Skills you need to be a community manager
8 skills a hiring manager would actually test for, each with the level this role expects and what it is used for. Not a syllabus — the shape of the job.
Build my path to this roleUpskili checks what you can already do, then sequences only what is missing. No account needed.
What the role requires
Ordered by how much the job depends on it. The bar is the proficiency expected of a competent community manager — not mastery, and not a passing acquaintance.
-
Community engagement and moderation
Essential
Manages daily interactions, enforces guidelines, and fosters a positive community culture.
Strong -
Content creation and curation
Essential
Develops posts, newsletters, and resources to drive engagement and provide value.
Strong -
Social media management tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Sprout Social)
Important
Schedules content, monitors mentions, and analyzes performance across platforms.
Strong -
Data analysis and reporting (e.g., Google Analytics, Excel)
Important
Tracks community health metrics and reports on growth and engagement trends.
Working -
Crisis communication
Essential
De-escalates conflicts and manages brand reputation during sensitive situations.
Strong -
Event coordination (virtual and in-person)
Useful
Plans and executes community events like AMAs, webinars, and meetups.
Working -
Customer relationship management (CRM) software (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot)
Useful
Tracks member interactions and manages outreach to key community advocates.
Working -
Basic graphic design (e.g., Canva, Adobe Express)
Useful
Creates simple visual assets for community posts and announcements.
Working
An order worth learning it in
A list of ten skills is the same unhelpful answer a catalogue gives, just sorted. This is where to actually start.
Start here
Essential to the role, and reachable from a standing start. Everything below rests on these.
- Content creation and curation
- Social media management tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Sprout Social)
- Data analysis and reporting (e.g., Google Analytics, Excel)
- Crisis communication
Then this
The rest of what the role is assessed on. Harder, and it builds on the foundation above.
- Community engagement and moderation
What sets you apart
Not what gets you hired, but what separates doing the job from being trusted with it.
- Event coordination (virtual and in-person)
- Customer relationship management (CRM) software (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot)
- Basic graphic design (e.g., Canva, Adobe Express)
You almost certainly have some of this already.
That is the point of starting from the role rather than a course. Upskili checks what you can do, then builds a path across only the gap.
See my path to community manager