The Soldiers of E-Commerce

Technology The Soldiers Of Ecommerce

The American labor pool has shifted dramatically to fit itself to the digital cause, and a new generation of computer savvy professionals has stepped up to innovative roles. The success of e-commerce doesn't appear to be slowing, and online selling to consumers as well as between businesses, resellers, and suppliers has outstripped even the greatest expectations envisioned during the dotcom era. Today, e-commerce growth seems unbridled by technical barriers, and a handful of skilled Web practitioners are its key players: IT managers, IT security specialists, Web designers, and Web developers.

The E-commerce Explosion

The tally of online holiday sales in 2005, according to AuctionBytes, increased 25% over the previous year, exceeding the 24% increase in annual online sales for the year. The U.S. Census Bureau reported a fourth quarter take of $22.3 billion in e-commerce revenue. And none of those figures included auction sales numbers. Plus, Entrepreneur.com predicts that almost half of all American consumers will do their shopping exclusively online by the end of the decade.

So, Who's Minding the Base?

The new, online sales initiatives of store-based companies as well as those of e-businesses have created niche positions for highly trained, skilled computer professionals. At first, people had to learn their roles on the job, attending software or IT training classes to augment their sales or design skills. IT managers in network or hardware positions had to learn how to run commerce sites. Advertising graphic designers shifted perspectives and learned to write Web site (HTML) code as well as use automated design software.

These days, companies hire degree-holding professionals with direct training in Web technologies with digital marketing proficiencies. Graphics design programs at trade schools, colleges, and universities now offer independent focus on scoping, designing, and building out Web sites. Information technology programs today can provide Internet security and network management courses based on real world experience garnered during the last decade.

Introducing the Soldiers of E-commerce

'Let's have a look at the big guns of e-business: Internet security systems specialists, Web designers, Web developers, and the IT manager. Combined, these professionals help organize the shape and scale of an e-business initiative, prepare a range of possible designs for the site, create the site itself, and make sure that all transactions are conducted in a secure digital environment.

  • Internet security systems - This security specialist rides herd on the vast movement and storage of data across the Web interface between the company and its customers. Trained in area networks, databases, and firewalls, the security specialist typically holds a bachelor's degree in management information systems, information science, or computer science. This person may have a range of network security certifications. Salary.com reports an annual wage between $86,900 and $186,400, depending upon training and experience. Getting the right IT training can launch your career in this field.
  • Web design - Web developers and designers can have some overlapping skills, but the Web designer is primarily concerned with the look of a Web site. They know how to create designs by pen as well as by software. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Web designers have the best long-term job opportunities among the entire graphics design field. To launch your career as a Web designer (with median $76,377 entry-level wages, per Salary.com), aim for a bachelor's degree within the realm of digital design.
  • Web developent - Developers and programmers earn more, do more, and have a depth of technical training. Developers write the technical code that operates messaging and business transactions for an e-commerce site. Median entry-level wages (per Salary.com) are $69,600 but may go as high as $145,900. Typically, they hold IT or computer science degrees and certificates.
  • IT management - IT managers sit atop the e-commerce hierarchy, and the BLS predicts IT management jobs will see significant "faster than the average" growth through 2012. Managers oversee a company's entire digital enterprise, from email, to servers, to hosting. They usually hold MBA or graduate-level technology degrees and report directly to the company's CEO. They earn well into a six-figure annual income.

    • These e-commerce staffers work on the front lines of an e-business and ensure that the bottom lines meet or surpass their company's expectations.

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