The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Senior Community Engagement Specialist (L3)
3-5 years in an L3 roleSkills to master
- You'd need to have truly mastered designing and running specific community programmes, mentoring junior team members, and making sound technical decisions within your project scope. You'd also need to show a clear aptitude for strategic thinking and leadership.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently hitting programme-specific engagement and growth targets.
- Successfully leading 2-3 significant community campaigns from start to finish.
- Receiving positive feedback on your mentorship and ability to guide others.
- Proactively identifying strategic opportunities or risks for the community.
- 2
Senior Social Media Strategist (from Marketing)
4-6 years in a senior social role with community focusSkills to master
- You'd need to demonstrate a shift from purely broadcast social media to genuine community building and engagement. Strong analytical skills, content strategy, and a deep understanding of online behaviour are crucial. You'd also need to prove your ability to lead programmes and influence cross-functional teams.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully transitioning social followers into active community members.
- Developing and executing social strategies that foster two-way dialogue, not just one-way messaging.
- Strong analytical skills to connect social activity to business outcomes.
- Experience managing social crises and protecting brand reputation.
- 3
Product Marketing Manager (with strong community focus)
5-7 years in PMM with significant user engagement responsibilitiesSkills to master
- You'd need to bring a deep understanding of user needs and product lifecycles, combined with a passion for fostering user-to-user connections. Your ability to translate product features into community value propositions would be key, alongside programme leadership experience.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully launching products with strong community involvement.
- Using community feedback to directly influence product messaging or feature development.
- Demonstrating leadership in user advocacy or beta programmes.
- Strong communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences.