Career Advice

Get advice from other social media professionals. Learn what it takes to build and make an impact in your career. Get inspired with our stories and resources.

  • 65 Topics
  • 161 Replies

65 Topics

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Frequent User
chris.limbaughFrequent User
posted in Career Advice

Leveling Up on Small Teams

Throughout my social media career (close to a decade), it’s always been me + a manager in a marketing communications role that’s been willing to listen. Sometimes, they’re there as a requirement and don’t really care about the impact of social.This year’s standout moment was finally getting an intern and being able to manage and, more importantly, see their growth and curiosity formulate. It puts things in perspective if you’ve been wondering if “am I right for this role?” and also gives small teams/solo team the opportunity to flex in other areas instead of spinning their wheels. If you’re in this situation, always push for the ask since it can give you time to focus on the most important areas while also testing your abilities as a people manager.

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C
Frequent User
3 hours ago
corrine.dorrian
Engaged User
corrine.dorrianEngaged User
posted in Career Advice

My Social Media Marketing Journey

I took on the social media role kind of unexpectedly when I started in my current role two years ago. I’ve really had to learn a lot quickly. As part of my role, I manage an ambassador program with 90+ brand ambassadors and 50+ active Facebook pages. I’m happy to report that across all our active pages, our engagement increased by more than 200% and impressions increased by 130% from last year. Makes me proud of my hard work and excited to see what can be achieved next year!  

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corrine.dorrian
Engaged User
3 hours ago
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Frequent User
emma.peneguyFrequent User
posted in Career Advice

Knowing how to PIVOT!

One of the biggest lessons I’m continuing to learn in my career is the ability to pivot/be flexible. I naturally have a tendency to be fairly rigid when it comes to accomplishing tasks. If I made a list of tasks that need to be accomplished, in an ideal world, I’d live in a bubble and could just quietly do my tasks in order. But...I chose to work in a very fast paced industry, and it’s taught me the absolute necessity of being flexible! In my current role, this looks like not being married to the social calendar I’ve created. I’m learning to use the calendar as more of a guidepost than a contract. 

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Frequent User
3 hours ago
R
Frequent User
robbie.schneiderFrequent User
asked in Career Advice

Staying Current In 2024

Our travel/education budget may be hit for 2024. What are your favorite (inexpensive and accessible) ways to stay current in this ever-evolving industry?

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alyssa.martelli
Engaged User
3 hours ago
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Frequent User
brittany.weinzierlFrequent User
posted in Career Advice

My AHA moment!

I recently joined my Communications team back in May of 2023 and have been immersed in the social media world even more than ever before. I had to do a total overhaul of the platforms to get them up to snuff and engaging our audience. Our recent success was partnering with our Development team for end of year fundraising. They wanted to do a philanthropy initiative highlighting the effects that private support has on our mission. Their initial suggest, highlight over one week in November.  My rebuttle: Why limit it to one week when philanthropy has such a huge impact on everyone far beyond that. We therefore created #ImpactMonth and highlighted the hundreds of ways private support works towards our mission throughout the entire month of November and it was a raving success! Engaging more than 80% of our audience and being in the top two campaigns the company has ever done on social!  What other tricks have you found on social that changed the way you highlight impact on your organizati

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B
Frequent User
3 hours ago
Edmundo Gómez O
Frequent User
Edmundo Gómez OFrequent User
posted in Career Advice

A change with a client

I had a very important moment, because a client was very difficult, but one day, thanks to the social listening module, i catcah a very important thing that didn’t develop as a social media crisis, we stopped it and it was very thankful! Today, this client not only extend their contract, but are giving us a lot whole new pair of countries because we can resolve a lot of things!My boss was very happy with that action.

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Edmundo Gómez O
Frequent User
3 hours ago
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Frequent User
tori.zitoFrequent User
posted in Career Advice

Apply for the Job You Think You're Unqualified For.

Earlier this year, I was drowning in work but I loved what I was doing. A new role at my company opened up, and I saw it as my dream role, but didn’t think it was meant for me at this time. I thought “that’s the job I’ll have in five years.” When I told my supervisor at the time that X person was leaving their role, he asked “so you’re going to apply for it, right?” I was taken aback by his response, I genuinely hadn’t even thought about applying. I was under-qualified, in my head, and was in my current role for less than a year. He gave me a pep talk, telling me you never know when your dream role will open up again. What’s the worst that could happen, I don’t get an interview?  That night I fixed up my resume, after he also scolded me for not always having an up-to-date resume (spoiler: it’s not up to date now, either!) Long story short, a few months later I was leaving my first role at the company for my NEW role at the company! I’ve been in this job for 8 months now and it’s the be

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T
Frequent User
3 hours ago
K
New User
kloey.murpheyNew User
posted in Career Advice

Finding Inspiration in Social Media

I am pretty fresh in my career in social media, with just under two years of experience in the field so far. One of the things that I learned right away in a social media role is to find inspiration through other pages’ social media accounts. I of course look to similar and larger competitors to evaluate what types of content they are posting and how they are sharing it in an interesting and creative format. But, I also found that I can even find lots of inspiration from other companies in completely different industries. Each company shares their brand in a unique way via social media, and just by spending the time to see what’s out there you can find all sorts of inspiration!

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K
New User
3 hours ago
tristan.audet
Advanced User
tristan.audetAdvanced User
posted in Career Advice

Read read read

Social media is evolving so fast, I found that I have to read about it everyday to stay up to date with updates and trends. I love using an aggregator like Flipboard to find relevant articles and follow blogs (like Sprout’s Insights, for example). :)

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tristan.audet
Advanced User
3 hours ago
Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
Laura PorcinculaCommunity Manager
published in Career Advice

Retail Industry Peer Group - Recap November 16th, 2023Meetup

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity on Thursday, November 16th at 12pm CT to join your peers in the retail industry and discuss the latest industry trends, share ideas, and work together to overcome any challenges before the busy season kicks in. This group will be hosted for the first time ever by one of our own Arboretum members and your peer from the Retail industry, @tiffany.torbik!  Register Now:  For everyone who has already registered, please fill out this intake form by Wednesday November 15th to better inform our conversation!@Scott.Jedrzejczyk @catheren.andrade @jpichardo @Songbirdnj @ben.marcus @JoshPhilz @junior state.of america @ali.ocampo @philz.coffee @Adam Morse @chris.anderson @chasity.rodriguez @AO Brunch @briel.young We are looking forward to seeing you there!

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Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
23 days ago
Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
Laura PorcinculaCommunity Manager
published in Career Advice

Retail Industry Peer Group - Recap!Peer Groups

Thank you so much to those who attended our Retail Industry Peer Group!@colette.mitola @lexa.krajewski @joe.seta @tiffany.torbik and @ben.marcus please continue to collaborate with each other when you need assistance!For those who weren’t able to attend, here are some of the things we discussed. Let us know if you have any thoughts or questions about the topics below:ChatGPT and AI, how are folks feeling about it?  How to respond to folks who think your social channels are using AI for content? What are some best practices for keeping inbox responses fresh?@kassandra.quinn @megan.molique @chris.nichols @phyllis.francis @kelseywbohl, we hope to see you next time! Let us know your thoughts on these questions in the thread.

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Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
1 month ago
Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
Laura PorcinculaCommunity Manager
published in Career Advice

Your opportunity to host an Industry Peer Group in The Arboretum is here!

Arboretum Industry Peer Groups are a great opportunity to make invaluable connections, gain expert insights, and accelerate your career!As a peer group host, you'll be moderating industry specific social marketing meetups by guiding the conversation, driving attendee engagement with insightful questions, and cultivating an active community of like-minded professionals. You'll not only assist your peers in finding answers to their burning questions, but you'll also guide folks in sharing best practices that will enhance their career to new heights.Our peer groups aren't just about knowledge-sharing; they're about building lasting relationships and expanding your network in the ever-evolving world of social. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to build your personal brand and become a thought leader in your industry!Please fill out this short form to be considered as a host for an Industry Peer Group in The Arboretum!

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Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
2 months ago
Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
Laura PorcinculaCommunity Manager
published in Career Advice

Healthcare Industry Peer Group - Join us!

The Healthcare Industry Peer Group starts in 10 minutes! Looking forward to seeing you there.As a reminder these sessions are not recorded so please attend the live session. I’ll share a recap of our conversation in the thread below, feel free to engage with each other and meet folks who also work in Healthcare. 

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Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
2 months ago
Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
Laura PorcinculaCommunity Manager
published in Career Advice

👋 Hospitality Peer Group Recap - Thursday Sept 14th

Hello to all of my favorite Hospitality Industry Social Professionals!Tomorrow Sept 14th, I’ll be hosting an industry peer group where you can all get together and collaborate on current trends, successes, and struggles. Register here: This is a great opportunity for networking with your peers and learning from others who experience a similar day to day.If you have anything you’d like to bring up with the group tomorrow, please thread below!I’m looking forward to see you soon @levi.kalb @Emm at Brew @colby.kingston @gina.spin @ksquinn @eryn.locks @kayla.stephens @abbie.judge @zoe.boyd @jessica.mcdonald @NellieD @karahosmer @mary @nickgilham @allie.gritt @emily.harris @brooklyn.duren @sam.chaney @barbara.estrada  There was an incorrect link in the Healthcare Peer Group registration which incorrectly brought folks to this event registration. If you’re in Healthcare, the peer group is on Sept 28th and you can register here. Thank you!

338
karahosmer
New User
2 months ago
Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
Laura PorcinculaCommunity Manager
published in Career Advice

Non-Profit Industry Peer Group

Calling all Non-Profit industry folks, today is our industry peer group session. I’m excited to meet you all and I’m looking forward to the conversations. If you haven’t filled out the intake form yet, please do it now so I can better lead our conversation! See you there.  @michelle.paul @martina.wissa @Jennysi @ajanigro @kaylie.parr @suzy.tam @keesa.mckoy @COOP Careers @rbrandt @Austin Z @susan.walsh @niki.cruz @auhughes @fiona.hannigan @judith.edwards @stephanie.ehmke @lobna.abdllatif @kate.meyers emery @robyn.burke @lisagonzo @brittany.javor @lisa.rodrigo @ryanalmusawi @abigaillee @alex.fleming @lsvdesign @carolyn.macleod @leefrostwrites @amanda.melton @brandon_xx @michael.coccagnia @kenzie.ruiz @mariah.berry @daniel.pritchard @Emily @rebecca.field @sydney.slifka @stephanie.roloff @briermae.ossont @LauraPorcincula @Jonathan Zuluaga @Andy Hawkins 

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Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
3 months ago
J
jamia.kenanSprout Team
published in Career Advice

Once a unicorn, always a unicorn: Flock Freight’s Bob Wolfley on disruptive innovation, creativity and social careers

Bob Wolfley has worn many hats: Content creator. Social media manager. Brand manager. Senior director of campaign strategy. Director of social and partnerships. Unicorn.His interest and talents in social emerged early. Wolfley points to the nostalgic days of internet angst for many: MySpace. Writing emo poetry on MySpace notes revealed a passion for creative writing. His passion led him to earning a degree in advertising and launching social media accounts for new chapters of his international fraternity, Phi Delta Theta.In 2012 while working and traveling for Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters, he launched The Traveling Unicorn, an Instagram account documenting his journeys—but in a unicorn mask. His creative priorities shifted from managing The Traveling Unicorn account to his career when he joined MeUndies. But he’ll always be a unicorn at heart, whether he’s posting or not.Read more of my article, here.

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J
3 months ago
Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
Laura PorcinculaCommunity Manager
published in Career Advice

Register Now: Government Industry Peer Group

Hey folks,I’m excited to host our Government Industry peer group tomorrow! If you haven’t had a chance to fill out the intake form, please do so now. I’d love to have some themes for our conversation.Intake form link:https://forms.gle/3aRnzYmVCUmY4jLRARegister for the event:  See you there!@julia.noble @ocipublicaffairs @delaney.janosek @cjgutierrez @kyleigh.wegener @DanielleKing @kate.graham @lisa.chism @bree.humphrey @elizabeth.pugh @Blu Gilliand @mary.vs @kaylie.parr @dvehar @cindy.solis @erica.shekell @kwaltrip @Maki @vanessa.enriquez @caitlin.croswell @mary.mcguire @jennifer.nesossis @laura.madden  

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E
Frequent User
4 months ago
Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
Laura PorcinculaCommunity Manager
published in Career Advice

📆 Financial Services Industry Peer Group

Welcome to the Financial Services Industry Peer Group!Meet folks working in the same industry as you to come together to share insights, discuss challenges, and provide support to one another. This event is a great opportunity to expand your network, gain new perspectives, and foster personal and professional growth. RSVP:  Also, don’t forget to Subscribe to this post below for the latest updates, discussions, and recaps for this event.  

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4 months ago
A
Frequent User
ahaynesFrequent User
asked in Career Advice

Any tips on creating a portfolio for social media work?

Hi everyone,My name is Anna and I’m a recent college graduate working in my first full-time job as a social media specialist. As I create more social media content, I’m wondering whether I should put together a portfolio of my work to share with future employers or if that’s only helpful for freelancers. If it is beneficial for me, then what should a portfolio look like, and how should I go about sharing one if it’s not specifically requested by the employer?If you have portfolios, I’d love to hear what you include in yours! Thanks!

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A
Frequent User
4 months ago
Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
Laura PorcinculaCommunity Manager
published in Career Advice

📆 RSVP: Healthcare Industry Peer Group

Hi Healthcare folks!Join us on Wednesday July 12th for the Healthcare Industry Peer group. This is an exciting opportunity to network with your peers who also work in Healthcare and Social Media. Come together with us to share insights, discuss challenges, and provide support to one another. This event is a great opportunity to expand your network, gain new perspectives, and foster personal and professional growth.To make the most of this session, please fill out this form before our session.📆 RSVP and Register here: We are looking forward to seeing you all there, if you’re tagged in this post then please fill out this form before our session to submit your topics in advance.See you there!@robbie.schneider @sarahreymann @louisa.woltermann @rosanna.jensen @laura.steel @lindsay.nicholson @brad.keeling @Andy Hawkins @george.mattingly ii @lyn.sylk @amare.marketing @katie.gregg @nikki.kidd @danielle.thompson @larrianc @jennifer.walker @dianaeichmann @raven.gill @kelly.mcdonald @leefrostwri

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D
Engaged User
4 months ago
Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
Laura PorcinculaCommunity Manager
published in Career Advice

👋 Agency Peer Group: DiscussionMeetup

Event has concluded, recap in the thread below:Howdy Partners!I’m excited to share that we’ll be hosting an Agency Peer Group on June 14th! In this session you’ll have the opportunity to meet folks from other agencies to come together to share insights, discuss challenges, and provide support to one another. This event is a great opportunity to expand your network, gain new perspectives, and foster personal and professional growth. We would love to see you there! To make the most of our session, please fill out this 2 question survey by June 13th. Also, don’t forget to Subscribe to this post below for the latest updates, discussions, and recaps for this event.  

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M
Frequent User
5 months ago
Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
Jonathan ZuluagaCommunity Manager
posted in Career Advice

Q: What's the best career advice you've ever received?

We’ve all had moments in our careers where we have learned from advice we were given. So I’m curious:What's the best career advice you've ever received? How has it impacted your professional journey?Thread your responses below!

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Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
6 months ago
Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
Laura PorcinculaCommunity Manager
published in Career Advice

🎥 Maximize your potential: Build your personal brand with Premier Success

Building a personal brand can open doors to so many opportunities. It helps you stand out in your industry, showcase your expertise, and build credibility with your audience. By attending this session, you'll learn valuable insights and strategies from our expert team on how to develop a strong personal brand while achieving your career and business goals.Join @talissa.beall and @steph.hermanson members of Sprout’s Premier Success team and experts in developing and executing a social strategy based on the latest trends and market insights. Don't miss out on this opportunity to unlock your potential with help from Premier Success!  

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Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
6 months ago
Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
Jonathan ZuluagaCommunity Manager
published in Career Advice

🔴 Watch Recording: Level-up Series: Crafting a Compelling Social Strategy

Join us for a thought-provoking webinar with Jenny Li Fowler (@Jenny Fowler), Director of Social Media Strategy at MIT, as she shares her insights on how to build a compelling social media strategy.In this session, you will learn how to create a winning social media strategy that engages your audience, builds brand awareness, and drives conversions. With Jenny's expertise, you'll discover the latest trends in social media marketing, as well as how to leverage techniques to optimize your campaigns.This event is designed for social media marketers of all levels, whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your knowledge and skills. Don't miss out on this exclusive opportunity to learn from one of the top experts in the field and take your social media strategy to the next level. Register now to secure your spot!RSVP:   Also, don’t forget to Subscribe to this post below for the latest updates, discussions, and recaps for this event.   

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Jonathan Zuluaga
Community Manager
6 months ago
Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
Laura PorcinculaCommunity Manager
published in Career Advice

📆 RSVP Now: Higher Education Peer GroupMeetup

Join us for the upcoming Higher Education Industry Peer Group event where like-minded individuals come together to share insights, discuss challenges, and provide support to one another. This event is a great opportunity to expand your network, gain new perspectives, and foster personal and professional growth.To make the most of our session, please fill out this short survey by May 15th.RSVP:   

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Laura Porcincula
Community Manager
7 months ago
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