Other soft skills such as negotiation & flexibility are also important to learn, you will have issues arise out of nowhere when you least expect it, last-minute content requests and stock issues when launching new products. So, managing your priorities and those of your key stakeholders as well as being flexible are important skills to develop. And then finally a keen eye for detail is crucial if you plan on delivering a world-class experience for your customers.

ADLIB: In your opinion, how can marketers ensure their knowledge remains top-notch in the context of their own career progression?

Glenn: Be clear on the career path you want to take and then go out and learn as much as you can. There is a wealth of resource available; attend training courses, go to industry talks, attend online seminars, read blogs, listen to podcasts, look at what the leading eCommerce websites are doing, be interested in your colleagues work and listen to your mentors.

ADLIB: And finally, if you could give one piece of career advice to someone just starting out their career in eCommerce, what would it be?

Glenn: There are lots of different career paths you can take within eCommerce and it probably took me the best part of two years to realise where I could progress and which route I wanted to take. My advice would be to not be overwhelmed when you start out, if you work hard and take advantage of development opportunities, progression and a rewarding career will certainly follow.

Thanks so much for sharing!