Getting ahead in social intelligence: advice for women

Their leaders, decision-makers, influencers and researchers using social data to do things differently. We asked: What’s your advice to women starting out in a social intelligence or digital research career?

Karen Deslattes Winslow, Research Manager, Listen + Learn Research 

My advice is to be true to yourself and do not try to be someone that you are not (i.e., a man!).  Don’t undersell yourself, eradicate the word “sorry” from your vocabulary, and don’t be afraid to voice your opinions. In our society, we are preconditioned to view men as more capable in leadership roles. But my experience over the years is women tend to have more empathy, are more adaptable, and are better at conflict resolution — all qualities of a great leader.

‍

Felicity Edwards, Associate Director, Social Intelligence Analytics, Ipsos

‘My biggest advice would be to just dive in and get comfortable with the data. Social does have its own rules we need to respect, but at the end of the day – it's really all about people.

Spend time immersing yourself in different platforms. Understand how people and brands use each, and the important interplay between the two. Trust your own experience of social platforms, but get comfortable challenging your understanding… things evolve quickly in social.  

Finally, don't expect perfection in your approach immediately. Go in with a plan, see what emerges, then pivot if needed.  All social intelligence professionals fine-tune our understanding with every project we work on - that's what keeps it exciting. We're privileged to be in such a rapidly evolving industry; so join us, strap in and enjoy the journey.’

Mary Beth Levin, MPH, Manager of Social Business Intelligence, U.S. Postal Service.

‘If you can see the stories behind the data, if you are curious, analytical, and empathetic, there is a future for you here. This is true regardless of background. And we need diverse backgrounds to inform novel and innovative approaches.

This is a great time to be alive! Seriously. Since this is a relatively new field, we can build the professional infrastructure and develop the professional standards. We can determine the applications and development of the technology. And we can create the roadmap for ourselves and others.’

‍

Madeline Pietrek, Global Project Manager, Linkfluence

'You will learn a lot, so just keep an open mind. At the beginning, it might be a bit overwhelming but you got this! I also recommend focusing on one vertical or niche to make yourself stand-out as an industry leader.'

‍

Erin Salisbury, Director, FleishmanHillard TRUE Global Intelligence

'Find a mentor. My first social analytics mentor had a huge impact on my career trajectory and helped me to not only understand how to do this work, but also how to develop relationships within the industry to continuously grow and develop.'

‍

Melissa Davies, Global Senior Manager, Real-Time Insights, Mondelez

'Always be curious! Digital research is your invitation to dig deeper, ask why, and uncover something you didn't expect.'

‍

Priscila Silva, Coding Manager, Listen and Learn Research

'Learn from others, be open to build new relationships inside your workplace that will help you grow as a person and make you better at what you do.

Accept that you will make mistakes. Working with huge volumes of data means you will make mistakes. Learn from them and move on.'

‍

Saman Bhatti, Head of Growth and Operations Manager, Audiense

'Push the envelope! As the industry evolves allow yourself to be agile and also develop and grow personally and professionally. You should be able to look back in a few years and see your upwards trajectory.'

‍

Paola Barahona, Social Media Analyst, Social Business Intelligence, United States Postal Service

'For people who have extensive experience in another field - don't be discouraged or feel overwhelmed.  Be confident.  Your background and experience may seem irrelevant, but that's what's unique to you and what you bring to enhance the work and the field.  This is a field that is always changing and the work is organic.  There is a lot of room for you to have an impact.'

‍

Beverley Forrester, Associate Director, Social Media Solutions, Novartis

'For women starting out in social intelligence, my advice is to continue to learn, ask questions, and to research new methodologies and approaches. Get to know about all important digital and qualitative insights components not just social media or search data. Stay close to your network of practitioners and share experiences. Don't be afraid to try out new tech and don't assume that social intelligence is fully understood at your company or with your clients. Oftentimes you will have to educate your stakeholders on the value of social intelligence practices and outcomes. Stay curious and get support in testing things out.'