There was a time when Sally O’Brien succumbed to her inner critic.
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She let self-doubt dictate her choices in life and too often missed out on opportunities to grow.
Her father worked in the media industry most of his life and the Kiama born and bred O’Brien shared the same desire and passion to be part of an industry that “shapes and drives culture”.
But she never thought she was smart enough and her inner critic had her believing she was no match for the “chic inner-city kids with contacts and influence”.
O’Brien turned a corner in 2013 when a University of Wollongong subject opened her eyes to the concept of interning.
Soon enough she was in Sydney doing the nine to five grind, working full-time as a social media specialist, helping brands like Canon, McAfee and Nestle build out their social presence and content.
O’Brien also met her mentor during her stint working at Switched on Media.
The male colleague also turned out to be a real ally, teaching O’Brien how the platform of Facebook could help businesses grow when used properly.
He also encouraged O’Brien to apply for a role at Facebook in its small business team in Singapore.
“Six interviews later, and one phone call on Christmas Eve in 2016 changed my life forever. My new boss called to tell me that I had got the role and they would love to have me join next year,” O’Brien said.
“I am extremely fortunate to have a partner that supported my decision to chase my dream, challenge myself and take a risk to move overseas away from my friends and family to work for Facebook.
“My partner stayed in Sydney, and we spent the next year of our lives traveling between Singapore and Sydney.”
O’Brien is now back working and living in Sydney, having recently bought a new home with her partner.
Having children is on her radar and O’Brien is grateful that Facebook encourages and enables working mothers.
But at the moment it is all about work for O’Brien, who has helped educate over 3000 SMBs in regional areas and was nominated for a B&T ‘Woman In Media’ under 30 award in 2018.
“I’m apart of the change that needs to happen and I hope my story encourages more females to choose a STEM career and understand that we all have inner critics, but putting your hat in the ring is how you get the job,” she said.
“You need to pick the right employer for you.
“It’s so important to work for a company that gives you purpose, supports you, that has a mission and a culture that makes you want to be a part of something bigger.
“Dream big, you’ll make it.”
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
