Mihir Haria-Shah
Subject: BA Geography with Business
Graduated: 2011
Place of work: Anything is Possible
Position: Head of Broadcast
What made you choose to study geography at the University?
I wasn’t really sure of what I wanted to do for a career after university, but geography was by far my favourite subject at school, so I was keen for that to form at least a part of my degree.
Studying abroad for a semester was high on my list of priorities and the School of Geography offered this as an option. There was also the opportunity to combine Geography with Business and this was a huge attraction to me.
What skills did you acquire during this time?
My writing and analytical skills were probably the most ‘core’ skills that I developed. However, with much of my degree being coursework/dissertation based, time management is probably the most crucial skill I acquired in my time at university and is something that is very important in the working world!
What are your fondest memories from your time at the school?
Whilst it was incredibly stressful at the time, I really enjoyed writing my dissertation – it’s essential to pick a topic you’re interested in!
The field trip in the Easter break of the first year was an exhausting few days but a lot of fun.
Where are you working now and what does the role involve?
I work in the advertising/media industry for a start-up agency called Anything is Possible. I’m the Head of Broadcast here which means I am responsible for all the planning and buying of advertising campaigns across TV, Radio, Cinema, Video on Demand and Out of Home (billboards). I work on the strategic side as opposed to the creative side of the industry but fortunately I do get to work closely with creative specialists.
I also spend a lot of my time talking/writing about the Future of TV, as many of you will be aware the streaming services have drastically changed the way we, especially younger audiences, watch TV and this has presented challenges and opportunities for advertisers.
Diversity is an area I am hugely passionate about and something I spend a lot of time outside of my day job trying to tackle some of the industry’s diversity challenges, especially around BAME representation throughout the industry. I’m a mentor/role model for Media for All (MEFA).
What advice would you give to someone considering following a similar career path?
The industry is very fast paced and changes all the time, it is super exciting to work in because of this but it can make starting out hard. You don’t necessarily need any prior experience to any function of marketing, so don’t let that put you off! It’s easy for me to advise people to work hard, but the reality is that anyone can do that, I would say that it is more important to pick something you are genuinely interested in and then working hard becomes a lot easier!