Growing up on the island of Mauritius, Sheen Gurrib had dreams of studying at prestigious universities like Oxford and Cambridge. Despite not receiving a fully-funded scholarship, Sheen’s sister encouraged her to apply at Oxford, where she studied material sciences and later did her PhD on back pain origins in the spine. She became the first Mauritian to study at both Oxford and Cambridge, making her a poster girl for education in Mauritius. She also started funded projects to educate refugees and worked with women in STEM fields.
After completing her PhD, Sheen took a different path by joining Oliver Wyman as a consultant in Dubai, but later shifted to content creation. She joined Emirati content creator Khalid Al Ameri as a COO and ventured into the world of social media. She realized her true calling was in content creation and storytelling. She emphasizes the importance of having a unique voice and message in the world of content creation to stand out from the crowd.
Sheen believes in the concept of a squiggly career, where individuals try different paths and explore various opportunities. She highlights the changing landscape of work and the rise of remote work, especially beneficial for women balancing career and personal life. With the advent of artificial intelligence, Sheen teaches ethics of technology at Middlesex University and stresses the importance of understanding AI’s impact on job markets and human rights.
Personal branding and engagement are crucial in the digital age, according to Sheen. She encourages people to focus on building a strong personal brand, especially through social media platforms like LinkedIn. Quality over quantity is key in content creation, as seen in her engagement with the Bill Gates Foundation on women’s empowerment issues. She emphasizes engaging with a niche audience rather than chasing a large following.
Reflecting on her journey from academia to content creation, Sheen acknowledges the value of her academic background in shaping her personality and thinking. Despite quitting multiple jobs in a short span, she credits her education from Oxbridge for giving her the confidence to pursue unconventional career paths. She refuses to be boxed in and continues to dream big and live her dreams to the fullest.
