Many universities around the country are now offering advanced degrees in e-commerce. Both employers and recruiters agree that the combination of formal education and hands-on experience comprises the ideal recipe for success.

With the emergence of electronic commerce, colleges and universities have begun offering courses and graduate degrees in this field of study, emphasizing the integration of technology with traditional business principles. As companies try to predict the future of e-commerce, they require skilled employees to help run their businesses. E-commerce classes are gaining in popularity because students realize that standard business classes may not always focus enough on the challenges and requirements unique to e-commerce.

However, corporations seeking qualified job candidates still make hands-on experience their number one priority when screening potential employees. According to Bill Rogers of the Jerusalem, Ohio based online placement firm Rogers Resource Group, “We have more companies than we can handle that are requesting experience.” While most will agree that there is no substitute for experience, classroom teaching can be used to supplement what is learned on the job. For example, students at Claremont Graduate University in Southern California participate in what’s known as a practicum course, or a project-based assignment that spans the entire term. Earlier in the year, the students were “hired” by a former student who left the program to take a position with Brookstone Inc., a New Hampshire-based retailer. The company needed help choosing an e-commerce software solution that best met their needs. The class analyzed the different types of e-commerce software available, the implementation costs and potential implications it might have on the existing infrastructure. After a thorough evaluation, the class came back with several suggestions and wrote a report with a formal recommendation, including the estimated work time and the cost of implementation. Brookstone paid the class for their work on the project, covering the cost of the course for each of the students.

Many e-commerce employers are now using recruitment firms to find the talent they’re seeking. While knowledge gained in an e-commerce graduate program is valuable, it doesn’t compare to real-world experience acquired on the job. The companies utilizing recruitment firms don’t pay for people without experience; they are able to recruit those people on their own. According to Rogers, the best candidates for e-commerce positions understand the business process, supply chain, retail and electronic data interchange (EDI) process, regardless of the degree they hold. While working knowledge of basic business principles is considered to be more important than a degree, a candidate that has e-commerce experience coupled with a degree can still find himself very much in demand.

Colleges and universities offering advanced programs are working on integrating traditional business practices with the technology that is being taught since a substantial portion of e-commerce is not electronic. Even if you’re buying and selling over the web, you still have to understand the concept of the supply chain and how to physically transport your merchandise from one place to another. Another concept that is often overlooked among e-commerce businesses is personalized customer service, an area that is no less important to online retailers than their brick- and-mortar counterparts. In fact, one could argue that it’s more important since the average person has far less experience buying online. Lastly, the concept of making a profit is an idea overlooked by many first generation e-commerce companies, and is perhaps the most important business principle that should be emphasized in the curriculum.

The courses and graduate programs being offered are bound to increase with the evolution of e-commerce. Although e-commerce graduate programs are “hot” at the moment, they may not always be needed because e-commerce will become so commonplace, it will be a facet of every industry. For those thinking about a long-term career in the electronic marketplace, a solid background in traditional business principles along with hands-on e-commerce experience will prove to be a winning combination.

Source: Taking E-Commerce To a Higher Degree
Bridget Malone
Ecomworld, December 2000
http://www.ecomworld.com