When Kyle Goguen was 16 years-old, he was on the hunt for a part-time job. He spotted an ad on Craigslist that advertised needing help to sell electronics on eBay. He had sold a few things on the marketplace before and figured it’d be an easy after-school gig.
That job taught him everything about selling online, from sorting through inventory to photographing products to listing them. After a year of working for his boss, they partnered together on selling clothing on eBay. Fast forward ten years later and Kyle runs his own high 7-figure business, Pawstruck.com, all thanks to his first entry level eCommerce job.
“I learned the foundation of selling products with that first job. More valuable than that, I was able to work alongside an entrepreneur and see what it took to run a business,” says Kyle.
If you’re one of the many new to the workforce and have realized that eCommerce is where you want to be, congrats. You’re one smart cookie. And there are all different types of eCommerce jobs available for you to apply for right now.
If you’re planning on being your own eCommerce boss one day but just need to get your foot in the door, here’s the best entry level eCommerce jobs to start working towards now.
Internships
The fastest way to show a potential employer that you’re valuable is to work hard for them – for free. Although some internships are paid or include a stipend, the real value of an eCommerce internship is in the experience you can add to your resume.
Managers know that for most recent grads, the prime time to hire for an entry level job is in the spring. Still in school? Most stores are happy to have extra help throughout the year, but especially in the months leading up to the peak season: Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
If you want to be proactive about finding yourself an eCommerce internship, do a search locally. Find eCommerce companies or businesses with an eCommerce division in your area. Even if a job isn’t posted, get in touch with the company and submit your resume and cover letter, detailing the area you think you could be helpful to them.
Anytime you reach out to a company in this manner, you have to do your research. Show them that you know their business and their customers. Never send out a generic blast to every business in town. Instead, show them the skills you can bring to the table.
When you’re applying for a posted internship opportunity, competition can be fierce. Highlight skills that will help you stand out from the crowd. If you have been selling on eBay since you were a kid, make a note of that.
And if you don’t have any to share, show your future boss that you’ve got a passion for it. Make a note of your favorite eCommerce podcast (eCommerceFuel, naturally) as well as influencers in the space or a cool news story you’ve been following. Show that you’ve got a genuine interest in the field!
Skills Needed
None. The beauty of an internship is that it’s where you can acquire new ones.
Experience Needed
None. Get an internship and then take the steps you learn to nab an entry-level job below!
The fastest way to show a potential employer that you’re valuable is to work hard for them – for free.
Customer Service
The customer experience is one of the most important aspects of running a successful eCommerce business. Roles include phone support, live chat, responding to emails, and for some businesses, handling any customer concerns via social media channels.
Store owners are happy to train the right person for a customer service role and it requires very little experience. The skills required for a successful customer service rep would include past customer related jobs. Perhaps you worked in a retail store before or as a hostess at a restaurant. Anytime you’ve been the first interaction a customer has had with a business, you’ve already had a job in CS!
Don’t have past service experience? If you’re highly personable and can communicate well you can usually convince a store owner to give you a shot. Past experience is less important than empathy, understanding people and communicating extremely clearly.
But before you apply, think back on your experiences in dealing with customers or a situation where you’ve had to be a moderator in difficult times. During your interview, you might be asked how you’d troubleshoot handling an unhappy customer. Think this through in advance so you have a solid and thoughtful answer as a future CS rep.
A job in this field is also a great option if you’re looking for a flexible schedule. If you’re still in school and tied up for most of the day, stores that require 24-hour live help are always on the hunt for someone to work the late-night or early-morning shifts. If you’re willing to work those shifts, you’ll have an edge on other applicants.
Finally! A position that works for all you night owls out there!
Skills Needed
Personable – If you can engage naturally with others and consider yourself a friendly individual, you might just be made for a CS role.
Detail Oriented – Many eCommerce job titles in this field require you to follow forms or workflows very closely. If you’re good at putting processes in place, be sure to make mention of that when you apply.
Even-tempered – If the thought of dealing with the occasional ornery customer makes you roll your eyes don’t bother applying. Being able to stay cool and calm is crucial.
Experience Needed
Any job where you’ve had to interact with customers before is helpful.
Marketing
The term marketing is a broad one and encompasses jobs ranging from social media to press outreach to email marketing. The good news for a broad field? You probably already have some experience that can be applied to an entry level eCommerce job positions in marketing.
An entry level eCommerce marketing job requires you to wear a ton of hats. To get a good sense of what a marketer does, look closely at a brand you love. What emails do they send? What other brands do they partner with? What do they do on social media? What happens when they launch a new product? These are all key facets of what someone in the eCommerce marketing department handles.
Planning and being detail-oriented is a crucial part to these roles. Behind every new product comes a boatload of statistics and planning that got a brand to that point. Find past examples where you’ve been able to use both sides of your brain well: the analytical and the creative. If you can analyze numbers, but also be able to execute strategies brilliantly, you might just be a future marketing guru in the making.
Skills Needed
Analytical – The vast majority of marketing jobs require you to take a deep dive into analytics before determining an action plan. If you’re good with looking at data and making sense of it, you’ll be on the path to marketing greatness.
Tech Savvy – If it’s easy for you to learn new software and pick up on new programs, be sure to boast about situations where you’ve done this before. Every eCommerce store runs on lots of different software so acknowledging your aptitude is crucial.
Creativity – Idea generation is an integral part of marketing for a store. If brainstorming with other creators gets your adrenaline pumping, you’re in the right place.
Experience Needed
Any business savvy enterprise, whether it was launching your own etsy store to running events for a club on campus.
SEO Content Writer
If your first reaction is, what the heck is SEO, don’t worry, you don’t need a vast understanding of SEO (or Search Engine Optimization) to be able to start out in the field. But you also won’t be able to get an entry-level SEO writing job without any prior knowledge.
Writing content that is well optimized for SEO is a technique that is changing quickly, largely dictated by how Google’s algorithm tells us to write well and rank a site. And a real knack for writing quality SEO content can take years to get good at.
If you’re someone that wants to get into writing for an eCommerce business but doesn’t know where to begin, a background in SEO is crucial. In fact, do a little research before you apply for a job. Add this guide from Copyblogger and this one from Kissmetrics to your must-read list. Once you’ve nailed the basics, you might be able to parlay your newfound skills into an entry-level position.
It’s important to note that SEO writing isn’t super sexy. While you might be more interested in product descriptions or email campaigns, SEO writing is the first step to getting good at eCommerce copy. You’ll be writing largely based on keywords the business is hoping to optimize, so the writing is a little less fun. But like all writing exercises, look at it as a challenge and a way for you to further hone your skills.
Skills Needed
Great Grasp of the Written Word – This might be an obvious one, but if you dig writing and want to help make a direct impact on traffic for someone’s business, SEO is a great first step.
Research Driven – Depending on the job, you may be tasked with doing keyword research before you write. If you like diving into Google analytics and how people are searching, this is one field where you need to do it.
Self Motivated – Writing can be a lonely art. If you need someone pushing you to get work done, you might be better suited for a team sport.
Experience Needed
You like to write and you’re good at it.
Warehouse
The warehouse is arguably the pulse of any eCommerce business that houses their own inventory. It’s where orders come in, where orders go out, where inventory needs to be controlled and where shipping calculations are made.
If you’ve ever been curious about how an eCommerce business is actually run, start in the midst of it all by trying to get a job in the warehouse. There are a multitude of entry-level warehousing jobs, from being in pick-and-pack to dealing with inventory control, all skills you can be taught.
Since organization is crucial here, be sure to make mention of times where you’ve had to adhere to strict tasks or perhaps come up with an example of a time you came up with your own process for doing something or improved upon an existing one.
Skills Needed
Process Driven – If repetition is your friend, there will be some tasks that will require you to stick to a strict protocol, especially when it comes to getting orders to the right place.
Strong – Some warehouse jobs will have a lifting requirement. If you have no problem doing a little heavy lifting, feel free to casually mention what you can bench press at the gym.
Team Player – There is an instant camaraderie you can feel inside most warehouses. If you’re good at working with others, be sure to make note of it when you apply.
Experience Needed
None. This is a great foray into the logistics of the eCommerce world.
If you’ve ever been curious about how an eCommerce business is actually run, start in the midst of it all by trying to get a job in the warehouse.
Administrative
Once in awhile, a position will open up that will allow you to work alongside some of the top level executives within a company. If you’re willing to do more administrative work for the perk of seeing how a leader in a company does business, toss your hat in the ring for an executive assistant or administrator role.
And who better to notice your work ethic than someone that does all the promotions within the business? Position yourself to be the right hand guy or gal of someone at the top if you want to be your own boss one day. Highlight any experiences you’ve had where responsibilities have fallen directly on your shoulder.
In your interview, don’t forget that this person is looking for someone to keep him or her on task, so share any past experiences where you’ve shined in being reliable and responsible.
Skills Needed
Detail Oriented – You’ll need to be very good at paying attention to the details, whether it’s ordering office supplies or handling someone’s personal calendar.
Uber Organized – Your boss will rely on you to keep him or her organized, so you have to be on top of everything. If you can’t survive without your daily planner, you’re probably a good fit.
Great Moderator – You might be the first line of defense before any employees make it to your boss’ door. Diplomacy is a key asset for these positions.
Experience Needed
Any administrative duties or experience where you had to be in charge of key organizational tasks.
If you’re convinced that you’re ready to nab an entry level eCommerce job, don’t miss out on any that come up! Sign up for our email alerts and be one step closer to nabbing one of the many entry level eCommerce jobs posted every day!
Post by Andrew Youderian
