Careers Spotlight: E-commerce

E-commerce is a sector of retail that has had significant growth in recent years. This means that these jobs and careers offer great job security and good wages. If you're interested in working for an online store, your options for e-commerce jobs are diverse. In this article, we outline the most common e-commerce jobs and how you can start a career working in online retail.

What e-commerce jobs can I do?

If you wish to start a career in e-commerce, there are a large range of e-commerce jobs to choose from. These jobs range from entry-level positions which require little experience, to more roles that require specific skills and expertise. Here are some of the most common e-commerce roles with their salaries:

1. Customer service representative

National average salary: £21,021 per year

Primary duties: Customer service representatives assist the customers of an online store in a courteous and responsive manner. They communicate with customers by phone or live online chat and often work remotely. Customer service representatives are excellent problem solvers who are familiar with their employer's inventory, sales policies and procedures for escalating problems.

2. Warehouse worker

National average salary: £21,419 per year

Primary duties: Warehouse workers are also known as warehouse operatives or picker-packers. They work shifts in the warehouses of e-commerce companies, selecting and packing online orders for shipping to customers. If an e-commerce business is small, an e-commerce assistant may complete the selection and packing of purchased goods.

3. E-commerce clerk

National average salary: £21,662 per year

Primary duties: The position of e-commerce clerk is an entry-level e-commerce role that involves providing customer service and online assistant to the customers of an online store. Typical duties include responding to phone and email enquiries, processing orders and refunds and monitoring stock levels. E-commerce clerks also assist e-commerce specialists and project managers in digital marketing tasks and campaigns.

4. Graphic designer

National average salary: £26,621 per year

Primary duties: A graphic designer is an essential member of an e-commerce team. They create branding, images and visual effects for the business and retouch or change graphic and photographic elements on the website. Graphic designers work closely with e-commerce specialists and merchandisers to create the images and typography for marketing campaigns.

5. E-commerce merchandiser

National average salary: £26,731 per year

Primary duties: E-commerce merchandisers focus on the presentation and sales experience of an online store. They ensure that product images convey the look and handling of products and promotions feature prominently on the website. They're marketing professionals who have expertise in the presentation and placement of products on web pages, advertising and online shopping platforms.

6. E-commerce specialist

National average salary: £26,731 per year

Primary duties: E-commerce specialists design and implement digital marketing strategies for online retailers. They utilise omnichannel digital marketing methods to promote the products and services of an online store across the major digital marketing channels including social media and email. They design harmonised campaigns to increase online product sales and increase brand awareness.

7. E-commerce copywriter

National average salary: £26,731 per year

Primary duties: E-commerce businesses are reliant on content marketing and search engine optimisation to ensure that their brand remains visible online. Copywriters are professional writers who have expertise in creating content for e-commerce stores including product descriptions, web page copy and blogs. They usually work under the direction of an e-commerce manager or e-commerce specialist.

8. PPC specialist

National average salary: £32,128 per year

Primary duties: Pay-per-click specialists run paid advertising campaigns for e-commerce businesses to drive traffic to their websites and boost sales. They're adept at targeting the search terms and keywords potential customers use so that the e-commerce website can feature prominently in search engines. For large online stores highly integrate PPC advertising into their business model and hire in-house PPC specialists to manage their paid campaigns.

9. Supply chain manager

National average salary: £33,995 per year

Primary duties: Supply chain managers or warehouse managers are critical employees who ensure that the business has stock to maintain its inventory. These managers also have oversight of warehouse operations and personnel. They work closely with the e-commerce manager and communicate with suppliers and fulfilment partners.

10. E-commerce developer

National average salary: £26,731 per year

Primary duties: An e-commerce developer is a web developer who specialises in building e-commerce websites. They can build e-commerce stores from code using programming languages like PHP or HTML to add the custom functionality the store owner wants to provide to customers. Developers can also build and customise online stores using leading e-commerce platforms like Magento, Shopify and WooCommerce.

11. E-commerce manager

National average salary: £38,338 per year

Primary duties: E-commerce daily operations of an e-commerce store. This is a business management role that includes monitoring the financial performance of the website and devising and implementing strategies that boost sales. They also ensure that the website is functioning correctly, moving swiftly to troubleshoot issues or downtime.

12. E-commerce project manager

National average salary: £40,932 per year

Primary duties: E-commerce project managers are digital marketing specialists with the expertise to plan and direct the building and marketing of an e-commerce store from scratch. They use project management skills to coordinate targeted multi-channel campaigns that include paid advertising and affiliate marketing. E-commerce project managers hire and manage specialists like e-commerce web developers to execute their plans.

13. User experience designer

National average salary: £43,693 per year

Primary duties: User experience (UX) designers are specialist web designers who optimise the user experience on a website to boost sales. They work on an organisation's e-commerce store, apps, chatbots and any other digital services the brand provides to ensure that the sales funnel is seamless. UX designers also use sales data and marketing insights to tailor a website to its audience.

How can I start an e-commerce career?

E-commerce is a commercial sector that has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry, with e-commerce transactions accounting for 20% of all retail sales globally. Employers are actively seeking workers who can fulfil the practical, creative and technical roles involved in e-commerce. Here are some ideas for starting your career in e-commerce:

Look for entry-level roles in e-commerce

Entry-level positions in any aspect of e-commerce help you to build experience and get valuable references in this sector. Entry-level roles like e-commerce clerk or customer service assistant rarely require prior experience. Smaller e-commerce companies often use an e-commerce assistant in multiple functions of their business meaning that you get opportunities to take part in order fulfilment, marketing and even content writing.

Complete an e-commerce internship

E-commerce internships are an effective way of starting an e-commerce career and can often lead to job offers. Interns work in all functions of an e-commerce business and can quickly gain an understanding of what the employer requires and how they can add value. Some e-commerce work placements offer payment, but even unpaid internships provide valuable experience and references.

Develop digital marketing skills

Digital marketing is the engine of e-commerce as it drives traffic to websites, converts sales and builds brand awareness across multiple channels. Many e-commerce specialists are self-taught in specific areas of marketing like social media marketing or email marketing. Learning about digital marketing enhances your value as a potential employee, especially in startups or smaller companies.

Learn web development

E-commerce business owners actively look for employees with even basic web design or web development skills. Familiarity with leading e-commerce platforms like Magento or Shopify can impress interviewers and show them that you're likely able to adapt to their systems quickly. You can learn many e-commerce skills by taking online courses. Many of these also provide certification which can look good on your CV.

If you want to learn more about working e-commerce click on the links below

Boosting your CV

So what is a CV?  CV is short for Curriculum Vitae and is a short document which summarises your unique skills, character, experience and achievements.  

For students it can feel difficult to know what to write as you haven't had the time to build up the experience that employers always seem to want.

In this section we look at ways of making your CV stand out for future employers so you can get that dream job.  With the summer holidays nearly here it is a good time to consider doing some voluntary work.

Consider volunteering for a few weeks:

A great way to improve your working experience is to volunteer for a few weeks.

And we’re not just about the local charity shop.

If you have a particular type of job in mind that you’d like to do, why not search for companies within that industry and request to do a couple of weeks volunteering with them? The company will benefit from having an extra pair of hands for a few weeks, and you’ll benefit from improving your knowledge, understanding and experience, which will look great on your CV!

Finding volunteering opportunities is easier than you think. The first place you should start looking is in your local area. Drop by some of the places that you wouldn’t mind working in for a few weeks and ask if they have the capacity to take you on as a volunteer, or click on the link below.

If you don’t have any luck in your local area, try searching online. There are a large number of volunteering websites out there that list opportunities all across the UK. Click the link below to go to the volunteering opportunities page of gov.uk

Help for Parents and Carers

When it comes to education and careers, parents and carers have a large influence on a students choices. As an adult you are expected to have all the answers, but in a constantly evolving world it can be a struggle to keep up with the latest options out there.  In this section we will highlight resources that will help keep you up to date with careers and the choices available to young people.

This month we look at what options are available once students leave school.

Can my child get a job at 16 and start working?

Yes, but in England, it is a legal requirement to stay in some form of training or education until the age of 18. So the employer would have to offer training with the opportunity of gaining a qualification.

What are the options at the end of school?

At the end of Year 11 students can choose between

• Full-time study in a school sixth form

• further education college

• sixth form college or 

• an apprenticeship with an employer

At the end of Year 13 students can choose between

• Getting a job

• An apprenticeship

• Higher education at either a university or college

Which pathway is best for my child?

• There is no single answer to this question.

• The best route will depend on the final target career, what motivates your child and their preferred style of learning.

• The key is to research all options and discuss these with your child.

Talking Futures have a website and lots of resources to help parents talk about careers, click on the image below to find out more

Careers in Hertfordshire: TECHNOLOGY

Technology can be split into the following sub categories:

• Cyber Security

• Games and Web Design

• Software and Hardware Engineering

• Data Science and Analytics

• Technical support

Technology offers a broad range of careers, for those with analytical, mathematical and problem solving skills. For those with a more creative mind, product design and games development roles lay within the technology industry. 

It is possible for anyone to get into a tech career and University education is not a must have.  There are a number of vocational pathways including T Levels and apprenticeships.

The future of the tech sector is ever evolving.  Technology has changed the way we live and work and continual development means the continual creation of new careers in the industry.

Roles in technology feature in the majority of companies across Hertfordshire as businesses rely heavily on technology for effective business operation.

Use this link to the HOP Careers Directory to tell you more about Tech based jobs. You can research different tech roles, understand the main tasks and average salaries, learn about which qualifications you should consider studying and explore the current job and apprenticeship vacancies in Hertfordshire.

Technology Businesses in Hertfordshire

 There are many large Technology based companies in the county such as Computacenter, Ocado and Imagination Technologies.  Hertfordshire is also home to many smaller, less well-known companies who offer fantastic opportunities to work in the industry. Technology roles also feature in companies from all sectors – for example, Tesco who have their UK Head Quarters in Welwyn Garden City and have teams of Data Analysts. Many Hertfordshire companies that aren’t tech based, rely on helpful IT Technicians to solve any issues around hardware and networks. Equally, our Technology companies rely on staff in non-technological roles like business, finance and marketing to help the business operate smoothly.

Technology businesses thrive in Hertfordshire and benefit from access to a growing pool of talent. 

Hertfordshire provides 21% more careers in Tech than the national average.  There are 62,870 businesses based in Hertfordshire and the majority will use some technology to operate.  Roles in Agritech, Fintech and Envirotec are emerging and will feature heavily in Hertfordshire in the coming years.

Many companies have apprenticeship and graduate schemes to support early entry to tech based jobs and careers.

For more information please go to www.hopinto.co.uk/ 

Current Opportunities

This month we have an opportunity to learn about careers within the health sector.  Additionally, Network Rail will be running a careers festival to showcase the career opportunities available with them, this will be held in Milton Keynes in November and The Engineering and Design Institute (TEDI) in London is holding an open Day.

Free Live Virtual Get into Medicine Conferences

Our next Get Into Medicine Conferences are:

- Saturday 26th October, 9:30am - 3:30pm

- Sunday 27th October, 9:30am - 3:30pm

Register here: https://airtable.com/appgXnyzN5ZD9Iwk6/shry7MZYtt3MGPjvO

Our next Get Into Dentistry Conference is:

- Sunday 10th November, 9:30am - 3:30pm

https://airtable.com/appgXnyzN5ZD9Iwk6/shrBuiR7SBAcC19kE

All aspiring doctors and dentists in years 10-12 are invited to register.

These conferences offer tailored advice for medicine and dentistry, covering a range of crucial topics:

- Tactically choosing universities

- Personal statements

- UCAT

- Medical & Dental school interview skills

- Medical Leadership Programmes

- Awards Programmes

- Extracurricular activities

- Work experience

- Building a CV

- Applying for scholarships

Students will be awarded a certificate of attendance, which can be listed on their UCAS applications for ‘activities that support higher education’.

Students and parents can register for FREE here:

Medicine: https://airtable.com/appgXnyzN5ZD9Iwk6/shry7MZYtt3MGPjvO

Dentistry: https://airtable.com/appgXnyzN5ZD9Iwk6/shrBuiR7SBAcC19kE

Student’s must have a functioning camera and microphone for the session. It's also important that students have a parent or guardian (over the age of 21) present at these conferences, not only for safeguarding but also to gain insight and guidance to support their medical or dental school journey effectively.

Our doctors, dentists and medical/dental students look forward to welcoming your students at the conference and they will join our network of successful students who attended these programmes over the last ten years: https://medicmentor.org/successful-student-journeys-reviews/

Thank you for working with us to make a difference to your students.

Warm regards,

Dr Siva

Chief Mentor 

The Engineering and Design Institute Open Days 

Visit our specialist campus to see our creative makerspaces, meet our academic team, take part in hands-on demonstrations and discover how TEDI-London will offer you an engineering degree like no other!

The agenda 

Doors open: 11:00

Introduction to TED-London: 12:00-12:45pm

Our academics and students will introduce how TEDI-London is different to traditional engineering education providers and give an overview of our global design-led curriculum.

Campus tours & makerspace demos: continuous

Drop into our Makerspaces to sample fun hands-on activities with our engineering technicians.

Info marketplace: continuous

In our marketplace you’ll meet our students and learn more about the projects they’ve been working on. The TEDI-London team will be here too with info about student life and affiliate SU societies, financial support and accommodation.

Ask a student: continuous

Ask our current TEDI-London students any questions you might have to find out first hand what it’s like to study with us.

Event close: 14:00

To learn more see the poster below or go to https://tedi-london.ac.uk/events/