Lest your first thought is that this is simply a matter of working freelance for so-called affiliate programs that may or may not make you money, though, think again. Those who are e-commerce marketing managers, as other types of marketing managers in more traditional venues, have to combine knowledge of Internet-based business and applications along with business management skills. In general, these are like 40 hour per week or even better jobs working for established companies already in the marketing field.
Typically, you will work with a team of people in a leadership position, and you will work in a very technical environment, usually on various sites. One of your jobs could be to help companies develop websites that will market their products most effectively. You may also assist with marketing projects in more traditional media venues.
Getting the job
In general, you're going to have to have a bachelor's degree in business or a related technical field. If you already have a business background, taking courses in engineering or computer science will help you get a job in marketing and especially e-commerce marketing, since much of what you do will be via computer. In some cases, depending on the job, you may need a master's degree.
Today, marketing management jobs in typical venues, as well as in the e-commerce venue, require the candidate to have substantial experience in information technology, also known as IT. In other words, it's very helpful if you have experience in the development of Internet commuter applications, e-commerce software, or programming languages like C++ or Java. This is because even if you work in traditional marketing venues, most companies need to go online in addition to having traditional brick and mortar businesses. This type of background will make you invaluable to clients who are just starting to break into the e-commerce marketing sector.
Besides this more general experience, it's also useful if you have a thorough knowledge of the industry you will be working in for marketing management or marketing director jobs.
Before you become a marketing manager
Many marketing managers may begin as marketing analysts or even web designers, in the case of e-commerce. Because so much of marketing these days is based upon the Internet at least to some extent, one of the best places to find these types of jobs is on Internet job banks or jobsites. In some cases, industries or trade magazines may also have information regarding these jobs, as may employment agencies or your school's placement office.
Other considerations
Although this is a great job to have if you have the skills required for it, be aware that it can be highly stressful and that deadlines can be very stringent. This means that as a marketing manager, you may have to work very long hours. You may have to work during nighttime and over the weekend as well, to make sure that the job is done. In some cases, you may have to meet face-to-face with clients, which in general is going to require you to travel. However, Internet web-based videoconferencing is also making such face-to face meetings possible without you ever having to leave your office environment.
In addition, this job requires not only that you're technically proficient in IT and have an understanding of the marketing arena, but also that you are very good at working with people in general. Because your job is to make clients feel comfortable at choosing you for their business, it's up to you to make sure that clients are satisfied with what they're getting; putting them at ease is a good way to start the process, although of course the job at hand is what's most important.
As technology continues and telecommuting becomes more of a mainstream event, marketing managers may be able to work at least part of their time at home; in fact, this is already happening to some extent in some cases because it's a way for the employers to cut costs in this time of economic downturn.
Job outlook and compensation
Marketing management positions may have taken a recent hit because of the economy slowdown, but in general, this area appears to be growing fast, especially in the areas of Internet commerce and related fields. Because traditional companies are breaking into the e-commerce field, and because many companies just starting out are focusing on e-commerce almost to the exclusion of traditional marketing venues, it's helpful for anybody new to the marketing management field to make Internet-based e-commerce skills a priority if they don't already have them.
Depending on skill level, marketing managers across all industries made about $85,000 a year as of 2006.
