The structure of your social media CV will vary depending on your chosen CV format. There are three options:
- Chronological focuses on work experience.
- Functional focuses on skills.
- Combination focuses on work experience and skills.
No matter what structure you use, your CV will contain these sections:
Header
The CV header contains your contact details. In this section, include your full name, phone number, professional email address, and LinkedIn profile link. You may also add a link to an online portfolio, if available. Present this information clearly so the recruiter can contact you easily.
Professional summary or objective
Provide a brief overview of your profile as a candidate. There are two ways to do this:
- Professional summary: How to write a summary for a CV? Summarizes key skills and experience
- Career objective: Similar to a professional summary, but also states career goals
The professional summary is best if you already have several years of experience working with social media content. You can use the career objective if you’re at the starting point in your career and prefer to emphasise your skills.
Skills
Use the skills section to profile your skill set as a social media specialist. Tailor your CV to the role by including some of the desirable skills listed in the job description.
While soft skills are important, it’s best to focus on role-specific hard skills given the technical nature of social media management. Some hard skills you might mention are:
- Social media marketing
- Social media strategy
- Influencer outreach
- Copywriting
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
You can also list software you are competent with, including:
- Social media platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok
- Analytical tools like Google Analytics and Hootsuite
- Content management systems like WordPress
- Graphic design tools like Photoshop
Work history
In the work experience section, run through your previous jobs (up to the last 10 years) in reverse chronological order, starting with your current or most recent job. For each position, list tasks or accomplishments that are especially relevant to the social media manager job you’re applying to, in bullet points.
Use specific examples and quantifiable metrics to add context to your achievements. With your most successful marketing campaign, for example, you could mention how many impressions it made or by how much it increased traffic to the company website.
If you lack hands-on experience working with social media accounts, you can discuss digital marketing experience to demonstrate transferable skills. Key principles like market research, brand awareness, and data analytics still apply to social marketing.
Education
The education section is an important part of your professional CV. Include your bachelor’s degree and any relevant certifications. If you don’t have much experience, training programmes from established providers like Google Analytics Academy will show your willingness to learn.