National Careers Week is always a welcome reminder that no two career paths look the same. At See Media, our team brings together a blend of backgrounds and experiences that all contribute to the way we work with clients and champion the housing sector.
In the first of two blogs this week, four members of the team – Stuart, Sally, Kasturi and Jade – share their career stories. Some began in completely different worlds, others weaved their way through communications roles, but each career path brings something valuable to the team.
Stuart – Managing Director
I loved being a journalist. From my first day of work experience at The Herald in Glasgow in 1999 – when the whole building shook as the printing presses roared into life – to the day I left Canary Wharf as Editor of an award‑winning team at Inside Housing in February 2014, it was a career that excited me, challenged me and played to my strengths in writing and design. It also introduced me to countless brilliant people.
But I also loved the built environment, particularly the housing sector. That passion led me to take the plunge and leave journalism after 15 years to launch See Media and begin my second career in PR. I was naïve, assuming journalism had taught me everything I needed to know – spoiler alert, it hadn’t.
Now, 12 years on, I’m incredibly proud to lead another award‑winning team and to have learned so much along the way. The most important lesson of all is that I never stop learning – and I hope I never will.
Sally – Business Manager
I started my working life as a twelve‑year‑old Saturday girl in a shoe shop, not knowing it would spark a 30‑year journey across customer service, administration and management. I learned how to look after people at Debenhams, then moved to the AA as a call handler before taking on administrative roles at Midlands Gas and a supervisory position at Palmer and Harvey.
From there, I stepped into the fraud department at HSB Bank, then Charles Schwab, and later joined HMRC as an operations manager working across tax credits and fraud. After pausing my professional development for parental caring responsibilities, I held part‑time roles as a school office manager and later an income generator at a local hospice, before returning to full‑time work as an office manager in a small property maintenance company.
Eventually, I joined See Media as Business Manager, choosing a long‑desired remote role which brought together everything I had learned. I love that I fell into the housing sector and developed such a passion for it. Every chapter has shaped how I work today and who I am today.
Kasturi – Junior Account Executive
I’ve always been drawn to stories – listening to them, understanding them and exploring the different ways they shape people and communities. That interest led me to study English Literature and Psychology, and later an MSc in Media, Culture and Society, where I became fascinated by how media connects people, influences behaviour and brings ideas to life.
After graduating, I worked with third sector organisations focused on social impact. Those roles confirmed that I wanted my work to feel meaningful and to contribute to something bigger than myself. When I saw the See Media IBP internship, it felt like a rare chance to build my skills in an environment that aligned with those values.
That was last March. Now, as a Junior Account Executive, I’m doing work that brings together my love of storytelling, research and purpose-driven communication. I may never have had a fixed job title in mind, but I’ve found a role that feels like the right fit.
Jade – Senior Account Director
I always wanted to be a dance and drama teacher, but an injury meant I had to rethink everything midway through my first term at university. The lead for the Events Management course took pity on me and let me transfer onto the programme – and I never looked back.
After graduating, I worked in charity fundraising before moving to Canada in 2013, where I studied and worked for a B2C experiential marketing agency with big-name clients such as Lindt.
When I came back to the UK, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next, but I secured a role at a specialist STEM PR agency, using my love of storytelling after writing a blog during my time in Canada. After maternity leave and a stint at a Shropshire PR agency, I made the move to See Media nearly four years ago. Excusing the pun, but I’ve found my true home here.
I can’t imagine doing anything else with my career now, and I truly believe everything works out in the end – you just might not understand the reasons at the time.
Our careers have all taken different paths to get us to where we are now. Look out for our second blog later this week, where the rest of the team share their own twists, turns and lessons learned.
