Whoosh! You are SMM manager.
Become SMM manager from scratch.
How many talented SMM specialists had been lost, since they even didn’t dare to try. We were instilled from our childhood that with no diploma, money and networking we would not achieve success. All of us would want to do what we love with no dependence on education or status.
What if I say it’s possible?
And it’s not about the magic, the luck or the money on your bank account. All you need is your desire, work over mistakes and a bit of confidence. Whoosh and you are SMM manager.
When I graduated from college as a tour manager, standing with the diploma in my hand, a terrifying idea popped into my head “this is not my story!”. From my early age I wrote sketches, rolled out movie and books reviews. Already then I knew I was evoking emotions among people with my own stories, which I put into words in my little blog. And now imagine, I’m spinning the diploma in my hand for a career that I don’t really care.
Words are my tools!
If you know how deal with them you can achieve a lot. Words captivate, fascinate, immerse in history and even sell.
Then long months of searching for a job has started: work at postal office, university entrance as a marketer, unsuccessful interviews, oceans of salty tears.
The moment came when I was ready to work for food (or for 3000 UAH per month) in a construction company for 3 people, including a secretary.
After unsuccessful and very unsuccessful attempts, I began to lose ground. My texts no longer seemed interesting, attractive, or at least correct. Everyone had this turning point in life.
I was sitting in my room, pushing a sofa, a white piece of paper with the words “Junior Specialist” called out to my eyes. 4 years of study couldn’t pass in vain, right? Maybe I should go working for my speciality, shouldn’t I?
This is what I tell you, my friends, you waste your time on self-reproach. The most ungrateful thing is to torment yourself with questions you have no answers to. Let’s skip the whining and get down to the main topic.
I would like to clarify. I do not mean it is easy to work in the career of your dream. Remember, this is hard work! But it gives you pleasure.
So, all my friends have already started their careers in the IT field. When I learned that in such a wide area there is a place for fans of social media and word lovers (and this is all one profession!), I rushed there without thinking. It gave me inspiration and a pinch of confidence. This is not the confidence about which books are written and praises are sung. This is not the kind of courage that lives in every hero. This is a confidence called “well, sort of, not bad”.
People play a big role of your confidence. Your surroundings can influence you. To discourage or to assure, to be silent, to show something by personal example. But I want to assure you here and now that you can do everything! Want it, dream about it, think.
If you asked yourself the question “Why do I need it for?” and found the answer, then do not close this article. It will be interesting further.
You should start to study the material by yourself and forget about all the vile words of employers, that say you are not worthy. Internet space is on your gadget with open windows and is ready to give you all the necessary knowledge.
I will explain right away. SMM is a vast organism that has a bunch of functions. This is a passion of promotion, love of social media, writing texts, communicating with clients and with clients of clients. But you need to start with something particular.
I dreamed of being heard. And I wanted to write, evoke emotions, cling. So the SMM content manager is mine, yes. This is the direction of social marketing that deals with texts, posts, stories.
I practiced for days. I wrote stories, signed posts. I prepared texts for existing promotions.
And here is the first exercise. If you want to become a good specialist – practice!
It will be enough to have your own account on Instagram and a little of time. Try to write posts, select esthetic photos or pictures. Write how your ficus bloomed on the window, how you cook breakfast or why your home cup is important to you. Dare.
Once I put a resume at a well-known job search website. I signed the title with a loud “SMM-manager”, filled in the required fields and waited. My phone was not torn from calls, of course. After all, the column “Experience” was full of the words “postal operator” and “sales manager”. No word of social media or copywriting. But one day an unknown number was highlighted on the display and a not very friendly woman unceremoniously called me for an interview at an IT school.
“Great! – I thought, – the first interview in the IT field! “. Not a very clever idea. Do not rejoice beforehand.
I came. I was taken to the waiting room and told to wait. 5, 10, 20 minutes. All the workers from the courier to the designer have already managed to burn me with curious-evaluating eyes. Finally I was invited to a huge transparent office. There, with a very important kind of sitting man of 30-40.
– Hello. So you are applying for a place in our company?
– Well, yes, – I mumbled and fell into a chair.
– Where did you work?
– I was the operator and manager, and …
– Yeah, you don’t know what SMM is?
– I know, but I haven’t worked yet, just want …
– So, well, and what about education?
– I went to college as a marketer, – hastily escaped, but confidently, so that they would not be interrupted this time.
– Clear. So you are not an SMM manager, you just want to become one?
– Yes that’s right.
– And why are you then lying in your resume and write in the career “SMM-manager”?
– Because I want to become one, that’s why I’m looking for a job for SMMs.
– You know, young lady, many astronauts want to become, but they don’t write about it on job search websites.
There is no point to describe further our dialogue, but the essence is clear. Employers have always wanted, want and will want an employee with experience, education, intelligence, Pulitzer Prize and a collection of written books. Well, of course, not picky salary. To work for your pleasure, so to say.
Spit on it. Forget about working for such people. And never be discouraged after such interviews. Because the most right idea at the end of such meeting is “Thanks God I have not been recruited!”
Exercise 2. Believe that you are an SMM-manager.
It’s an easy part. Here you write your texts or sketches. Feed off the reaction of readers. Get the opinion of the person to whom these works may be interesting. Let interested people read it!
Yes, after such a complex and in fact a long interview, I really thought to remove the ad from the website. But, believe me, my little monster called “Laziness” did not allow me to do this.
What’s next? So far my article only confirms the myth that without experience or networking you are not taken anywhere.
I refused to believe that all employers are the same and began to look for a job myself. If the mountain does not go to Mohammed, then Mohammed goes to the mountain.
I sent a resume with different accompanying text. The last of them looked like pleading for help. It is not necessary to do this, but I still had no idea about it.
ALWAYS VALUE YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK!
At the moment when despair left me and I got the perception that I could be a specialist, I began to receive answers and invitations.
One company recruited SMM specialists without work experience, but with a great desire and willingness to work hard.
“Well, I come under the criteria, sort of”.
But the thought that I would not fit under the other the parameters, which were not specified in the resume, did not leave me.
I was contacted and given the test task. I needed to write a post on Facebook, Instagram and a description of a product card for an online store. It was so easy for me, that I feel even a bit uncomfortable. That’s why I decided to show my work done an hour after, even though it was completed in 20 minutes.
Then there was a 2-hour interview on Skype with the HR-manager of the company. And every minute I liked the atmosphere and pleasant conversation more and more. In the end, I was invited to an interview with the director.
Exercise 3. It’s time to search!
Realize that employers are people like you. And people are not always good or smart. But more often they are. Do not be afraid of failure. No one will blame you for not having experience or proper education. Go to job search websites and search, write, send resumes, communicate! Everything will work out.
Send this week 5 resumes to different companies looking for an SMM manager. If you are also in love with words like me, attach 3 texts to your resume. Post on the topic of promotion, post about the product description and useful post on any topic. This should not be a huge article. Write a couple of sentences and it’s done.
But I warn you, do not rely on a high salary and ideal conditions. Strive to find a company for experience and favourite work.
From my experience I would say, many companies have no idea what they want from an SMM manager. Some make them fill the customer base (yes, it happens), send SMS and send spam to the email. Others just make sure Instagram account is developed and sometimes clean it from bots. Other people require the skill of working with Photoshop for the manager to be also a designer.
Indicate skills in your resume! This is necessary to make it clear in what specific area you are keeping the path.
Set a goal to find a job for yourself. Money is important too, you’ll have have them as well if you work. Look for a job not to get rich, but to work in a direction you are interested in.
Let’s go back to my last interview and the topic of employers.
Naturally, after my unsuccessful experience, I was worried I would be trampled into the mud again.
The door to the reception room was swung open, a man entered, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, sat down opposite, and just started talking to me. No pompous importance, no loud slogans. Just about life, about work, about experience. Even about books.
And believe me, there are many employers who are looking for an inexperienced, young and motivated person for their company. Just not always lucky.
Exercise 4. Interview. Behave yourself naturally, do not ascribe to yourself fictitious merits, do not try to speak with abstruse speeches. In the first days of work, everything will be clear. Why to waste time?
The only preparation you need is to communicate with people. Tell your friends who have already known everything. Just practice talking about yourself in a simple, friendly way. Be confident in meeting with your employer. If you have listened to my advice, then you are already writing, which means you are pumping the skill for your future work.
And yes, I spent a lot of time, used a lot of letters and words, shed a lot of tears, but now I’m here. I am telling you how I become an SMM manager. I am writing an article for you. Isn’t it a miracle? No, it’s not. This is a great desire and a quest.
So let’s summarize.
If you want to become an SMM specialist, practice writing and systematizing it, hammer on what the others say. And do not be afraid of employers. They do not bite. Well, not all of them.
And if this article inspired you and you read it to the end, then I have a nice bonus for you!
Would you like to work in this direction by my little method? Just fill out the form by following the link. Maybe you will also meet the man in a white T-shirt and jeans, and he will hire you for a job.