"If you were on the road, at dinner, in a study, felt sick, you could show up however was comfortable for you…Whatever your style of learning, you had a chance to participate.” - Daniel Fadelle, SCS Learner
It seems Daniel Fadelle was meant to work in the world of online business and ecommerce.
The Merchant Success Manager at Shopify Plus says he loves being at the forefront of the latest technology and trends; connecting with the entrepreneurs and business owners behind the brands whose accounts he manages; and solving complex business problems where he can meet merchants at the intersection of business and technology.
So when he came across the School of Continuing Studies (SCS) Ecommerce and Online Business Management certificate, he knew the courses would be right up his alley.
“The course material was relevant to the work that I was already doing and the fact this it was remote was great. I started in September of 2020 during pandemic lockdowns,” he says.
“It seemed like a good time to upskill.”
Right from the first course in the certificate, Ecommerce/Online Business Fundamentals, Fadelle found the material was indeed relevant to his work.
“Every day I get to apply what I learned,” he explains.
“It started with an understanding of the fundamentals, and moved on to identifying pain points using Analytics, data, understanding what businesses may be focused on outside of the Shopify platform, and using KPIs to tell a story to form strategies that can be impactful in a positive way. Case studies from the program really prepared me for this.”
Fadelle says his that in addition to sharing their own expertise, all his SCS instructors were excellent at creating a learning environment where he and his classmates also had opportunities to learn from each other.
“All the instructors made room during lectures for us to participate,” he says. “It was a space where there were professionals from different industries, so hearing the varied perspectives was valuable, especially around open discussion on case studies.”
The biggest challenge Fadelle faced in completing the courses was simply carving out the time to get readings done in between the classes, but he said the online format of the courses really worked for him. “If you were on the road, at dinner, in a study, felt sick, you could show up however was comfortable for you. Speak up, or not, whichever,” he explains. “So whatever your style of learning, you had a chance to participate.”
Fadelle says he thinks the courses in the Ecommerce and Online Business Management certificate would be helpful for anyone who has some basic knowledge of ecommerce and digital marketing, or for anyone who has worked in the field in some capacity but wants a more well-rounded education, to build their confidence, and to formalize what they’re learning on the job.
He advises anyone taking these, or any other SCS courses to approach their learning with a clear objective in mind. “I don't think achieving any certificate or degree automatically gets you a job,” he says.
“But it certainly equips you to better understand the requirements of what employers are looking for, or what you may need to consider when starting or operating your own business.”