Online stores don’t just hire developers! Portrait of the different non-technical professions in e-commerce, where experience in retail sales or in accounting is an asset.
There is no doubt that programmers, engineers and statisticians are essential employees for proper functioning of an online store, whether of modest size or a multinational e-commerce company. But you might be surprised at the other profiles sought.
A quick glance at job offers from the giants, such as Amazon or ASOS, shows a great need for buyers, managers and coordinators. Although these positions are accessible to professional marketing graduates, they can also be held by any good retail store manager, provided they have a good capacity for adaptation and a certain understanding of the digital world.
Do you have experience in customer service? Do you have an answer to everything and a sense of courtesy to any test? You could become a manager for customer service by chat, if you have a good command of written French and have a good rhythm for typing on the keyboard. No diploma or experience with customers? Online stores hire a large number of materials handlers and mail clerks, responsible for preparing and shipping orders.
Handling numbers and words
Have you studied international business? There is no need to know JavaScript to hold certain positions in coordination of air imports and exports. All online stores, even the smallest, also hire accountants with a geek profile, who know how to handle digital tools and know the transactional platforms for the web.
E-commerce is even an employment sector of choice for writers, designers and photographers! Among the smallest players, such as the Montreal store Deuxième Édition, employees are considered primarily content creators. “My employees are responsible for promoting our products through writing and image,” explains founder Catherine Paiement-Paradis. “I hire a web editor who has an excellent command of written French and a punchy pen, who is responsible for writing the text that presents each item of clothing on our site, as well as uploading and entering all the other data. It is a job that requires both writing skills and an understanding of web architectures and metadata, as well as a certain sense of digital design.”
Social media pros are also prominent employees in online stores. If Instagram holds no secrets for you, send in your resume quickly!