How Identity Has Influenced a Communications Strategist's Career at a Health Nonprofit
Apoorvaa's diverse background as a woman of color and international student presents both challenges and advantages in their career. While navigating biases as an international student, "finding jobs in general" proved difficult, their resilience, diverse perspectives, and adaptability stemming from "being a third culture kid" ultimately became strengths in health communication, allowing them to connect with others and excel as a communication strategist.
Communication, Resilience, Overcoming Challenges, Cultural Background, Adaptability
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Apoorvaa Mandar Bichu
Communications Strategist
University affiliated health nonprofit
Creighton University
Masters of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University
Creative Writing, Journalism
Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Communication and Marketing
International Student, Immigrant, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Being a woman of color is an advantage in today's diverse world, offering unique perspectives.
2. Navigating a career as an international student can be challenging due to biases in the job market, but it builds resilience and a strong work ethic.
3. A diverse background—as a third culture kid—allows for adaptability and strong cross-cultural communication skills, valuable assets in communication strategy.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a woman of color and an international student, how has that impacted how you've navigated your career?
Being a woman of color is definitely an advantage in today's diverse world. You bring different perspectives to the table. Even the journalism fellows we work with are diverse, with many stories to share and different backgrounds. I feel I can connect with people on that level.
As a woman, you also bring a certain touch of kindness, creativity, and fun. There's also the idea of being underrepresented in careers until now. Now, there's a whole new wave of female communication strategists and journalists, and I'm glad to be a part of it.
As an international student, it was very hard to find jobs or have people take me seriously. This was largely due to questions about Americans having jobs versus international students. However, it has made me far more resilient and hardworking because you want to prove yourself.
When you come from a different cultural background, you bring ideals, ethics, and lessons learned from that background. So, you're bringing all these different perspectives. My parents are Indian doctors, which was a big pro in health communication.
I was also born and raised in Dubai, so I connect immediately with people from those backgrounds. More importantly, as a third-culture kid, you can adapt so easily to things. As a communication strategist, I can do the same because I've been doing it as part of my lived experience. So, why not my professional experience?
Advizer Personal Links
www.callme-apps.com, Instagram: apoorvaab