Why Experienced Community Managers Struggle to Find Their Place

When I sat down with Mel, a community manager with over 14 years of experience, one thing became very clear: even the most passionate, skilled community professionals often feel invisible.

Mel didn’t “plan” to be a community manager, like many of us, she fell into it. She discovered the joy of helping not just one customer at a time but many through shared knowledge. She built thriving groups, supported members, and even got certified by Meta as a community professional. On paper, she’s the ideal hire.

And yet? She’s struggling to land her next role.

Why? Because the problem isn’t her skills. It’s the way community management itself is misunderstood.

The Identity Crisis of Community Managers

When you tell someone you’re in tech support, they know what that means. Same for marketing, customer service, or project management. But say “community manager” and you’ll get ten different interpretations.

Is it social media? Customer support? Event planning? A mix of five roles for the salary of one?

This confusion leaves community managers in a constant identity crisis. Job descriptions demand too much, recruitment agencies don’t understand the role, and even hiring managers lump it under “marketing” or “social.”

But here’s the truth: community is its own discipline. It doesn’t belong under marketing or support. It sits between them, linking product, support, marketing, and even sales through a single purpose: connection.

The Real Struggle: Communicating Value

The biggest insight that came out of my conversation with Mel was this:

Community managers are brilliant at explaining the value of community to members.
But we often fail to translate that value into business outcomes.

We tell companies we’ll “make members happy” or “create engagement.” Those are good things, but they don’t hit the KPIs businesses care about.

Instead, we need to connect the dots:

• Onboarding communities improve product adoption.
• Feedback loops from members improve retention and product development.
• Thriving communities create loyalty, advocacy, and lower churn.

When we speak the language of business, not just community, we go from “nice-to-have” to business-critical.

The Trap of Traditional Job Hunting

Another frustration Mel voiced was the black hole of online applications. She’d apply for dozens of roles, tailor her CV, and hear nothing. Or worse, a rejection weeks later with no feedback.

Here’s the harsh truth: applying to job boards puts you in a pool of 100+ applicants competing for one role. Even if you’re the best candidate, you might never stand out.

So what’s the alternative? Create your own opportunities.

That doesn’t mean inventing a role from thin air, it means spotting businesses with existing (or potential) communities and showing them what they’re missing. Instead of asking “Are you hiring?” you approach with:

• “I noticed your community isn’t engaging new members, here’s how I’d fix that.”
• “You’re launching a new product? Here’s how your community could help gather feedback and boost adoption.”

This flips the script. Suddenly you’re not an applicant, you’re a problem solver. And problem solvers get hired.

The Shift We Need

Talking to Mel reminded me that the biggest transformation for community managers isn’t just about skills. It’s about mindset and communication.

• Mindset: Stop trying to “fit” community into marketing or support. It’s its own profession. Own that.
• Communication: Translate member happiness into business outcomes. Speak the language of growth, retention, and ROI.
• Strategy: Don’t just apply. Create opportunities by showing companies the business case for community.

This is exactly why I started to help aspiring and struggling community managers go from confused and overlooked to confident, strategic, and highly in demand.

Because if we want recognition, promotions, and growth, we can’t just be great at serving communities. We have to be great at proving why communities matter to the business.

If you’ve ever felt like Mel, stuck, underappreciated, or unsure where you fit, know this: you don’t need to change who you are. You just need to shift how you communicate your value.

That’s the key to standing out, securing roles, and finally getting the recognition you deserve.

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