Social Media Manager Resume Guide with Examples

Social media jobs are more in-demand than ever, as nearly every brand needs an online platform to communicate with its customers. You, a social media manager, will be running the campaigns and attracting more and more customers.

Before that, you first need a social media manager resume to show that you understand social media marketing and have relevant skills, which include but not limited to:

• Develop marketing plans and campaigns
• Maintain the brand
• Analyse social media strategies
• Researching social media trends
• Interacting with customers

Learn how to showcase your skills on a social media manager resume and get that job you want.

🖋 Step 1: Learn the differences between a CV and a resume.

Before you start crafting your social media manager resume, check whether the job asks for a CV or a resume. While they are both used to represent one’s professional experience, there are some crucial differences:

🖋 Step 2: Choose the right resume format.

The right resume format for you depends on your career experience. Usually, a chronological resume is the most straightforward option because it lists your most recent experience at the top. 

If you feel like a chronological resume doesn’t show the best of you, you can also consider functional, hybrid, or targeted formats. (Learn more about resume formats here.)

🖋 Step 3: Look up social media manager resume samples for reference.

If you don’t know where to begin, don’t hesitate to look for resume templates for social media managers first. 

See how others are presenting their social media skills and steal some good ideas. (Don’t steal their experience or plagiarize any content though. Always be honest.)

🖋 Step 4: Tailor your social media manager resume for the position.

Does the position value design skills or analytical skills more? Does the company favor creativity over execution? 

Each social media job has slightly different requirements. Remember to study the job requirement and description and make tweaks to your resume accordingly.

🖋 Step 5: Craft a social media manager cover letter.

Not all social media jobs require cover letters, but it’s always a great idea to let recruiters know more about you if you have the opportunity.

Cover letters for a social media manager are useful to highlight your qualifications and passion for the job.

🖋 Step 6: Proofread your resume.

Having typos or grammar errors in social media posts looks bad for a brand; similarly having them in your resume looks bad for you. Make sure your social media manager resume is typo-free by proofreading it carefully.

Looking for resume templates for a social media manager job? Below is a comprehensive list of must-have sections on your social media manager resume.

1. Resume Profile (Personal Information)

Start your social media manager resume with basic information, including your full name, phone number, email address, and location. 

Make sure recruiters know how to reach you. If you have a website portfolio or a strong LinkedIn portfolio, include them in your resume profile too.

2. Resume Headline

A resume headline can be a simple job title or a title with a short phrase further describing your expertise. The key is to keep it short and concise.

3. Resume Summary

Resumes can be quite lengthy, which is why you should craft a social media manager resume summary. Summarize your top experience and skills into 2 to 3 sentences.

4. Resume Objective

A resume objective or a career objective for a social media manager is usually for recent graduates or career changers who have less work experience in the field.

It places more emphasis on the candidate’s motivation and career goals, instead of experience and achievements.

5. Skills

A list of relevant skills on your social media manager resume can quickly let recruiters know that you are a good match. 

6. Work Experience

Most people know how to use social media. So to get a social media manager job, you need to show that you know much more than that.

And the work experience section is where you can show your in-depth knowledge on social media and how much you’ve achieved with your social media skills.

Here are a few tips for describing work experience on your resume for a social media manager job:

• Specify the tools and social media platforms you used.
• Be specific with responsibilities.
• Use data to describe your achievements, such as follower growth and engagement growth.

7. Education

You don’t need a certain degree to apply for a social media job, but educational background is considered a must-have on your social media manager resume. 

If you are a recent graduate and you participated in academic or extracurricular activities that are relevant to the social media manager job add a few extra details in the education section on your resume.

8. Additional Information

Additional information, such as marketing certifications,  that shows you are the right fit for the social media manager job has a place on your resume too. 

A growing number of digital marketing certifications are available, including those for social media managers. 

While they are not a requirement for those jobs, having them on your social media manager resume shows that you have adequate knowledge of the field. 

Online digital marketing courses are also encouraged to add in your resume, especially if you don’t have a degree related to marketing and communication. 

Simply list the certification title, the name of the institution, and the date you obtained it.

Now that you have everything needed for a social media marketing manager resume, you should start optimizing it to make it shine.

✅ 1: Customize your resume for each job you apply for.

Do research on the desired company and position, and make tweaks to your social media manager resume accordingly. While you shouldn’t make up experience that you don’t have, you can put more emphasis on the most relevant one.

✅ 2: Use keywords from the job description.

A quick way to speak directly to the job is to use keywords from the job description and requirements. Try to use the exact words on your social media manager resume so that recruiters can quickly identify you as a matching candidate.

✅ 3: Quantify work results on your social media manager resume.

One of the cool things about social media is that they provide all the crucial data about your campaigns. Using exact numbers not only shows your performance more objectively but also means that you understand how to track performance with analytics.

✅ 4: Apply an ATS-friendly resume format.

Nowadays, many recruiters use ATS, a.k.a. applicant tracking systems, to help manage large numbers of resumes. Using AI algorithms, ATS sometimes have difficulty identifying tables, charts, and complicated columns.

If you’re not sure if an ATS will read your social media manager resume before a human does, try to avoid those formats.

✅ 5: Be creative.

It takes more than knowledge of social media tools to make a successful social media manager.

How do you make your posts stand out from all the information on people’s social media feeds?

Showcase a little bit of your creative personality on your social media manager resume. For example, include a preview of your Instagram account where you showcase your social media works. Or, add colors or design elements to catch the eye.

Social media manager cover letters usually allow more creativity and flexibility than resumes for a social media manager job. Make great use of them to showcase your copywriting and storytelling skills!

1. Contact information:
   Make sure recruiters can reach you by including your name, email address, and phone number on your social media manager cover letter.
   
2. Introduction:
   Your first paragraph can be a short introduction, including what position you’re applying for and what brought you to this position.
   
3. Motivation:
   Cover letters for a social media manager are the best place to share why you are applying for this job. Why are you interested in the industry, the company, and this social media manager job? Let recruiters see your passion.
   
4. Qualification:
   You can also talk briefly about your social media experience and why you think you are a great fit. While your social media manager resume already lists all related experience and achievements, here you can highlight the most relevant one and explain why that makes you qualified.
   
5. Closing:
   Finally, end your social media manager cover letter with a polite thank you.