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Victor, Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube: Advize Career Interview
A Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube, this individual's career journey began with an electronic engineering degree in Brazil, followed by impactful internships in digital marketing and Google partnerships.
The current role focuses on strategic consulting for news outlets and broadcasters, requiring strong communication and prioritization skills to navigate a dynamic environment.
A typical day involves numerous meetings, internal collaboration, and fostering mutually beneficial relationships. Success in this field requires flexibility, adaptability, and curiosity, though basic coding skills are also valuable assets.
The most rewarding aspect is the immediate visibility of impact, while the greatest challenge is effective prioritization.
The interview emphasizes the importance of identifying passions early, leveraging internships to explore career paths, and embracing international experiences to gain unique insights.
This career demonstrates how a combination of technical skills, strong communication, and a passion for making a difference can lead to a fulfilling and impactful path within the fast-paced tech industry.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Victor Mello
Strategic Partner Manager
YouTube
Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie in Brazil, 2015
not applicable
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Engineering - Electrical
Technology
Sales and Client Management
International Student, Immigrant
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Career Path of a Partner Manager at YouTube
Victor's career journey began in Brazil, where, after studying electronic engineering, a pursuit of "things that I liked and the things that I saw the most impact" led them from a digital marketing internship at a startup to a Google internship focused on online partnerships. This experience solidified their interest in partner management, culminating in their current role as a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube, a platform Victor considers to have "the most impacts within society".
Main Responsibilities Of A Strategic Partner Manager At YouTube
Victor, a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube, focuses on "media companies, uh, more specifically, uh, news outlets and kind of like broadcasters," acting as a "strategic consultant" for their video strategy on the platform. This involves regular meetings and assisting these partners in achieving "their business objectives within their video strategy," creating a mutually beneficial relationship where partner success directly contributes to YouTube's growth.
A Day in the Life of a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube
A Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube spends the workday primarily in meetings with external stakeholders, "resembl[ing] the life of a sales rep," focusing on relationship management, joint business planning, and follow-up. This role also involves significant internal collaboration, connecting partners with other Google resources like cloud solutions or ad campaigns, acting as a crucial internal advocate for their partner's needs.
Most Important Skills For A Strategic Partner Manager At YouTube
Victor, a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube, emphasizes the critical importance of strong communication skills, highlighting the need for "clear communications in multiple forms," including active listening to understand partner needs. A dynamic environment necessitates prioritization skills to manage multiple internal and external requests effectively, preventing being "overwhelmed and trying to solve all the world's problems at once."
Favorite Parts of Being a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube
Victor, a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube, most enjoys the immediate visibility of impact in his role, stating that "a week from the first meeting, you kind of already see the impact." This contrasts with his earlier work with smaller creators, where the impact was even more immediate; however, the feeling of "making a difference" remains a key motivator in his current work with larger media companies.
Biggest Challenges Faced by a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube
Victor's biggest challenge as a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube is prioritizing tasks effectively, fighting the urge to "solve just like the most recent thing that comes up," and focusing energy on "the things that will make the biggest impact." The dynamic environment also necessitates constant adaptation and reinvention, a skill honed over Victor's five-year career.
Favorite Parts of Working at YouTube as a Strategic Partner Manager
Victor, a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube, appreciates the creative problem-solving inherent in the role, finding fulfillment in "experimenting with a bunch of things" rather than following a prescribed formula. This creative aspect, coupled with the complexity of the business challenges, provides intrinsic motivation and drives a continuous pursuit of knowledge.
What Type of Person Thrives in the Video Industry According to a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube
Victor, a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube, identifies flexibility, adaptability, and curiosity as key traits for success in the fast-paced video industry, citing the rapid emergence of competitors like TikTok as an example of the need for "understanding the new environment constantly." Strong communication skills are also crucial, emphasizing the importance of listening and clear communication in "dealing with external stakeholders."
What A Strategic Partner Manager At YouTube Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Tech Industry
Victor, a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube with an electronic engineering background, wishes they had known the value of basic coding skills before entering the tech industry. This skill, even at a basic level like "SQL or whatever," would have greatly aided their ability to analyze the "large amounts of data" crucial to decision-making in their role, even one focused on external partnerships.
Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Strategic Partner Managers At YouTube
Victor, a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube, advises that while internships are valuable, entry-level positions in big tech are becoming less common. The experience gained in a fast-paced "startup environment," where one "has to be kind of your own owner," is highly beneficial and often preferred by larger tech companies like YouTube.
Significant Career Lesson from a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube
Victor's most significant career lesson is adaptability, especially crucial in the rapidly evolving tech industry with the rise of AI; the key is focusing on controllable aspects, managing anxiety by avoiding future prediction, and achieving "peace of mind" and a "well-balanced life."
College Experiences That Helped a YouTube Strategic Partner Manager Succeed
Victor's college success stemmed from quickly identifying "the things that you like and the things that you don't like," experimenting through internships outside their engineering major to discover fulfilling career paths, and trusting their "gut feeling" to find work that generates more impact. This approach ultimately led to a successful career as a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube.
How Identity Has Influenced a Strategic Partner Manager's Career at YouTube
Victor, a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube, strongly advocates for international experiences, stating "life is too short to not do that," believing such experiences foster personal growth and cultural exchange. This international perspective, shaped by their own journey, has enriched their career by allowing them to share unique insights and connect with people from diverse backgrounds, as evidenced by comments such as, "Hey, you just shared something that I didn't know about your country".
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