6 Expert Tips to Help You Get a Job in Social Media. 2022

Are you wondering how to get a job as a social media manager? The path to success is not as straight-forward as other traditional careers (so your cousin is a doctor). It doesn’t matter what you do! It can be difficult to get started in this field.

We spoke to the social media experts at Hootsuite Trish Riswick (Social Engagement Specialist) and Brayden Cohen (Team Lead in Social Marketing & Employee Advocacy.

They shared their top tips for landing a job on social media, including skills to learn and courses to take.

Here are the essentials for starting a career as a social media marketer.

What is a job in social media?

First, let’s clarify what “working in social media” actually means.

The job description of a manager or social media specialist will vary depending on the company they work for.

Small businesses often have one person who manages all their social media accounts or all of their marketing efforts, even those that are not on social media.

Larger companies might have a team of people who manage social channels. These roles may include social media strategist, community manager or social engagement specialist.

These are the main roles in social media.

• Social media management (includes performance tracking and strategy)
• Content creation
• Management of the community
• Advertising via social media

These roles may be combined into one position in smaller companies. This means that you will need to present yourself as a generalist in social media, with broad skills in all areas. You should highlight your expertise in one area when applying for a position on a larger social media team.

Daily tasks can vary from one company to another, and even from day-to-day. Trish says, “In this job you’re not limited to anything.” “Social media is constantly changing, and you have to be able adapt to that.”

These common responsibilities you might have as a social media manager are:

• Copywriting that is creative
• Graphic design
• Social ad optimization and setup
• Performance tracking and data analysis
• Community engagement
• Customer support
• Public relations
• Social campaigns planning from beginning to end
• Communicating with company stakeholders

As you can see, social media jobs can include many hats.

Corporate: Do your internet speeds allow for this?

— Hootsuite (@hootsuite) August 4, 2022

6 tips from real-world professionals on how to get a job as a social media manager

1. Your social media presence can be developed

A social media account is a great way to show potential employers that you are knowledgeable.

Brayden suggests Brayden: “Create a social account about something that you are passionate about and invest your time in it.”

Hootsuite offers advice on how to grow your followers and increase engagement on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Practical knowledge is the best, even if it’s not work experience.

Brayden says that you can become a social media marketing manager for a school group if you are in college or high school.

2. Complete a social media certification

There are no hard and fast rules regarding qualifications for social media work (more on this later), but getting a certification in social media is an asset.

Trish says, “There are so many resources available–webinars that you can complete, Hootsuite Academy classes you can sign up for-that are recognized and respected by people in marketing.”

“By learning yourself using free resources, it shows potential employers that your have taken the steps necessary to build your knowledge base.” – Trish Riswick, Social Engagement Specialist at Hootsuite

Hootsuite Academy offers everything you need to get educated. The courses include:

• Certification in social marketing
• Certification in social selling
• Advanced certification in social advertising

… and many more–plus customized course options to make your curriculum unique.

Many social networks have their own certification and training programs that help social media professionals use the tools best. You can highlight your proficiency to potential employers by highlighting it on your resume. Learn from:

• Meta Blueprint
• Google AdWords Certification
• Twitter Flight School
• Pinterest’s webinars

You can find more industry courses in our post about certifications that will help you become a better social media marketer.

3. Social media is a great tool for job search

Social media is the best way to find a job. LinkedIn is the “smart one”, the social platform family. (Instagram’s hot one, Facebook’s mom friend, you get the idea) This is the best place to find a new job.

Trish shares, “I found my job at Hootsuite through LinkedIn.” “The best thing about it is that you can connect with other people at the company and ask them questions.

Brayden recommends connecting with marketers in the industries you want to work in and arranging informal informational interview.

LinkedIn also has some built-in job search tools. Brayden suggests that you create a search and save a notification function on LinkedIn to target keywords for jobs you are interested in.

LinkedIn is not the only option. For leads on positions, you can join Facebook social media community groups or follow Instagram social marketers.

4. What to look for when looking at a job posting on social media?

Marketing is constantly evolving. Type “social media manager” into a job engine to get lots of hits. A quick Indeed search only returned 109 jobs in Vancouver, BC — but that’s just one of many online job boards.

How can you tell the difference between a good job opportunity and a bad one? These are some red flags (and green flags) from our experts.

Red flag : It’s difficult to tell what the company does by looking at the job description. I have seen many job listings that don’t give you any information about the company or their work. This means that you will need to do extra research. Trish says that applying for a job shouldn’t be a scavenger hunt.

Green Flag : There is a healthy work-life balance. Brayden says, “Burnout in the social media space is real.” You can talk about work-life balance with potential employers or LinkedIn connections who are working at the same company. You can also see their social media posts to get a sense of the company’s culture.

Red flag : The job description is too lengthy. Trish says that this can indicate that the employer doesn’t know what they want or has realistic expectations. “Having five to six points demonstrates that the employer understands their goals.”

Green flag: There are growth opportunities. Ask about this during a job interview (you know the one at the end when the boss asks “Any Questions” and you suddenly forget who you are).

Red flag : Your company should provide the resources you need to succeed. One of those resources is money to boost advertisements and to pay for subscriptions for social marketing tools that are invaluable.

You have the support and tools you need . Even though you are a social media manager by yourself, you don’t want it to feel like you’re all alone. Brayden says, “If you’re going be a one-person group, make sure you have the tools you need and the mentorship you need.”

5. Do not be afraid to take a step back

Social media is different than any other industry. This means that you may not be “climbing up the ladder” in a traditional manner. Trish says that we often get into a headspace where we want more money or a better title. But sometimes it’s worth taking a step back and trying out a role that you didn’t expect.

You may find yourself in an entry-level position, especially if you are switching to social media management from a different type of work. However, you don’t have the obligation to stay there forever. Trish says, “Sometimes taking the first step back can open up a door that wasn’t there before.” “A lot of times, it’s not really about a step back, but more of an alignment.”

words of wisdom https://t.co/Y5KwjXvSOP

— July 20, 2022, Hootsuite (@hootsuite).

6. Make your resume stand out

Your resume is your first impression on potential employers. There’s a lot to choose from. Here are some tips to make your resume stand out.

Showcase your creativity & personality

Trish says, “Your resume should not be just a blank page with no writing on it. Let’s see some creativity!” Social media management requires originality. Your resume should reflect that ability. Show, don’t tell.

Brayden recommends that you showcase your personality through the design, colors and copy of your resume. He advises that your resume should be social-first in its layout.

For every job you apply for, modify your resume

This is not an easy task, but it was never supposed to be. Your resume should be tailored to the job description when applying for work in social media or any other industry. Trish advises that you always include the skills required by the job listing.

Make sure you carefully read the job posting and that your resume addresses all points. To make it easier to match your experience with the requirements, you may want to mirror the language in the job posting. This is especially important if the first type of application is by software.

Demonstrate your industry experience

To put your best foot forward on your resume, you don’t necessarily have to have paid experience. Brayden says that any concrete, practical knowledge is worth highlighting. “Even if it’s running social on your personal account or school projects that were aligned with the social media platform.”

Quantify your results

Many companies are focused on showing the ROI of social media. Showcase your results with social marketing strategies. It is a great idea to include numbers from real-world wins.

You could, for example, highlight the growth in social channels while you were managing them, or the success of campaigns that you ran.

What qualifications are required to work in social media?

This is a difficult question to answer because it really depends on the individual and the company.

Trish notes that she has seen success stories from TikTok users who are social media managers and have only had a high school education.

You don’t need any formal qualifications if you have a natural marketing instinct or some luck. However, this is not to be expected. Here are the social media skills that most hiring managers seek

• A college degree or university degree. An arts-related post-secondary education is an asset. “You need creative copywriting skills,” says Trish. “It’s much more difficult than many people think to create content that isn’t generic.”
• A certification for social media. The good news is that social media certification costs a lot less than a college degree and takes a lot more time. Hootsuite Academy offers courses in social media and free online training on Youtube. These courses will give you a tangible achievement to add to your resume and use during job interviews.

Skills are just as important when it comes to social media work as qualifications. According to experts, these most essential social media skills are required.

• Be flexible. “This space is changing at lightning speed!” Brayden says, “I’m not kidding you, it’s always changing at lightning speed!” “You have to be open to change and willing to jump on a new trend or change in the algorithm. Or update your content strategy like it’s nothing big deal.” Trish concurs: “Social media changes every day. You need to be able adapt to that.”
• Be creative. Trish says that creative copywriting is the bulk and core of what she does. Brayden says that there is a lot of noise in social media. “You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. But you do need to have creative ideas to serve a purpose for brand and get your audience involved.”
• Be versatile. “Social media managers don’t just do social media. Brayden says that they need to be able to think like a digital marketer because of the scope of their role. Trish says, “It’s more than creating videos or graphics.”

Hootsuite makes it easy to manage social media like a pro using Hootsuite. Hootsuite makes it easy to schedule posts, collect real time data, and engage your community on multiple social media platforms. Get it today for free.

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