Picture this. You’re on a sandy beach outside your rustic yet chic shack, your surfboard propped by the front door. You’ve just signed in to work from your hammock for a few hours before you plan to log off, catch a few waves and make fresh fish tacos for dinner. It’s a classic day in the life of an eCommerce employee.
Although there are definitely jobs that offer this type of lifestyle, the solopreneur fantasy isn’t the only dream gig. The best jobs in eCommerce depend on what perks you really want with your career. If a commute from your cabana isn’t a top priority, you might be more keen to find a career that will let you climb the ladder quickly. Or perhaps you want the ability to really flex your creative muscles. Or maybe you want the freedom to create your own schedule.
We’ve rounded up the best jobs in eCommerce to give you an idea of the top benefits, perks and professional opportunities that are out there.
Best Jobs for Big Growth Opportunities
When we talk about the future of eCommerce, it is all about emerging technology. The eCommerce world has just started to tap into virtual reality, artificial reality and artificial intelligence and we can expect these trends to continue in the coming years.
According to MIT Technology Review, one of the top five fastest growing jobs in 2018 is an AI engineer, which offers extremely high salaries in positions that companies are in a frenzy to fill.
You don’t need to be a software prodigy to find a solid career in eCommerce though. Of the top 20 jobs that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects will grow in the next 20 years, manufacturing and wholesale sales reps, marketing specialists, and operations managers are on the list. And for some of these eCommerce job positions, only a high school degree is required.
Of the top 20 jobs that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects will grow in the next 20 years, manufacturing and wholesale sales reps, marketing specialists, and operations managers are on the list.
And if you have web development skills, be sure to be well-schooled in all things responsive. BI Intelligence forecasts that m-commerce will reach $284 billion, or 45% of the total U.S. e-commerce market, by 2020. As more shoppers become mobile shoppers, these will be among the best eCommerce jobs. And it’s a great venue for those just entering the eCommerce job market too.
Taylor Pearson, eCommerce entrepreneur and author of “The End of Jobs” says that the most growth he has seen in types of eCommerce jobs overall has to do with Amazon. “So much of eCommerce’s growth over the past few years has been driven by Amazon and learning how to effectively sell on Amazon is a major priority for many eCommerce brands,” he says.
Depending on the scale of the company’s Amazon business, many are hiring channel managers just to oversee growth there. On top of managing FBA shipments, these jobs also require you to monitor competitors, manage customer service processes, handle listings and also have working knowledge of PPC. If you want to focus your expertise on just one, Taylor suggests PPC as an area that he is starting to see more full-time jobs in.
Best Growth Opportunities
VR and AR Emerging Technology
Amazon-Specific
Manufacturing and Wholesale Sales Reps
Marketing Specialists
Operations Managers
Sweet Gigs for Location Independence
“Work from wherever.” For many, spotting this on a job posting is music to one’s ears. It’s an appealing prospect for employees that love to travel and don’t mind logging in from the road.
For those looking to give up brutal commutes or to hop between different coasts, being a remote employee offers major flexibility. And the best jobs in eCommerce offer just that.
It’s an appealing prospect for employers too. For many eCommerce businesses, there isn’t a need for employees to work from an office and many companies are happy to forgo a pricey rental for happy work-from-home employees.
A plethora of jobs can now be remote. It’s most popular among web designers and developers, content writers and those that specialize in paid traffic or SEO. It’s also a great benefit should you choose to go freelance in your specialization.
And for some eCommerce companies, entire teams are comprised of remote employees.
“I’ve lived in over 30 different countries,” says Xiaohui Wang, Founder of Essence of Email, whose entire staff of email marketing specialists works remotely. “There’s no rush hour to worry about, we can all travel during off-peak tourist seasons and we can all head somewhere warm in the winter.”
Carson McComas, owner of Fuel Made, runs a team of 12 that work in 12 different places across the country. “If I told everyone tomorrow that they had to start coming into an office, I think 90% of my employees would quit,” he says.
These jobs are also a great personality fit for those that are hard workers, but uncomfortable in social office environments. “If you’re a bit of an introvert and work very well on your own, remote jobs are ideal,” says Carson.
Best Remote Job Options
Email Marketing Specialists
Web Developers
Graphic Designers
Freelancers and Contractors
Professions That Make The Most Money
As with any career, the more experience and expertise, the bigger the payout. According to Payscale.com, an average eCommerce Director gig will land you over $100K annually. Other top earners include eCommerce Product Manager and eCommerce Project Managers, both coming in at around $80K each. Top web developers and programmers can rake in a cool $300K if they find themselves at top tech giants like Apple.
But you don’t have to climb a corporate ladder to make the big bucks. Based on reviews from the service provider directory in our private community, store owners will pay $60/hour for a great copywriter or SEO specialist and double that for a great web developer or CRO specialist at $120/hour. Boutique developer firms can charge $150/hour. If you have a beefy enough portfolio and solid client recommendations, finding contract work can be financially rewarding.
If you do want to get a top job at an eCommerce behemoth like Amazon, get experience in-house first. For software or tech jobs, this is especially crucial, according to Carson McComas. “Help evolve a site and learn the ropes of eCommerce and software, provide value to a business and once you get the chops, the world is your oyster.”
Financially Rewarding Jobs
Software or Tech Developers
Web Developer
Programmer
CRO Specialist
Freelance Content Writers
Jobs With Work/Life Flexibility
Daniel Gordon, a professional copywriter of Daniel Gordon Writes, can work up to 70 hours per week, but it feels more like a 40-hour workweek to him. That’s what happens when you work one of the best jobs in eCommerce and are in charge of your schedule.
“I say ‘flexible’ schedule instead of ‘your own’ schedule because no one wants to deal with that vampire freelancer who only works and communicates in the middle of the night. It’s important to be generally available during normal business hours,” he says. “But you can be more physically active, pick up new hobbies or side projects, spend time with family, explore your city, see new places and grow your business – all with a flexible schedule.”
Throughout the year, Daniel can also be flexible about where he works from. He usually spends time in Hawaii, visits family every 3-4 months and back in New York, divides his time between a home office and an office in downtown Brooklyn.
“I tell people that I can work from anywhere, but I really work from everywhere,” says Daniel.
If you’re a motivated self-starter that can make the freedom of a flexible schedule work for you, a job as a freelance copywriter is full of benefits. According to Daniel, “Simply being in control of your day is the core advantage that branches out into all of the other perks that everyone fantasizes about.”
Jobs with the most flexibility tend to fall under freelancer or contract positions similar to Daniel’s. Whether you’re a great website developer, photography, videographer, PPC pro or copywriter, you can always choose to go solo. You’ll make your own hours and take on as many (or as few) projects as you’d like.
The only caveat? “I tell people that I can work from anywhere, but I really work from everywhere,” says Daniel. If you want the ultimate in work and life flexibility, you have to be willing to use sites like Upwork or rely heavily on referrals. But if you’re great at making solid connections and taking on work, an adaptable schedule can easily be within your grasp.
Jobs With Best Work/Life Balance
Freelancer Writers
Website Developers
Photographers
Videographers
PPC Specialist
Positions With Creative Freedom
“My 5 year-old son thinks I can explain how everything is made, and uses words like ‘style’ and ‘brands’ as often as ‘playground’ and ‘snacks’ which is cute and hilarious, but sometimes embarrassing,” says Alyssa Feinberg, Chief Design Officer of FCTRY. She designs political and culturally minded bobble heads for a living. She’s also designed pacifiers that look like mustaches and a holographic glitter gel called Unicorn Snot.
“As a child, I was always making things. Long car trips equaled craft sessions, and I stayed up late most nights painting and drawing in an ad hoc studio I’d set up in my parents’ laundry room. When looking at schools for college, my interest in math and science drew me to Carnegie Mellon, where I thought I’d pursue graphic design but found myself intrigued by a final product you could more physically interact with.”
If this obsession with design sounds like you, there are eCommerce companies that are excited to find people with eCommerce job skills in design, from 3d models to industrial design to pattern making.
When Alyssa finds herself evaluating potential new product designers to bring into the fray, she pays close attention to a well-designed resume (naturally), a unique cover letter and a user-friendly portfolio.
“Design is all about communication, so clearly communicating who you are and what you can do is key,” she says.
And if you’re lucky enough to nab a design gig the possibilities for what you might create are endless. You might even create something as cool as unicorn snot.
Creativity is also at a premium with content-driven jobs like creative directors, photographers and videographers, all gigs that bigger eCommerce companies use in-house or outsource frequently. eCommerce companies know that creative processes are key to establishing a solid brand, which is great news for those that are predominantly right-brained, but still want to step into the eCommerce world.
Best Creative Jobs
Product Designers
Content Directors
Art Directors
Photographers
Now Nab That Dream Job!
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Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash
Post by Andrew Youderian
