ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Sakshi Sureka is a marketing professional, LinkedIn creator, and Paid Social Specialist at WPP Media. Originally from Kolkata, India, she moved to the UK to study Marketing after changing direction from science and economics. Along the way, she navigated the challenges of building a career as an international student while documenting her journey online. She shares practical insights on personal branding, content creation, marketing, and career growth with a LinkedIn community of more than 15,000 people.
In this episode, Sakshi shares how moving from India to the UK changed her life, why building a personal brand on LinkedIn became one of her biggest career advantages, and what she learned while trying to break into the marketing industry during one of the toughest job markets for graduates. We also explore LinkedIn growth, storytelling, networking, content creation, and practical ways to stay consistent, build genuine relationships, and create career opportunities through authentic personal branding.
Connect with Sakshi:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sakshi-sureka/
https://vizzy.com/@sakshisureka
Timestamps:
00:00 - Why everyone has a story to tell
01:10 - Introduction
01:52 - Who is Sakshi Sureka?
02:48 - From science to marketing
03:31 - Moving from India to the UK
04:48 - Student life at the University of Leeds
05:17 - Working night shifts at McDonald's
05:49 - Why she chose the UK
07:36 - The pressure of studying abroad
09:18 - First impressions of the UK
09:46 - Studying with people from around the world
11:05 - What McDonald's taught her
11:56 - The reality of job hunting after university
13:10 - Why every job teaches valuable skills
15:01 - Searching for her first marketing job
17:46 - Protecting your mental and physical health
19:22 - Career advice for students and graduates
20:25 - Why everyone should build a personal brand
21:46 - AI and the future of marketing
23:20 - Why she started posting on LinkedIn
24:49 - How sharing her journey created opportunities
25:51 - Building a community, not chasing followers
27:19 - Why quality beats quantity on LinkedIn
30:53 - How to grow on LinkedIn
31:19 - Why storytelling beats generic advice
33:58 - Show up as yourself, not a LinkedIn guru
34:52 - Building relationships instead of cold DMs
36:40 - Why thoughtful comments matter
38:53 - "My job is too boring for LinkedIn"
40:42 - Finding stories in everyday life
42:25 - Hobbies outside of work
43:28 - Why she loves cooking
46:02 - Atomic Habits and building consistency
47:48 - Favourite podcasts
49:05 - Helping young professionals build their careers
50:48 - Meeting Kamiya through LinkedIn
52:49 - Goals for the future
54:50 - One final piece of advice
57:03 - Outro
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