Five Panda Pointers: How to secure a director level ecommerce job

There are some fantastic director level ecommerce jobs out there – but it’s all about finding the right one for you!

At this point in your career, taking this massive step is risky yet exciting. To minimise risk, you need to begin your search with a clear head – no use rushing as you won’t secure the role you want! Use this time to plan ahead and fill that CV up with some amazing accomplishments – it will take time, but it will help you in the long run.

So, for our latest panda pointers post, we share five things to consider at the start of your quest for a director level ecommerce role!

1) Adjusting your CV

This step is important throughout the process – as you prepare and start conversations about this career step, you can add highlights to your CV as you go along.

As you have many more years’ experience under your belt, you could easily fill up a four-page CV…but you still need to refine it. You will want to show that you didn’t only juggle your workload, but you were active in the industry and eager to assume management responsibility.

The main things to highlight in your accomplishments is what they achieved for the company you worked for – was there a big increase in revenue because of your activity? Was acquisition of new customers at an all time high? If so, great! List these in your CV with hard stats to back it up!

You also need to consider strategic decisions you made and how you managed your team. As a senior director, you will be taking a step back from the day to day responsibilities of your earlier roles – it’s about developing a strategy and having the leadership to implement this within your team!

2) Who can help you find ideal roles

Having worked in the ecommerce industry, you will have built quite a network of contacts now that you’re ready to make that leap to director level. It’s always great to chat with people who know the industry and your way of working.

We’re not being biased here, but speak to recruitment agencies too – recruiters can work wonders on your job search if you find the right one. It’s better to find a specialist in your industry, who will have a wealth of knowledge of the kind of brands who have these positions available.

Even if you prefer to apply directly, you shouldn’t rule out the help a recruitment agency can offer, be it advice or introducing you to amazing companies!

3) Speaking opportunities

Please don’t run for the hills now we’ve mentioned presenting at a conference or meetup…speaking opportunities can make a huge impact!

Networking is great, but you need to show you can own a crowd and share amazing information from your career. Demonstrating that you can pass on your learnings will reflect on you positively – if you can influence and inspire a room full of strangers, you can do the same for a whole department. Look out for upcoming events and express interest in topics that are relevant to you. Being able to talk about these to potential employers will really impress them.

4) Who will offer the right director level role?

You need to think about the kind of brands you will look to when it comes to applying for director level roles.

Does the brand offer the role & responsibilities you want, or is it just a title? At this stage of your career, you want to be fulfilled and pass your wisdom on to a bright team – you don’t want to take a role and realise the responsibilities are not what you wanted them to be. So, don’t apply for every director level role you see and really study the job descriptions you come across.

5) Preparation – know what to expect from the process

Looking back on your career, you might think you’ll be used to interview processes having been the interviewee and the interviewer. However, director level roles will require a much more intense process as it’s a huge hire for a company to make…they do not want to get it wrong.

First of all, consider times you will need for the process – there will be quite a few stages to it. Brush up on presenting skills as it’s very likely you will receive a task or draft up a strategy – those conversations with connections and recruiters will come in handy here as they know what is involved in the process.

You will also need to look back and think about key highlights you are proud of – if you’re proud of specific achievements, this enthusiasm will really shine through as you discuss them. Here are a few questions you may be asked in a director level job interview…

• How would you describe your style of management?
• How do you typically evaluate an employee’s performance?
• Describe a time where you addressed a difficult or unmotivated member of your team.
• Describe a time you bought positive change to a company/team.
• If we were to hire you, what would your top priorities be in the first six months?
• What do you feel the company is doing well? What would you improve?

You will be asked a multitude of questions…these are just a taster. Your history and abilities will be really delved into, so come prepared with glowing examples of your success.

Are you looking for that next career step?

We hope these panda pointers will help you as you begin your journey to a director level ecommerce job! Are you looking for some career progression advice? Get in touch with the pandas today – we would love to hear about your goals and offer a helping paw!