Social media

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role

University

Some employers may expect you to have a degree in a relevant subject, like:

• advertising
• marketing and public relations
• digital and social media marketing
• digital content creation
• journalism
• business management

A degree with a work placement will help you gain valuable experience and may be an advantage when you look for work.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

For more information

• equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
• student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
• university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship to get into this job.

For example:

• Content Creator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• Multi-channel Marketer Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• Digital Community Manager Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
• Digital Marketer Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship

These apprenticeships take between 2 and 3 years to complete and are a mix of on-the-job training and classroom learning.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

For more information

• equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
• guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide

Work

You could start work with a social media or marketing company as an assistant or digital content creator. As you get more experience, you could work your way up into a management position.

You could also do qualifications through professional bodies like the Institute of Data and Marketing and The Chartered Institute of Marketing to help improve your prospects.

Volunteering and work experience

Experience of working with social media could help when applying for jobs. You could get experience by:

• volunteering to manage a charity or community group's social media channels
• managing your own social media profiles
• contributing to your school, college or university channels
• writing blogs or creating podcasts and tracking their use and popularity
• getting involved in social media for the company you already work for

You could also keep up to date by joining webinars about social media trends.

You may find volunteering opportunities through Do It or The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).

More information

Career tips

Many jobs combine technical duties with management roles, so it can help if you have:video, sound and image editing skills; the ability to write engaging copy and scripts for a target audience; an understanding of search engine analytics

Further information

You can find out more about social media marketing careers through The Chartered Institute of Marketing.

View all vacancies in this region

With experience, you could:move into a senior post or become head of social media with your employer; manage social media output for a larger company or organisation; work in consultancy, advising corporate clients on social media strategy

You could also become an online digital community manager, acting as a link between consumers and businesses supplying online products. For example, working with esports gamers and developers in the online gaming community.

You could also do qualifications through professional bodies like The Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing and The Chartered Institute of Marketing to help improve your prospects.

You can find out more about social media careers through The Chartered Institute of Marketing.