How Identity Has Influenced a Partnerships and Product Marketing Career at Activision Blizzard King
Navigating a career as a woman in business, particularly in male-dominated environments, has fostered empathy and encouraged leaning into personal strengths; as Hannah explains, there's a need to recognize, "if you're in the meeting, you deserve to be there". To combat societal pressures, Hannah emphasizes actively seeking mentors and sponsors of all genders, and fostering alliances across companies while also remembering not to let being the "only woman in the room" be a deterrent but rather an opportunity to speak up.
Mentorship, Networking, Gender dynamics in the workplace, Self-confidence, Career advancement
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Hannah Untereiner
Partnerships & Product Marketing
Activision Blizzard King
Yale University
UCLA Anderson, MBA
Political Science, American Studies
Gaming
Communication and Marketing
Scholarship Recipient
Video Highlights
1. Empathy and Strengths: Identifying as a woman in business has cultivated empathy and a focus on leveraging personal strengths, especially in male-dominated environments.
2. Mentorship and Sponsorship: Actively seeking mentors and sponsors, both men and women, and engaging with affinity and networking groups to foster alliances and gain diverse perspectives on career growth are crucial.
3. Self-Assurance and Value: Recognizing and asserting one's value and deserving presence in professional settings, regardless of being the only woman in the room, and resisting negative societal pressures are vital for career navigation.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a woman in the business industry, how has that impacted how you have navigated your career?
I think in general, this has made me very empathetic to a lot of other people around me. It's also made me think a lot about the strengths I bring to the table and try to lean into those.
This is especially true in rooms where I'm one of only one or two other women. Or there might be other women outside the room, but in the room, most of the senior people are men. Navigating that, especially when I was younger in my career, being sometimes the only woman and the youngest person in the room, carried different associations.
In general, I've tried to lean into the values I bring and seek out mentors and sponsors when I can, both men and women. I think it's really helpful to have women you can relate to across different companies, even if your own company might not have many. Seeking out affinity groups and networking groups within your industry that promote conversations across women leaders is beneficial.
Then, finding male sponsors and mentors at your company is also important. People who feel approachable or supportive of you and your work can help you grow. There's a lot to learn from everyone, so it's helpful to have different types of people supporting you and giving you advice about your career.
In general, I've focused on not letting anyone else's assumptions or societal pressures bring me down. For example, if I'm the only woman in a room, I don't let it get to me. I tell myself, "I'm the only woman here. Fine. I'm still going to show up as the great person that I am."
I'm still going to speak up and push myself to represent who I am in this room, without letting it get into my head that I'm the only person there. It's also important to recognize that if you're in the meeting, you deserve to be there for a reason, and people want to hear what you have to say. That's been an important thing to remember throughout my career.