Not everyone in media is a man or a blonde: Career advice to my younger self

1. #WIMDisrupt
Media, it’s not just for
men and blondes:
Career advice to my younger self
@minaseeth

7. Nun
Firefighter
Tennis player
Novelist
First female prime minister of Canada
Lawyer
PhD in musicology
UN interpreter

13. There is more to an industry than meets the eye.
1

15. Publishers
News anchors
Editors
Photographers
Journalists

16. Journalist
Researcher
Digital journalist, editor and producer
Product manager
Content strategy director
Creative strategy director
Managing director of marketing solutions

17. Project manager
Developer
Digital publisher
Chief revenue officer
Circulation manager
Sales person
Client services manager
Event programmer
Event marketer
Experiential marketer
Branded content editor
Snapchat editor
Primary & secondary research
Data analyst
Analytics specialist
Creative director
Designer
Data designer
UX strategist
Video producer
Video editor
AdOps
Chief customer journey officer
Head of channel & platform partnerships

18. Hard skills are important.
Adaptability, curiosity and lateral thinking are more important.
Your skills are more transferable than you think.

20. Change is coming. Always.
2

21. “Where do you see
yourself in 5 years?”
“If your job is still
the same 6
months after you
start, we’re not
moving fast
enough.”

22. 4 years.
4 promotions.
4 bosses.

23. Change = Opportunity
Scary, amazing opportunity.

27. You don’t need to be the first to effect change.
3

28. Mary Ann Shad Cary
The Provincial
Ann Smith Franklin
Newport R.I. Mercury
Marguerite Higgins
Pulitzer, international
reporting
Gloria Steinem
Ms. Magazine
Barbara Walters
First female co-anchor

30. You will earn a moment when people are
ready to listen to you.
Be ready to make the most of that moment.

31. THE WORLD WHEN
Helping The Economist reach more female readers

32. Don’t undervalue your ability to change culture.

33. “Seeing you on that leadership team made
me so happy.
It made me believe there could be a place
for me there, too.”

35. “I love that someone like you, with hair like
that works here. Every time I see it I feel
like change is happening.”
“I’ve never been more tired. But I’ve also
never been more satisfied or proud of the
work I am doing. I feel like I work with a
team who cares.”
“I used to envy the work from other
studios. Now, I’d put my work up against
any of theirs.”

37. Keep your mind open. Stay inspired.
4

38. 1400
people
49% 51%
57
nationalities

39. As a woman / POC / LBGT person / person with disability /
you don’t corner the market on diversity.

41. “Passion for a goal doesn’t
guarantee success, but
without it you can’t even
begin.”
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Harvard Business School

43. There is value in the expanded view of the human
experience.

44. Thank you.
Mina Seetharaman
EVP, global managing director
Content and marketing solutions
@minaseeth