Fresh Community Manager Interview Preparation Guide

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This question is not as literal as it seems (hint: don’t study take the definition from the Merriam-Webster dictionary) interviewers are looking to understand your unique take on the concept of community.

This will tell you whether your candidate truly understands the reality of managing online communities. Technically, unless you close your branded community at set hours, life goes on 24/7 online so candidates need to appreciate they may be on call when needed. If they say 9-5, say thank you and goodbye.

Right off the bat, this question can stump many candidates. I’ve heard a lot of vague answers about social media platforms that veer off on an incoherent tangent until they fall off a cliff. Keep it straightforward by giving a simple definition that explains what an online community is: a group of people who share a common goal, cause, or interest and gather together to collaborate and discuss via the internet.

The ideal candidate will recognize that a business can have multiple objectives for their social media efforts, and hopefully name one or two that happen to be your business’s goals.

There is no right answer to this question. It’s truly based on your own opinion and past experiences. Use this as an opportunity to once again show the interviewer your passion and knowledge of community development.

Very good. I gather and research the topic on what the presentation is regarding before putting the presentation together.

It depends on the situation. In general, I try to respond quickly. If they keep on behaving like a troll, I ignore them, and, if necessary, I’ll block them. You can only do so much to appease people.

While this question is an invitation to do some chest pounding, remember to illustrate strengths that will benefit the employer and are relative to the position. For example:

☛ being a problem solver
☛ being a motivator
☛ being a natural leader
☛ the ability to perform under pressure
☛ a positive attitude
☛ loyalty

Customer support is one part of a community manager role. It’s important to share how you’d handle a situation with a difficult person in the community. You may have your own process, but experts say listening, showing empathy and not taking it personally is always a good approach.

Their answer, hopefully, will demonstrate an understanding of the synergy between organic search marketing, paid search marketing, content marketing and social media marketing. Listen to find out if they have knowledge of other pillars of digital marketing.

Another tricky one. The purpose of this question is to see how you view and evaluate yourself.

One the one hand, if you suggest you don’t have any weaknesses, your interviewer will almost certainly see you as a lair, egotistical, or both.

Don’t fall into the trap of trying to present a positive skill in disguise as a weakness, like “I work too hard” or “I am a perfectionist”. Any experienced interviewer will see through this in a heartbeat.

Additionally, revealing that “I’m not really a morning person and have been known to come in late” raises immediate and obvious red flags.

Every day in my job is different — which is what’s so exciting about it. Some days are spent talking to people, both internally and externally, to generate ideas and collaborate on new projects. Others, I’m analyzing performance of our community initiatives and making data-driven strategy decisions. I also manage a team of community producers, so I spend a lot of time making sure they have the tools they need to do the amazing work they do.

Yes, I am an organized person. Filing, daily to do list, tasks, calendar appointments.

Respond and be active. People come to Social Media Examiner because they know they will get their questions answered. We provide a lot of in-depth content every day but also do things to facilitate conversation.

Certified QuickBooks, A/R, A/P, Collections.

Not all social platforms are created equally. A social media manager needs to figure out where their brand’s audience actually is and invest there. The ideal candidate’s answer should reflect that.

Established in 1989, we are a premier condominium lakefront community in the heart of the Ozarks, located on beautiful Table Rock Lake. Our community consists of 172 two bedroom condominiums and two to four bedroom patio homes. Our property owners are full and part-time residents with full ownership (no weekly or overnight rentals).

Listen to their concern and if necessary forward to appropriate committee.

I am proficient on Microsoft office and was proficient with Jenark.

Enjoy community environment and helping members who choose to be part of the community.

You’re trying to learn what their process is for publishing and what tools they are familiar with. You’ll want them to mention how they tie social media activity to business KPIs.

Quality and Affordability.

Water Intrusion and Mold Issue complaints.

Assessment dues, property decoration restrictions. Yes, and they are there for a reason and must be followed by all.

There was a sewer back up on a condo property, yet the condo property didn't have the money for the repair. I called the county sewer department and asked them to please come to the property to see if it was a county problem. Once there they seen how bad the situation was and repaired the back up immediately.