Do you want to know how to find a job in social networks? The road to success in this industry is not as easy as it is in more traditional professions (so your cousin is a doctor! Who cares!) – and getting started in this field can be overwhelming.
For real advice, we spoke to social media experts at Hootsuite: Trish Wiswick, Social Media Specialist, and Briden Cohen, Team Leader, Social Marketing and Employee Advocacy.
They shared their best job hunting tips on social media, from the skills to practice to the courses you need to take to resume tips (and even a few red flags to look out for when you’re scrolling through job postings).
Here’s everything you need to know about starting a career in social media marketing.
What is social media work?
First things first: what does “social media work” really mean?
The job of a social media specialist or manager looks different depending on the size and type of company they work for.
Small businesses often have one person handle all of their social media accounts or even all of their marketing efforts, even those that take place outside of social platforms.
Larger companies may have a team of people dedicated to managing social channels with more specialized roles, such as a social media strategist, community manager, or social engagement specialist.
Here are the main types of social media roles:
- Social media management (including social media strategy and performance tracking)
- Content Creation
- Community management
- Advertising in social networks
In smaller companies, all of these roles can be combined into one position. This means that when applying to a small team, you will probably want to present yourself as a social media specialist with extensive skills in all of these areas. When applying for a role on a larger social team, you should highlight your special expertise in one key area.
Daily tasks also vary from company to company—and even from day to day. “In this job, you are not limited by anything,” says Trish. “Social media is changing every single day and you have to be able to adapt to it.”
Here are some general responsibilities that can be expected of you as a social media manager:
- Creative copywriting
- Graphic design
- Setting up and optimizing social advertising
- Performance tracking and data analysis
- Community Engagement
- Support
- public relations
- Comprehensive Social Campaign Planning
- Communication with company stakeholders
So, as you can see, social media work can involve a lot of hats.
Enterprise: Do you have enough bandwidth for this? Me: My internet speed is working fine, thanks
— Hootsuite 🦉 (@hootsuite) August 4, 2022
How to get a job on social networks: 6 tips from real experts
Creating your own social media accounts is an effective way to prove to a potential employer that you know what you’re doing, and the best part is that you can create your own personal content on any topic.
“Create your own social media account about something you’re passionate about and spend time on it,”Briden suggests.
If you’re starting from scratch, Hootsuite has tips for growing followers and increasing engagement on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media. Nothing beats practical knowledge, even if it’s not “work”experience.
If you’re in college (or even high school), you could also take the position of social media marketing manager with a group: “Join a high school club and spearhead their marketing efforts,”says Bryden.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to social media qualifications (more on that later), but social media certification is an advantage.
“There are so many resources—webinars you can take, Hootsuite Academy courses you can sign up for—that are recognized by people in the marketing industry,” says Trish.
“By learning with free resources, you show potential employers that you have taken the steps necessary to actively build your knowledge base.” – Trish Ryswick, Social Engagement Specialist at Hootsuite
The Hootsuite Academy has everything you need to learn. Courses include:
- Social Marketing Certification
- Social Selling Certification
- Advanced Certification in Social Advertising
… and more, plus customizable course options so you can choose the curriculum that best suits your needs.
Many social networks also have their own training and certification programs to help social media professionals learn how to best use each network’s specific tools and highlight this skill to potential employers on their resumes. You can learn from:
Find more industry-specific courses in our post on certifications that will make you a better social media marketer.
The best way to find a job on social networks? Through social media, of course. LinkedIn, the “smart”in the family of social platforms (Instagram is hot, Facebook is mom’s friend, you know) is one of the best places for a new gig.
“I found my job at Hootsuite on LinkedIn,” Trish shares. “The best part about it is that you can see other people who work for the company, chat with them and ask them questions.”
Braden suggests reaching out to marketers in industries you’d like to work in and setting up informal informational interviews.
LinkedIn also has some job search tricks built in. “Create LinkedIn to search and save notifications for targeted keywords for jobs that interest you,” Briden suggests.
However, LinkedIn is not the only option. You can join social media community groups on Facebook or follow social marketers on Instagram to learn about positions.
The marketing industry is constantly growing and changing – type “social media manager”into a search engine and you’ll get a lot of results (a quick search actually turned up 109 jobs in Vancouver, BC alone – and that’s just one of many online jobs). there are bulletin boards.
So how do you tell good work from bad work? Here are some red (and green) flags from our experts.
Red Flag: You can’t tell what the company is doing. It’s important that you manage social media at a company you really care about, and if you can’t even tell what the company does from the job description, that’s a bad sign. “I’ve seen so many job listings that don’t really tell you what the company is or what they do, which means you have to do all that extra research. Applying for a job shouldn’t be a scavenger hunt,” says Trish.
Green Flag: There is a healthy work-life balance. “Burnout is real in the social media space,” Briden says. Work-life balance is something you can discuss with a potential employer or even LinkedIn working for the same company. You can also get an idea of the culture of a company by looking at their social media posts.
Warning flag: job description is too long. “A very long job description can mean the employer doesn’t necessarily know what they’re looking for or have realistic expectations,” says Trish. “Having five or six specific items shows that the employer knows his goals.”
Green Flag: There is room for growth. Ask about it at the interview (you know, at the very end, when the boss asks “I have questions”and you suddenly forget your own name).
Warning Flag: There is no budget for social marketing. To set you up for success, your company must provide you with the resources you need, and one of those resources is money to push ads and pay for subscriptions to invaluable social marketing tools.
Green Flag: You have the support you need. Even if you’re taking on the job of a solo social media manager, you don’t want to feel completely on your own. “If you’re going to be working in a one-man team, make sure you have the tools and mentoring you need to be successful,” Braden says.
5. Don’t be afraid to take a step back
Working in social media is different from working in any other industry – and that means you may not be “climbing the ladder”in the traditional way. “We find ourselves in this open space where we always want to chase big money or the best title,” explains Trish, “but sometimes it makes sense to take a step back and try a role that you did not expect.”
Especially if you’re transitioning to social media management from another type of job, you’re more likely to end up in an entry-level job, but you don’t have to stay at it forever. “Sometimes a step back can open a door that didn’t exist before, and I definitely encourage people not to be afraid of that,”says Trish. “Most of the time it’s not a step backwards, but rather a rebuild.”
words of wisdom 🙏 https://t.co/Y5KwjXvSOP
— Hootsuite 🦉 (@hootsuite) July 20, 2022
6. Make your resume stand out
Your resume is the very first impression you make on a potential employer and there is a lot of competition out there – here are some tips on how to stand out from the crowd.
Show off your creativity and personality
“Your resume shouldn’t just be on a blank page with captions—let’s get creative!” Trish says. Social media management is a job that requires originality, so you should list this skill on your resume. Show, don’t tell.
Briden recommends showing off your personality through the designs, colors, or texts you use on your resume. “Make your resume social first with its layout,” he says.
Change your resume for every job you apply for
Hey, no one said it would be easy. When applying for a job in social media (or any other industry), you should bring your resume in line with the job description. “Always list the skills that are required on the list,” Trish advises.
Read the job posting carefully and make sure your resume matches all the required items. You may even want to mirror the language from the ad to make it easier to match your experience to requirements – especially if the first sorting is done by software.
Show your industry experience
You don’t necessarily need paid experience to make the most of your resume. According to Braden, it’s worth highlighting any specific practical knowledge, “even if it’s running social media for your personal account, or school projects you’ve done according to social media.”
Rate your results
Many organizations are focused on proving the ROI on social media investments, so showcase experience demonstrating that your social marketing strategies are getting results. Including numbers from real wins goes a long way.
For example, you can highlight the growth of social channels over the time you have run them, the success of the campaigns you have run, and so on.
What qualifications do you need to work in social networks?
This is hard to answer because it really depends on the person and the company.
“We’ve seen stories of people on TikTok who became very successful social media managers with just a high school education,”Trish notes.
With an innate marketing flair and some luck, you can be successful without formal qualifications. But that’s not to be expected – here’s the social media qualification most hiring managers are looking for:
- College or university degree. A college degree in art is an asset, especially in terms of writing. “You need creative copywriting skills,” says Trish. “The ability to create custom content is a lot more difficult than many people think.”
- Social media certification. The good news is that a social media certification is much cheaper (and takes much less time) than a college degree. Hootsuite offers social media courses through the Hootsuite Academy and free online social marketing trainings on Youtube. Completing such courses gives you a specific achievement that you can list on your resume and refer to during your interview.
When it comes to social media work, skills are just as important as qualifications. Here are the most important social media skills you need, according to experts.