Influential Woman · Marketing
Suhani Rungta
Administrative Vice President, NYU SPS Student Council
New York, NY
Her Story
About Suhani
I originally studied finance at Sriram College of Commerce in India, where I won a gold medal, but I always thought I was more inclined towards the story behind the numbers and felt that my creativity just didn't lie in finance, so I pivoted. I interned at Ogilvy and my full-time job was also at an agency in marketing at Dentsu, and I always felt that this was my field. My first client was MasterCard, and there was an increase in their footfall, which I consider one of my greatest achievements. I wanted to explore more and learn more details about marketing, so I thought the perfect option would be to come to New York. I shifted last year in August and have been at NYU pursuing my master's degree, which I'm completing in December. I've spoken to so many professionals over here, trying to get a job or internship, and just explore the curriculum of marketing. I'm currently doing an internship in influencer marketing, which involves a lot of outreaching and understanding influencers. I'm also on the e-board of the Integrated Marketing Association at NYU, where I try to host and organize events, marketing-related discussion conferences. Beyond work, I'm a national-level swimmer who came third in nationals in India, and I love outdoor activities like cycling and running in Central Park. I also make content on LinkedIn to build my personal brand, and people connect with me there for advice.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Suhani
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success actually to my mother. I feel like she's my constant source of motivation. She always told me to be a woman who's independent and can earn her own revenue. For me, that is always at the back of my mind. She pushes me to different levels, so I feel like whatever I achieve today is just because of my family, and especially my mother.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I think the best career advice is that life is very uncertain and you can't just predict what you want to do next. Just putting yourself out there, even if you're scared and you're awkward, is the best thing for you to even understand what you want in the future. Just exploring, networking, and talking to as many people as possible is the way you even learn more about yourself. That was really powerful to know, to just try everything.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The advice I can give is that it gets scary and you are scared of putting yourself out there, but the only way forward is you trying and exploring new things. Just networking is so important. I've seen in a city like New York, the more you talk to professionals, the more you can learn. Just putting yourself into rooms that you are not very comfortable in, but still you are exploring, is the way out of here. You need to identify your niche, because I feel in marketing and in my industry, people are not identifying their niche and are broadly applying and getting into everywhere. If you are a specialist in this industry, you will get a job, you will get value and a place overall.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think especially being an international student and with the visa situation, it's very tough to even find an internship. Even if you mark all the checklists on your resume, the hiring situation overall, especially in marketing, is very tough. With the AI situation, you need to be on top of your game and try to enhance your human skills, something that AI also can't replicate. Identifying your niche is very important. I feel in marketing and in my industry, people are not identifying their niche and are broadly applying and getting into everywhere. If you are a specialist in this industry, you will get a job, you will get value and a place overall.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I feel the most important thing for me is discipline. Just being ethical towards your work and putting discipline to it is crucial. If there's any timeline or any rules, I've seen that having a certain sort of structure and discipline in your life is very important in whatever you do.
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