Humans of Construct - Aahana Nawab, Senior Strategic Planner

We caught up with the Humans of Construct Digital to share what their roles are about and what advice they have for folks looking to start or grow their careers in digital marketing. 

Strategy planning gets to the heart of a brand and lays the foundation for how people should perceive it. Today, we're chatting with Aahana Nawab, Senior Strategic Planner, to paint a picture of her job and what it's like in her shoes.

Hey, Aahana! Tell us what your job is all about. 

My job is transforming how brands communicate—to enable them to engage their audience better. It's my job to drive that transformation and to ensure that we nurture a long-term relationship between a brand, its audience, and us.

What does an average day look like? What kind of projects do you work on? 

I spend most of the day researching, observing, and implying, with a significant focus on getting valuable insights. In short, the job is not the usual 9-5 because many of my thought processes happen on walks, in the showers, and even in mid-dreams. 

I mainly work on B2B brands in varied industries like telecom, IT, retail, and education. Construct Digital makes sure I work on projects as small as brand awareness campaigns and as big as brand transformation ones. Every day, I get to discover new strengths. 

What was your career path like? 

Weirdly enough, I pursued a creative degree at the most tech-savvy institute—the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee—hoping to achieve anything and everything in the world. And so, leaving no stone unturned, I pursued a master's degree in management from IE Business School in Spain. 

While looking for a job that would fit me, I worked in several industries, performing several roles until I finally landed on something that looked like an amalgamation of creativity and technology: a strategist. In May 2021, I began working for Construct Digital as a strategic planner and quickly advanced to Senior Strategic Planner in one year. I could not be prouder or more satisfied with the work I get to do here. 

What's the best and worst advice you've received in your career? 

Best advice: the more mistakes you make in your early career, the wiser you become as you advance. And this applies to life too! 

Worst advice: Decide on a career before you start one! My dear friend, don't set a deadline for your career, capabilities, and dreams. You don't know what the future holds for you! 

Tell us about your biggest challenges working in this field and how you tackled them. 

The main focus of this field is on research and insights related to consumer behaviour, market trends, and industry analysis. But all of the data is bits and bobs and noises. Figuring out how to transform all that noise into a meaningful symphony of insights is the biggest challenge for a strategist. 

I think the best way to tackle this is to embrace the power of communication. The more you communicate, the more you progress in building a solid strategy. 

What kind of person do you see particularly excelling in this role? Why is that? 

People with the ability to observe and converse excel in this role. People who possess these abilities can gain a wealth of knowledge from what's happening around them throughout their career path. 

If you could give one piece of advice to applicants, what would it be? 

In a competitive job market, the only thing that can give you an edge is being yourself and focusing on who you are instead of focusing only on your past achievements. In the end, it’s your attitude that matters most. 

What do you love about your job? 

This job helps me push myself in ways I would never have imagined. It has helped me realise my potential and increase it. 

What's the best thing about working at Construct Digital? 

The best thing about this job is that I get a life out of work that many of my other friends I see don't. I get time to focus on my hobbies, mental health, physical well-being, and, most importantly, my social life. I get both professional and personal growth with Construct Digital. 

Thanks, Aahana! 

Are you looking to grow your career in strategic planning? Construct Digital is looking for new team members in various roles across our Singapore, India, Philippines, and Vietnam offices. Head to our Careers page to find the available career opportunities to join the Transformation Agency.