How to Become a Community Manager: A Clear, Practical Guide

Community management is one of those careers that people end up in, but very few people are actually shown how to build intentionally.

There’s no clear degree path, job descriptions vary wildly, and most advice online is either vague or outdated.

This guide is a clear checklist of what you actually need to become a community manager, whether you’re starting from scratch, switching careers, or trying to land your first proper role.

1. Understand What Community Management Actually Is

Before skills, tools, or job applications, you need to understand why a business would even want to hire you.

Community management is not:

• posting content all day
• being “online a lot”
• just answering questions
• running Discord servers for fun

At its core, community management is about:

• connecting the community to business goals
• creating systems that solve problem
• increasing engagement, retention, and trust
• connecting members to value

If you don’t understand this clearly, everything else feels confusing.

2. You Don’t Need a Degree (Here’s What Matters Instead)

There is no required degree to become a community manager.

What hiring managers actually care about more:

• communication skills
• organization
• problem-solving
• understanding people’s motivations
• being able to explain why you do things and why its valuable

If you already have experience in:

• customer support
• marketing
• education
• events
• moderation
• social media
• operations
• project coordination

You likely have more relevant experience than you think.

And even if you don't, you can always pull examples from other experiences in your life.

3. Learn How Engagement Works (So you never suffer silence)

One of the biggest gaps in this career is engagement. Without it, it's hard to achieve anything beyond it.

Most people:

• guess
• copy what others do
• or burn out trying to “do more”

Strong community managers understand:

• why people engage
• what stops engagement
• how to design participation intentionally
• how to make people feel safe contributing

This is a skill, and it can be learned.

You can learn here in this free training resource

4. Build Proof (Without Needing a Job First)

You don’t need a full-time role to prove capability.

Ways people build proof:

• use your other experiences and link to them
• helping moderate an existing community
• supporting a small online group
• running onboarding for a startup
• organizing events
• documenting improvements
• volunteering strategically (not endlessly)

The key is intentional experience, not unpaid labour.

5. Learn How to Communicate Your Value (This Is the Dealbreaker)

This is where most people get stuck.

Many capable people:

• undersell themselves
• list tasks instead of impact
• struggle in interviews
• don’t know how to explain what they bring

Strong community managers can explain:

• what they improved
• why it mattered
• how it helped users or the business
• what they’d do again

This skill alone can massively accelerate your career.

6. Understand the Different Types of Community Roles

Not all community roles are the same.

Some are:

• support-heavy
• engagement-focused
• events-driven
• product-led
• developer-facing
• creator-based
• education-based

Knowing which type suits you helps you:

• target the right roles
• stop feeling underqualified
• avoid roles that burn you out

It's good to note that community management is widely misunderstood, and job posts show that. You are not a social media manager, but a lot of roles believe this, and often ask for both.

It would only help your career if you decided to get experience in both, but there is no shame in just focusing on what community management is meant to be. And you can find roles that fit what YOU want.

7. Prepare for the Job Search (or the First 90 Days)

Depending on where you are, you’ll need to focus on one of two things:

If you’re job hunting:

• understanding job descriptions
• tailoring your experience (every time)
• preparing for interviews
• knowing what to prioritize

If you’re already in a role:

• knowing what to focus on early
• avoiding overwork
• making impact quickly
• setting boundaries
• building trust internally
• becoming essential

Both paths require strategic impact, not hustle. Doing more does not equal getting promoted. It may end up burning you out, with no raise.

8. Get Support (This Career Is Hard to Figure Out Alone)

Community management can feel isolating.

Because:

• expectations are unclear
• feedback is inconsistent
• success is often invisible
• and you’re expected to “just know” what to do

Having:

• guidance
• examples
• structure
• and people who understand the role

can make the difference between staying stuck and moving forward confidently.

💬 And if you want personalized support, feedback, or help applying these steps to your situation, book a free personal guidence chat