We see it every day in our HR inbox – the interest for jobs in social media marketing is very real. And hey, I totally get you, I wouldn’t change my job for anything in the world. And I probably don’t need to convince you why this is a job you should be trying since you are reading this! But what you might need is some advice on how to actually book your first gig. Far from thinking I have all the answers or some fail-proof formula to land your dream job in social media marketing, I do have some pretty good experience, having worked at IMAGEMOTION for over 2 years, and a front-row seat at the hiring game.
The following tips and tricks can be applied wherever you are on your great career path. Overachiever doing some research before you’ve even started your degree at uni? 20-something having an identity crisis and in need of a career change? Just graduated and figuring out your next move? At the end of the day, we are all in the same boat, trying to achieve the same goal.
Get out there
You probably heard my first tip before, and it surely won’t be the last time you do: meet people and put yourself out there! Much like dating, and by that I do not mean to mistake Linkedin for Bumble, the more people you meet and connect with that work in your field, the best. And ideally, face to face and not only screen to screen. See them as potential colleagues and employers that could cross paths with you again and give you a chance. If they see your name pop up in the CV pile, they might be more open to give you a chance and reach out when there’s an opening they feel you could be a good fit for. If you don’t already have friends or family that are well connected, you’ll have to get the job done yourself. And trust me, it’s perfectly doable, you just have to keep an eye open and not only seek but also create opportunities.
Intern, intern, intern
Probably the best investment you’ll do to kick start your career! I am all for higher education and I encourage you, if possible, to get a degree under your belt, but unfortunately, schools are a bit behind when it comes to social media and digital marketing. You will do the most learning by getting your hands dirty. Try to put yourself through 2 or 3 internships, ideally ones that don’t offer exactly the same things. Not only will this allow you to get varied experience which will score big points in your future job interviews but it will also help you figure what you actually like. There’s so much to the social media marketing world! Time to explore!
Get creative
Be proactive with your free time. As the title of the post says, you are probably someone looking for their FIRST job in social media marketing. So in terms of real experience, you might not have so much to brag about. The solution I personally found to this obstacle was to go out and find ways to get experience outside of traditional workspaces but still in areas that would seem relevant for the type of jobs I wanted to apply for. Become a collaborator for a blog (or even create your own!), find a photographer friend and create content for a brand you admire, work on a passion project you have and take online courses that will teach you the basics about putting together the perfect newsletters or how to create and manage Facebook ads. It will give you something to talk about and it will show the employer that you are someone that takes initiatives instead of waiting for things to fall on them. Which is a rare and precious quality.
Your way in
The last thing I am going to tell you is kind of a mashup of everything stated above: try to apply to jobs in a non-traditional way. What do I mean by that? Most people I know didn’t get to their current position by applying through job posting platforms or sending their resume to an HR email address. They found another way in, to get noticed. That’s what I have found true for myself too. So don’t get discouraged if you are not getting any answers after submitting your application, instead figure out another way to get your foot in the door.
Hope this will help some of you and feel free to hit us up in the DMs on Instagram via @image_motion with your questions! We’ll be happy to chat with you. And I invite you to come back to this space to read up on articles written by our other #IMsquad members!
-Marie, Senior Social Media manager at IMAGEMOTION