The Link in Bio Guide to Getting a Job in Social
A roadmap for every step of the job search process.
At the beginning of the year, I asked my good friend and social media recruiter, Kelly Gordon, what she was seeing in the hiring space. It wasn’t great.
She told me:
There is massive competition for director-level roles.
Social media teams are shrinking. She’s seeing them net out around 2-3 people total. The heyday of 5-6 individuals is not as popular after last year’s layoffs.
There’s more of a move to freelance and part-time social roles.
When brainstorming what the next Link in Bio Guide should be, it felt obvious to break down the process of getting a job in this industry. But I knew I shouldn’t be the one to write it—the last time I applied and interviewed for a full-time role was in 2016. The landscape has changed a lot since then.
I called in Todd Needle, Social Lead at Attentive (and former social manager at Shopify), to write this newsletter on finding and landing a job in social media. (You might remember him from the excellent Link in Bio Guide to Goal Setting!)
This is really meant to be an evergreen resource that you can refer back to any time you are in the job search process. I’ll let Todd take it from here!
Well folks, I am back for another TODDTalk. Really excited to be here.
I’ve crafted this guide as a roadmap through (nearly) every step of the job search process, from pinpointing the right opportunities to sealing the deal with confident negotiation…which you deserve, and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. I cover:
How to find open roles
Red flags to look out for in job descriptions
How “working loudly” can benefit you
Building a portfolio
Three rules for interviewing
Thoughts around assignments and tests
How to confidently negotiate an offer
I’ve consulted with industry insiders and hiring managers to bring you insights that are practical, actionable, and not just from, well, me. Let’s jump in.
🔍 Looking For The Job
Job Boards
There are both general and niche job boards tailored to social media roles, and each has merit. We all know Indeed and LinkedIn. Here are a few others I recommend:
Built In: A city-specific job board for tech and startups with boards for NYC, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Colorado, Seattle, San Francisco, and several international locations.
Otta: The Otta team includes editorialized recommendations for each role, and they tailor their recommendations based on your activity. It’s great for broader marketing roles as well.
Y Combinator/VC Boards: If your goal is to work for a startup, these might be a helpful place to look. Y Combinator is known for early stage startups, many of which have become quite successful (DoorDash, Airbnb, Coinbase, and more). VC Boards like Sequoia offer more of a mix, as you’ll find companies well into their Series B rounds and beyond.
Link in Bio Job Board: Shameless promotion, but Rachel curates jobs specifically in social media on this job board. Even more are passed around in the Link in Bio Discord.
Press Publish Job Board: More creator economy focused, this job board from Colin and Samir’s newsletter always has a few solid social roles.
Red Flags to Look Out For in Job Descriptions
The Do-It-All Job: I’m confident that many of us have seen a think piece or two about “do-it-all” jobs recently—Rachel broke down a problematic job posting in this newsletter. There are many schools of thought on what skill sets are necessary to be successful as you grow your career in social. I believe a healthy team makes room for a variety of specialists, and if a company values social as a channel, they’ll invest in growing that team thoughtfully.
But if a company is in its early stages, or does not understand the role of organic social (read: thinks you can just “make it go viral”), then you might see a job posting that asks for a variety of skills. Use your judgment, and decide what kinds of boundaries you are prepared/willing to set, and what kinds of skills you want to leverage (and/or grow into).
I know many incredible multi-hyphenates who gladly wear many hats. But not every social media professional needs to be a copywriter/designer/actor/dancer/editor/community manager. Sometimes you can just pick one or two.
The “Be A Team Player” Job: If a job description mentions being “always-on” or needing to “work weekends occasionally” and you are the kind of person who bristles at a Slack message at 6:30pm, keep that in mind. Some people thrive on this energy. I am in my thirties, and I typically do not. And there are ways to suss this out (hint hint).
The “Ninja” Job: As a general rule, if a job description mentions the term “ninja” or “rock star” or “guru” I tend not to apply. You do you, though.
Networking
You might think it’s silly, but I really do recommend networking on- and offline. Do not be afraid to connect with people on LinkedIn. Do not be afraid to RSVP to that Partiful for the “design portfolio review” at a random studio in Nomad. Use your company’s education stipend to go to that social media conference. Connect, connect, connect!
Networking can open doors that job boards and cold emails often can’t. Engaging with peers and industry leaders online and offline expands your professional circle and helps you build long-term connections you can work later down the road, whether in a partnership capacity, or in a “hey I saw you were hiring for this role, would love to reconnect!” capacity.
Working Loudly
If you’ve been thinking about sharing links to work you’re doing that you’re proud of, do it. People will see it. Let your LinkedIn do the talking. Share that Reel to your personal Instagram account. Write a thread breaking down a campaign. I promise it’s okay.
I think of my LinkedIn as a living, breathing resume. You don’t have to worry about it fitting on one page. You can share work you’ve done without seeming self-aggrandizing. That is what it’s for. It’s your career loudspeaker, so make sure it’s heard!
I do want to also take a moment to plug another digital surface I’ve been loving: Gondola. It allows you to embed live links directly to your profile, and it even tracks reach, engagement, and volume of your posts. If you don’t have a personal website, you can include it in the “additional links” section of most job applications. We love!
Portfolio Creation
Much like your skillset, every portfolio will look different. And there are about a million ways you can build yours. But you should build one—and it should highlight your best campaigns, creative content, and tangible results. Think of it as your professional highlight reel. Bonus points if you stitch together your favorite short form videos for an actual highlight reel.
There are many schools of thought on this. Here are some options across the effort spectrum:
Google Slides: You can send a Google Slide deck as your portfolio. I often do!
Figma Slides: I haven’t tried them out yet, but I do see a lot of potential here, especially if, like me, you spend a lot of time in Figma creating assets.
Readymag or Webflow: There are several no code website options out there. Readymag is fun, expressive, and affordable.
Squarespace: A tried-and-true mainstay of website design, Squarespace has introduced many new drag-and-drop features, but still offers you the option to design a bespoke site if you so choose.
If creating a formal portfolio isn’t in the cards, Kelly Gordon, recruiter at Creative People, tells me, “If you are really dreading creating a portfolio or don't have time, please link out to work examples. I cannot stress enough how much a hiring manager or a recruiter needs visuals. At the very least, please link the accounts you manage/managed/worked on!”
Resume Updates
Keep your resume fresh and focused. If you feel strongly, you can tailor it for each application to reflect the skills and experiences that align best with the job description. A customized resume shows you’re not just looking for any job—you’re looking for this job.
As a general rule, I also update my resume at the beginning of each year, either cleaning up language I feel is no longer relevant, or adding any new positions/responsibilities to the top. Unfortunately, you never know when you’ll need an updated resume in a pinch. This is also a reminder of where you’ve been, and where you want to go next.
Some of you may be shocked to hear this, but during my most recent job search, I found it really helpful to use ChatGPT to cross-check my resume with every job description. This also comes in handy for interview prep.
Try the following:
In ChatGPT, type, “Please* analyze the below job description, compare it with my resume (listed beneath the job description), and list out specific ways my experience aligns with the job description.
Now write, “Here is the job description:” and paste it into the chat box
Next, write, “Here is my resume:” and paste it into the chat box, and press ENTER.
If you want to get more granular, once it generates a response, write, “Please suggest a few alterations to my resume that would make it align better with this job description.”
*Yes, I say please and thank you to ChatGPT. I’m not taking any chances, okay?
It’s The First Social Role I’m Ever Applying To
Just starting out in social? Highlight your eagerness to learn and any relevant experiences, like internships or volunteer work. It’s very likely that you have transferable skills. For instance, my first two years out of school, I worked in high volume sales, which led me to a job in media planning, which then led me to my career in social. It can be done. I did not use ChatGPT to write this. I just believe it.
Here’s what Saad Khan, organic social expert, had to say:
“For a general hybrid social role, the first trait I’d look for is someone who is pretty much, extremely online. By that, I mean somebody who “gets it”—they understand and participate in internet culture, they get the nuances of what makes something funny on a platform like Twitter, or know the specific style of storytelling that makes for a compelling TikTok.
I typically discern attributes in a candidate by things someone can or can’t be taught. Knowing the specific ins and outs of internet culture and being able to creatively execute in that space can’t be easily taught. However, things like brand strategy, marketing principles, how to work at a large organization, etc., can be.”
💼 The Interview Process
Reality Check
Interviewing will likely be exhausting. You might think you crushed one, and then receive an update that you won’t be moving forward. It’s okay. It’s also a numbers game, to a certain extent. You can, and should, apply to as many jobs as you think you are qualified for.
That Being Said…Enthusiasm For The Role is Important
When speaking with Kelly, she kept bringing up the word enthusiasm.
She tells me, “I can feel someone’s energy through the phone. I don’t think my candidates have to be excited about every role I’m pitching but a general excitement around the work and the space is palpable. Honestly, smile before you sign on for an interview. Repeat some positive affirmations. Look at some past work you are proud of. If you know your stuff and you are excited about it, we will feel it and we will be excited to move you along in a hiring process.”
Preparing
You should prepare adequately for each conversation, even if you feel confident it will go well. You can use that same ChatGPT advice from earlier to see how you stack up against the job description, for starters. Come prepared with knowledge about the company’s social media strategy and ideas on how you can make an impact. And even things you would do differently once you get your bearings. Take the extra time to audit their channels. It helps.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t recommend you use some variation of the STAR method to map out your impact in previous roles—that’s Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
Here’s Kelly again, “Something I tell my social candidates is to really think through the lifecycle of a social post or campaign and where you sit in that circle. Write down what you do, who you partner with, and how you make an impact. I swear it helps you think more clearly about what your job is and it’s so much easier to apply to questions.”
Three Interview Non-Negotiable Rules I Live By
Prepare questions ahead of time. Do your research. Write these questions down on sticky notes, and have them handy. If you’re using a Mac, you can use the Stickies app and make them transparent. Cool!
Whether you are interviewing remotely, or in person, take notes. This will help you better understand the role, and will help you build a case as you move forward in the process.
Example: “In my previous conversation with your colleague, we discussed (insert area of improvement you noted down). How does this impact your day-to-day, and how would you prioritize changing this? I have some ideas, but I’d love to hear your POV.”
Send a thank you note to each person you speak to. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Send the note. Pick one thing that stood out to you during your conversation, and thank them for their time. I promise you, this matters.
And remember, an interview is a two-way street—you are allowed to ask questions to see if the company is the right fit for you. Here are a few questions you might ask:
How is success measured in this role long term?
What are the biggest priorities/challenges for the team right now?
Where does this role fall on the company leveling rubric? What does the review process look like?
What are some brands/accounts that you admire personally?
So You Get Assigned a Project
There are many (okay, two) schools of thought on hiring assignments/projects. If you’re asked to complete a project, understand that it’s likely an opportunity for them to understand how you approach creative problem-solving in a work context. And for you, it's an opportunity to get a glimpse into what you'd work on day-to-day, and even how your potential manager delivers feedback. Assignments can be fun, and many people find them creatively stimulating!
Ultimately it’s up to you if you feel comfortable completing an assignment. What you can do is set expectations around it. And you can always ask for compensation in some form. They may say no, but you asked.
Here’s Saad again: “I do favor exercises, especially when hiring for a specific kind of social role—say a social copywriter for Twitter vs. an on-camera ‘host’ for TikTok. I’d want to see how well a candidate can apply their creative skills in a business context. That being said, I’m specifically in favor of exercises that pose completely hypothetical scenarios, and require no more than ~1-2 hours of work.”
I agree with Saad here. I recently was asked, after four rounds of interviews with various stakeholders, to complete a two-week assignment. It was a significant time commitment, and the list of deliverables was extensive. It was unpaid. And I was unimpressed.
Three tips here:
Truly time box your effort. If they give you two hours, do what you can in two hours. And note this when you turn the assignment in.
Ensure you are entirely clear on the expected output. If they ask for creative concepts, deliver those. If they give feedback that they “wish they could have seen your design skills,” point to the expected and agreed-upon output.
Consider adding the following small print to your work: This presentation and its contents are confidential and may not be further distributed or passed on to any other person or published or reproduced, in whole or in part, without consent.
A Note for Hiring Managers on Interview Project Assignments
If you are asking a candidate to complete an assignment that requires creative output, consider compensating them for their time. And assure them that the assignment is a hypothetical scenario and that their work will not be used after the fact.
On Social Media Privacy
It’s inevitable that a hiring manager or somebody on your interview circuit will look you up. Consider setting your personal accounts to private, and curate your public content thoughtfully. If you feel comfortable, create a separate Instagram and/or Twitter account for your professional work. They can be considered another portfolio surface!
🎉 You Got The Offer
Negotiating
Congratulations! Now it’s time to negotiate. My mentor and former boss once told me, “This is where the real interview begins.” Shivers!
Understanding Total Compensation
Look at the full picture. Salary is one piece of the pie. Benefits, vacation time, and growth opportunities are all part of your total compensation. Do they offer a $100 monthly gym stipend? That’s $1200 annually. Do they offer 401(k) match or sponsor your healthcare costs entirely? These are important (and valuable).
What You Can Negotiate:
Think beyond salary. Take home pay is important, especially in this economy (I pay rent in New York City, hello). Here are a couple of other areas you can negotiate:
Start date (and if you have a pre-planned vacation, note this!)
Vacation time (if you don’t have unlimited PTO, you might be looking at 10 or 15 days)
Yes, your title can be negotiated. Remember when I recommended asking about what “level” the role was? This is where this may come in. You can make a case to go up a level, based on your experience, which often unlocks a new compensation band and title. Something to consider!
I hope this guide was helpful! It’s by no means exhaustive, and I’m sure many people will have thoughts of their own on some of the hotter topics (@ me in the Discord if you want to talk about hiring exercises).
Job hunting is not for the faint of heart. You will encounter obstacles; you will be ghosted; you will get really excited about conversations you had that may not pan out. And then, you’ll get the call.
I believe in you. Lean on your community—friends, family, current and former colleagues. Join the Link in Bio Discord. We can hang out there.
Now, go out there and crush it.
Thank you Todd!
You can support free guides like this one with a paid Link in Bio subscription! And guess what? It’s likely an educational expense at your company—here’s a template for you to use when asking your manager. And, like Todd mentioned, there’s some great networking in the Discord.
I am glad I am not the only one that insists on being nice to the robots *just in case*
love this guide! thank you so much.