NEWS UK TECH Rising Star Interview
Interviewed and written by Nzinga Gardner, Business Operations Analyst at News UK
Tanisha Sharma was born in India and moved to the UK in 2009. She landed her first role at StreamAMG as a Junior Business Analyst shortly after completing her Business Information Systems degree in 2018 at the University of Westminster. She started with News UK Technology in 2019 and was promoted from Junior Business Analyst to Business Analyst within 2 years. She was recently shortlisted for the Female Frontiers Awards 2022 in the ‘Rising Star’ category
We caught up with Tanisha, and about her career with us so far.
Can I Get an Overview of Your Career Journey Prior to Joining News UK?
Immediately following completing my degree in Business Information Systems, I landed my first role as a Junior Business Analyst at StreamAMG (owned by PA Media Group). It was a perfect fit given how much I enjoyed the requirements gathering elements of my degree, and that is a key part of a business analyst’s role. As a new analyst I was extremely enthusiastic, I jumped at all the opportunities for growth and development. For example, in addition to my role, I supported procurement tenders and was given the opportunity to manage a large and very challenging client account.
What attracted you to News UK?
Actually I was not actively looking for a new job — I was headhunted by an internal recruiter at News UK looking for someone to fill a Junior BA role. I decided to explore the opportunity and my interactions during that recruitment period was so positive; I loved hearing how much the staff enjoyed working for News UK and it sounded like a great place to work. I was enticed at the prospect of working alongside such great brands in a large organisation where new and exciting products were being launched frequently, and where I could be stretched professionally.
What really impressed me was how supportive the staff at News UK were in accommodating my requests before I even signed an employment contract. Early into the recruitment process, I asked for a shadowing opportunity with a Business Analyst to see how they worked, and later I requested a mentor to support me through my new career journey, and both were arranged before I even started my first day at News UK.
What is it Like to Work For News UK — Give Us a Sense of the Culture?
My first impressions of News UK was how warm and enthusiastic the people were. It is a very open culture full of transparent and non-judgemental people who are passionate about what they do. The passion of the people shines through and encourages everyone to perform well and makes for a really positive working environment.
My contribution to the culture of News UK is acting as co-chair of the Gen Z network, an internal forum for young professionals at the organsion to connect and share experiences. The purpose of the network is to inspire Gen Z members during the early stages of their careers, create new opportunities and career pathways for existing and future Gen Z members, while empowering them to pursue a path to leadership. I also sit on the steering committee for the Women in Tech network that seeks to shape a positive culture for all women working across the technology teams.
What Achievement Makes You Most Proud?
It was my second large project that I took on just 3 months into joining. I had to help build a Live Blog editor tool from scratch. It meant I had to effectively collaborate and develop clear requirements, so it really helped to sharpen my skills in that area. This period also coincided with the pandemic when we went into lockdown and all staff were asked to work from home, but prior to that, I had never worked from home. In spite of the challenging time, I remained motivated to go above and beyond as a BA, for example by helping out with communications and dependency management and continuing to gain as much exposure as I could.
What is the Role of a Typical BA, and What is a Day in the Life of a BA at News UK?
A Business Analyst understands and assesses the business needs, and translates those needs for the technology team to solve problems and develop solutions. To succeed as a Business Analyst, you have to be curious and ask lots of questions. You cannot be afraid to initiate things and it’s good to be proactive with an open mind.
The day in the life of a BA at News UK is fast-paced and filled with a variety of challenges. In the morning, it starts with a team meeting where we will probably discuss the progress made so far, key goals for the day and raise any issues. Then there are different meetings with different business users that include editorial teams, other technology departments and third-party companies, where questions are asked to understand the problems of end users and gather detailed information to understand their needs. Once the BA has understood the requirements, they can go on to analyse and document their findings, and work with both end users and technology teams to identify and build solutions. In general, there is lots of communication between teams and stakeholders, and occasionally liaising with offshore development teams operating in different time zones.
Tell Us About a Time When You Were Challenged, and How You Overcame it?
My challenge might be described as a form of Imposter Syndrome. From the beginning of my career journey I have been a go-getter, always trying out new opportunities and stretching myself in all kinds of ways, but there have been times when I have doubted myself. When the negative thoughts enter my mind and challenge my usual confidence, my response is to reflect on what I have achieved and the skills I have developed. It really helps to celebrate yourself from time to time.
I also find that by being open to receiving feedback, especially from a good mentor and not taking criticism too personally really helps. Learning should be a lifelong pursuit where you make an effort to build skills, identify behaviours you can improve, and appreciate all your accomplishments. We should consider ourselves as an ongoing work in progress’.
What Are You Currently Working On?
As a Business Analyst in a team called ‘Content Platforms — WordPress for TNL’ (Times Newspapers Ltd), I’m working on leading the newsroom transformation discovery and analysis to create a digital first authoring tool for our Times and Sunday Times newsrooms. The key aim is to shift the emphasis from print-first to digital-first, by building the capability for editors through the improvement of workflows so that the newsroom can publish more quickly and to a multitude of digital channels. By giving the newsroom staff more flexibility, they can incorporate more interactive features into their published articles and speed up the publishing process.
What’s Your Future Ambition?
On a professional level, I would like to take my BA skills and apply them in a related field, such as programme management. I plan to investigate what I need to succeed as a programme manager including the skills and behaviours that are required.
On a personal level, my ambition is to resume my project that helps girls overcome barriers to break into tech careers. As part of this ambition, I built a website called http://sheisrare.org which features inspirational stories, videos, blogs and articles to support and inspire young girls to take up a STEM career. I am overwhelmed by the positive response I keep getting to the work I am doing and am motivated by the skills I’ve developed, such as web development, influencing, communication and ultimately, confidence.
Lastly, Tell Us Something Fun About Yourself?
I was raised in India and lived in 4 different cities growing up (Jalandhar, Kanpur, Bangalore and New Delhi) before moving to the UK in 2009. I like to say I was ‘made in India and moulded in England’.
Also, I love travelling and have been to every continent in the world besides South America and Antarctica, and bring my camera everywhere I go so I can practice my other hobby — photography! I especially love architectural photography and taking pictures of buildings.
One Last Important Question: Can Tanisha Bring Her AUTHENTIC Self to Work?
Oh for sure. I am happy to be my whole self and News UK lets me be myself too.
About News UK
News UK is one of the leading media businesses in the UK and Ireland, home to The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, talkSPORT, talkRADIO, Times Radio and more. We are proud to be an inclusive employer and are looking for more talented people to join our dynamic teams.
You can find our roles on offer here: www.newscareers.co.uk
