Flipkart, Amazon and Cloudtail discuss career prospects in e-commerce

Anyone and everyone has in the past few months either used, read, heard or discussed e-commerce. Lockdown did bring this sector, like any other industry to a screeching halt, but it also ensured that the industry went from 0 to 500 KMPH in moments if not seconds! This was one industry that was quick to adapt, quicker to resume operations and the most helpful during the initial COVID-19 days. The third session of Dare2Compete IGNITE - The Spark to your Dreams saw a candid conversation with leaders and innovators from Flipkart, Amazon and Cloudtail to demystify the career prospects in e-commerce.

The session on Startups and New Age recruiters featured Abhimanyu Shekhawat who is the Business Head, Flipkart Commerce Cloud at Flipkart. He is an MBA from Ivey Business School US, he has over 14 years of experience and has worked with big names such as JP Morgan Chase, EY, Prudential PLC, HSBC. Joining him was Siddharth Bhagat who is the Category Leader at Amazon. A NITIE Mumbai alumnus, he has 12+ years of experience under his belt. He was also joined by Sriram Kilambi who is the Category Lead at Cloudtail (a joint venture between Amazon and Catamaran Ventures). He has 21+ years of experience with leading brands like Unilever, Coca-Cola India, Radio Mirchi, Bloomberg TV India, Brand Capital. The session was led by Ankit Aggarwal who is the Founder & CEO of Dare2Compete.

The session was designed to explore in-depth career prospects in the e-commerce sector and was planned to cover the following:

• A deeper understanding of the e-commerce sector
• The impact of COVID-19 on e-commerce and all stakeholders of the industry
• Next-gen profiles like Program Manager, Product Manager, Project Manager; what they entail and the growth prospects
• Career prospects in e-commerce that are made available to students during campus recruitment drives
• Nuances of changing roles in the e-commerce sector
• Must-have skill sets to explore career prospects in e-commerce
• What industry is the best fit for you?
• How can you get to know companies better?
• Do online courses add value to the resume?
  
  

E-commerce 101

Everybody knows e-commerce, however, the true understanding of the sector still remains a mystery for most. E-commerce has had an exciting decade and a half which also happens to be its age. It all began in the early 2000s when e-commerce truly took ground in India. It started with Flipkart breathing its first in 2007. Siddharth Bhagat, Amazon, narrated his experience of getting placed at Amazon in 2013 straight out of NITIE, he recalls his bemusement. He went on to say that he aspired for a bank/FMCG placement and instead got placed with Amazon and did not fully understand what he was getting into. Such was the state of the sector during its initial years. Since then the industry has seen a sharp growth curve.

The penetration of smartphones and the internet alone acted as a catalyst to the industry and its growth. It is estimated that by 2021 we can expect 900 million users, again strengthening the deep roots of the industry that already has branched into almost every aspect of our daily lives.

The crispest definition of e-commerce is the ability to execute normal retail and service transactions via a digital medium. To elaborate on this, e-commerce is a marketplace that provides retailers with a platform to sell its goods and wares along with logistics, marketing and other bells and whistles. E-commerce has revolutionised the way customers interact with businesses.

Sriram Kilambi from Cloudtail gave an explicit analogy to explain organisations like Cloudtail in the e-commerce landscape. Think of Amazon as a mall that has multiple retailers. And Cloudtail as one of the retailers in that mall. Amazon.in is the virtual mall and Cloudtail is the store. Cloudtail works with vendors and lists their products on Amazon and facilitates the transaction. They act as a funnel to the best products in the market which is then fed to the end consumer.

E-commerce chronicles featuring COVID-19 and lockdown

Owing to COVID-19 the e-commerce sector saw the good, the bad, the ugly. The first few weeks of absolute lockdown were enough to send the industry into a tizzy. Migrant workers heading home lead to an acute shortage of the workforce in warehouses. Supply chains were disrupted due to lack of labour which in turn threw a wrench in the production wheel.

It hasn't been all bad news though. When the lockdown was eased and e-commerce was allowed to operate in the essential goods segment, a flurry of activity was witnessed. For those stranded in containment zones and areas with strict restrictions, e-commerce acted as a saviour. This was an excellent opportunity but also a moment of a grave realisation, companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Bigbasket, Grofers and many others can touch peoples' lives and make an actual, palpable difference!

Sharing a few figures, Siddharth shared that as soon as the lockdown was lifted 50% sellers resumed operations. 4,16,000 sellers were activated as of 25th May. This goes to show how the hold of the sector has been cemented especially as it meets the safety aspect of remote buying and social distancing.

The lockdown has shifted the consumer focus to segments like comfort wear, electricals like vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, etc., as opposed to some of the pre-COVID-19 high performing segments.

A huge responsibility lies on the shoulders of the e-commerce sector, of bringing back the economy to scale. How each of the e-commerce players perform and sail through these turbulent waters will be dictated primarily by their adaptability and how they cater to the ecosystem. The ecosystems that largely make up the sector are sellers, consumers, employees and the government. To be able to address each of these ecosystems, players in the sector turned to hyperlocal supply chain alternatives. This lead to a lot of local retailers being onboarded to meet the demands for essential goods.

Next-gen profiles that are niche to the e-commerce sector

Next-gen profiles make up for a major chunk of the exciting and challenging career prospects in the e-commerce sector.

Career prospects in the e-commerce sector :

• Product Manager - Somebody who starts building the project from scratch. For example, speaking of the feature, free next day delivery, a Product Manager would map out how this would look like to the end-user. He does so by gaining insights from the user and translating them it into action points for the tech team.
• Program Manager - The Program Manager then takes up the project from the Product Manager and is responsible for scaling that product into a business. They are responsible for the day to day operations and marketing. The key difference between a Program Manager and a Product Manager is the degree of tech involvement of the 2 roles.
• Technical Program Manager - This profile tends to be tech-heavy. A TPM reports to a Software Development Manager who works on the architecture of a solution from a technology standpoint.
• Vendor Manager - The primary role of the Vendor Manager is to run P & L (Profit and Loss) for the vendor. Checking up on the stock, keeping track of sales, return, profits are the main KRAs to ensure that the particular business runs smoothly. In the hierarchy, a Vendor Manager reports to a senior who then reports to the Category Leader of that particular business. The set of metrics include sales, profit, range of collection, how much of the selection is available with a promise.
• In-Stock Manager - This profile is favoured by engineers, where they need to ensure that the product is available in stock in all the pre-decided locations so that if an order comes in, it can be fulfilled the next day. An In-Stock Manager is working with vendors but is also working alongside the supply chain team to make sure that things are getting smoother and smoother. The metrics for an In-Stock Manager is, lead time and turn around time from a vendor among others.

The ownership of the launch of a product shifts from business (Program Manager) to Tech (Product Manager and Techincal Program Manager) depending on the phase. All 3 are a part of the ideation phase where the roadmap is chalked out for the development of the product.

Career prospects in e-commerce through campus placements

Flipkart while visiting campus is primarily looking at filling 3 buckets: 

• Business Hiring - For the regular business hiring there is an MT Rotation Program where students, on getting selected enter the standard training program. They are taken through various functions of the business like Supply Chain, Marketing, Merchandising, Video, Loyalty.

A Management Trainee rotates around 3 key pillars for the first year and is introduced to all issues across key function areas:

• E-cart or supply chain function area which has its own logistical complexities.
• Business side or Category management side where they go through different stints which could be category marketing, sell-side, buy-side.
• Marketing, Merchandising and Loyalty. These go horizontal to all sides.

Through the first year, they are given enough occasions to experience and gain insights into what these functions are all about. After the first crucial year, their preference is locked in and an assessment is administered to gauge where their fitment lies.

• Lateral Hiring - Efforts are also made to identify students that have some relevant experience, who might be an immediate fit to a role in the company.
• Product Hiring - This forms a separate process given the difference in the specified skillset needed.

The growth within an e-commerce company is a fast process where the first year involves a lot of guidance and hand-holding. After the first year, one has to learn to run even before they learn to walk. This is the case because it is a fast-paced industry and one needs to match pace.

Campus hiring for Amazon

Amazon has 3 leadership programs and 5-7 specific profiles that are offered during the campus hiring cycle. Amazon started globally in 1999 and came to India only 7 years back. There is a vast history and resulting learnings. A majority of the roles at Amazon involve interaction with Amazon's global counterparts. Amazon as a company believes in people moving around in businesses and within different countries that they operate in.

Leadership Programs at Amazon

Lateral placements - Pathways Program is the most coveted leadership profile and is within the Operations world. Students with 5-6 years of experience are preferred. These roles are to develop future leaders within the operations world. Pathways Managers go through stints across the operations world and then they are set up to become leaders within a certain time frame.

Bold Program - Students with lesser experience (2 years) could opt for a Bold Program which is also in the Operations world. Bold Managers go through different profiles within the Operations world such as CS operations, Fulfilment operations and Catalogue operations to name a few. And then they are set up to be leaders.

Market Place Leadership Development Program (MLDP) - Each student in this program goes through 2-3 stints, a Program Manager, a Product Manager, Sales or Marketing. They would keep rotating between roles every year basis their preference. Then they finally graduate out of the program and choose the team that they want to stay in.

Amazon also hires for certain specific roles some of which that don't generally require any prior experience.

• Finance
• Operations - fulfilment centres, Transportation,
• Category Managers - Own small categories and manage all its aspects like customer experience, working with sellers, defining policies, the overall customer acquisition strategies
• Roles in the Marketing function
• Roles in the Merchandising function

Hiring at Cloudtail:

• Summer Internship Program/PPO Program - Almost 50% of hiring primarily happens through these. This is to ensure that students who understand the working of Coudtail, automation and other nuances get hired. This also enables for faster ramping up.
• Management Trainee Program - Students are given the option to switch between the 2 roles (Vendor Management and In-Stock Management)
• HR, Finance and other parallel functions - The numbers for this category are much smaller compared to the other 2.

Everybody agreed and reiterated the fact that coding skills are not a mandate and required to leverage career prospects in e-commerce. All companies are looking for exceptional talent who are willing to be a part of an exciting journey that the e-commerce sector is on in India. The e-commerce sector is growing at a blinding speed which translates into bright career and growth opportunities on an individual level as well.

The right mix of this and that!

While exploring career prospects in e-commerce, it is essential to make calls with respect to the sampling of different roles, keeping in mind the key objective of learning about the business. E-commerce is touted to be the future of retail, and if current times are any indication the prediction most likely will come true. Your aim should be to learn the language of the e-commerce sector and be a part of its growth journey. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon.

Desirable skillsets for career prospects in e-commerce

• Cloudtail as a company prefers students with some work experience and being a cultural fit is key.
• Interviews primarily circle around discussing experiences that showcase a certain kind of behaviour. The ethos and values have to be in tune with that of Cloudtail. This is one major reason why Cloudtail prefers to hire through their SIP/PPO Program.
• Analytical skills - the ability to understand data to take business calls, ownership and an actionable mindset are some of the desired traits of an ideal candidate for Cloudtail.
• Amazon follows a leadership principle-based hiring. 100% in 10th or 12th, an IIT degree and current affairs on your fingertips are not some of the things that will catch the recruiters' attention.
• CV shortlisting - Amazon is looking for excellence to reflect in your CV. This need not be restricted to academics and can be in any walk of life.
• Interview phase at Amazon - The interviewer is gauging if you are a good cultural fit. As mentioned earlier, movement across departments and verticals is promoted, and this will be possible only if you are a great fit for the ways of Amazon.
• Know your CV well - Make sure that you have the full knowledge of what you have mentioned in your CV.
• Leadership skills - Both at Amazon and Cloudtail, the recruiter is looking for examples of leadership in your CV and during your interview.
• Flipkart also has defined leadership parameters such as velocity for action, customer comes first, to name a few.
• Problem-solving skills demonstrated through historical projects, business experience in terms of engagements with regards to college projects or solving a problem statement.
• Critical and analytical skills that help in navigating uncharted territories.
• Category side and other marketing roles require a certain set of skills. Specific roles such as Marketing and Brand Management where skillsets of FMCG are desired.
  
  

Fits like a glove!

Some B-Schoolers use these 2 years to explore which industry they are a fit for. While deciding which sector or role is best suited for you, follow the basic decision framework wherein choices are made on the basis of lifestyle, passion or acumen. Another nuance should be added to this framework basis the current scenario, which is empathy. Look at how the company is treating their current employees during these tough times. Because job safety and security is just as important as health and well being.

To further help you in figuring out where exactly you fit, here are a few pointers:

• A B-Schooler should spend the first year in finding answers to questions such as Do I want to create? Do I want to run a business? Do I want to be a part of something bigger? Do I want to be a part of a steady way of working with a set framework? Answering these questions will help you deep dive into what you are willing to take home.
• If you are looking at creating something, startups and new age recruiters give you a great opportunity to poise yourself in the middle of tech and business.
• There are very few companies that are capable of innovating at the pace that is a common stance in an e-commerce company. E-Commerce is one such industry that will give you the opportunity to work on varied projects from launching a vertical to running a pre-existing vertical.
• Strike a conversation with alumni working in the industry and the company you are vying. It will again help you understand the ground reality.

An introduction that sets the tone right

The last few years have seen a rapid increase in the number of corporate competitions for B-Schoolers. Here is what you stand to learn from them about the organising company:

• A great way to understand the company culture.
• The case study itself helps to dive deeper into the workings of the functional domain of the company.
• Working on the case study will help you explore your affinity towards the industry and the company.
• Your solution to the case study or participation in the competition helps the recruiter observe you in a live environment. This acts as another chance for them to get to know you.
  
  

Online courses and the value they add to a CV

With all colleges closed due to the current lockdown and COVID-19 situation, online courses have seen an unprecedented adoption rate. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind while deciding on an online course:

• Opt for an online course that adds value to your knowledge base as opposed to just something to fill your CV with.
• A course on a particular topic, for instance, AI/ML indicates your passion and your inclination towards the topic. The certification does not make much of a difference as opposed to the knowledge that you gain from it.
• Having done an online course and not being conversant in that language will act as a deterrent as opposed to helping your cause. Having an in-depth understanding of the topic matters more than the actual certification.

Advice from the leaders of innovation

Siddharth's advice to students is that it is important to be a general athlete. It is important to learn more than 1 skill irrespective of the medium you choose, case studies or courses. Don't try to be the best at only 1 thing. When companies come on campus you will have more choices and you will be better equipped to handle the scenario which emerges in the new normal. It is also important to note that a leader is good at more than one skill!

Sriram Kilambi from Coudtail suggests that you use your first year wisely. Network and mingle with the second year. They will be your link in understanding companies better. You should also use this time to explore the self and gain deeper insights. The opportunities are going to be endless and it is important that you are able to fit yourself into them. Sriram makes a valid point by highlighting that a career is just not about money. We commit a substantial amount of our time to it. Getting into the wrong role or industry may slow things by a year or two. Although not a deal-breaker in the larger scheme of themes but it definitely will put a dampener on things. Another important advice that he shares is, READ!

His last and most important advice was to make sure that you have a memorable fun time as these days will never come back!

Abhimanyu from Flipkart relays his experience and shares that the biggest gain from his B-School days is his network which he cherishes till date. He says that, straight out of B-School the first job that you land might not be your dream job. Having a rich network will ensure that you have the necessary mentors and guides you need to hit the larger goals.

IGNITE - The Spark to your Dreams, was realised through a series of 6 information-packed sessions which saw recruiters and leaders from Reliance, ABG, TAS, Flipkart, Mondelez International, BCG, McKinsey, Bain & Co. and more. In case you missed any session, here are links to catch up on them: