Ashish Jhalani, founder, eTailing India tells SANGEETA YADAV that there is a huge demand for skilled professionals in the eCommerce industry and specialised courses to train them
What was the main agenda of conducting e-Tailing India Summit in 11 citiesIJ
eCommerce being at the nascent stage, most retailers and business owners haven’t understood the future potential and don’t have enough knowledge. We need to mobilise the eco-system by taking our knowledge platform as close to the hubs as possible rather than waiting for them to travel to us.
nWhat is the career prospects in this industryIJ
The eCommerce industry would need at least 1 lakh skilled professionals by 2016. The need for skilled people is cumulatively greater in the SMEs wanting to run eCommerce businesses. Having a solid foundation and an overall understanding of the industry is necessary before entering the industry.
What are the various profiles associated with this fieldIJ
There are opportunities available from senior-most level to the executive level. Professionals can be in warehouse, logistics, customer service, technology, order processing and many more areas. The other opportunity is end-to-end eCommerce manager that is a requirement of SMEs and mid-scale businesses. We see very large opportunities in this area as more than 30 million SMEs look to online channel as a way to grown there sales and reach.
What are the challenges in this career optionIJ
There aren’t many options available for eCommerce training. Indian School of eBusiness (ISeB) is the only institute that offers a comprehensive course covering all the aspects of eBusiness. Even if the course isn’t available, people should look at attending webinars, conferences and workshops that provide overall perspective of the industry. Most courses offered today are in digital marketing and that is only one part of the overall business. eCommerce has certain nuances which only experienced people can guide others on.
What are the key skills that are required in this platformIJ
The companies should make sure that they are sold on the idea of selling online and are not just following the herd. Most companies end up quitting the online mode in the mid way. They should find an industry advisor or mentor to guide them through the challenges that are probably new to them.
The company should ensure that there is a real demand for their products or services online. They should identify their USP and target customers and build a strategy for that target audience.
The company should gather knowledge about the industry and list down steps to launch by attending industry events, training and other courses relevant to them.