Do I need a degree to be a social media manager?

Not always. Employers usually care more about the accounts you have run, the content you make and your results.

What if I have only run my own accounts?

You can still use that work if the results are real. Explain what you posted, for how long and what happened to your followers or engagement. A club page or a friend's business counts too.

Should I list follower numbers?

Yes, with the growth over time. Also mention engagement, such as comments or saves, as these can matter more than follower count.

What should I link to?

Link to the accounts you managed, or to a short portfolio with example posts and videos.

Social media manager CV example

A strong social media manager CV shows the accounts you have looked after, the content you have made and the results it brought, in plain numbers. It should also show that you can plan ahead, keep to a brand's voice and reply to customers well.

Noah Bennett

Social media manager

noah@example.com07700 900197Leicester

Profile

Social media manager with three years of experience running Instagram, Facebook and TikTok accounts for a small chain of cafes and a local events company. Plans a month of posts at a time, shoots and edits short videos on a phone, and replies to comments and messages in the brand's friendly voice. Reports on results each month using each platform's own analytics.

Experience

Social Media Manager

a small chain of cafes

Planned and scheduled around 20 posts a month across Instagram, Facebook and TikTok

Shot and edited short videos of new menu items and events using a phone and a free editing app

Replied to comments and messages within a day and passed complaints to the cafe manager

Grew the Instagram following from about 2,400 to about 4,000 over 12 months by posting regularly and running two giveaways

Wrote a short monthly report on reach, saves and link clicks for the owner

Social Media Assistant

a local events company

Posted event updates and ticket links on Facebook and Instagram, and ran paid posts within a small monthly budget set by the manager

Collected photos and videos from events, with permission from the people in them

Answered questions from followers and kept a list of common questions for the team

Drafted a weekly email newsletter for ticket buyers using Mailchimp

Key skills

Content planningInstagram, Facebook and TikTokShort video editingCopywritingScheduling toolsCommunity managementCanvaSocial media analyticsWorking to a brand voice

Example · fictional candidate · Stripe design · Use this design

Tips for a social media manager CV

Name the platforms you have managed, and say whether they were business accounts or your own
Give results in numbers where you can, such as follower growth, reach or clicks, and say over what period
Show the content you make, whether video, graphics, captions or all three, and link to examples
Mention the tools you use, such as a scheduler, Canva, an editing app and each platform's analytics
Show that you can keep to a brand voice and handle comments or complaints calmly
Keep it honest. Do not claim sales or growth you cannot back up

Applying with a cover letter? See our social media manager cover letter example.