Trend Spotter

Shreya Bendre (B.F.A ’19) is one of the many New York Tech alumni finding success in the world of media and entertainment. Bendre works as a research analyst at Discovery, Inc., a global real-life entertainment company, reaching three billion cumulative subscribers, where she monitors trends in the television landscape, program viewership, and other impactful areas that help the company determine its content and competitive performance.

Before working for one of television’s biggest media companies, Bendre was a New York Tech orientation leader, Relay for Life participant, and College of Arts and Sciences student who was learning to conquer her fear of public speaking.

“Leaving college was truly a sad experience after making so many friends and being a part of such a supportive community. However, leaving was also exciting because I knew more opportunities laid ahead for me,”says Bendre.

On September 10, Bendre will join Randolph Duke II (B.S. ’11) in speaking to incoming students at New Student Academic Convocation. She sat down with The Box to share her advice for current students and how New York Tech helped prepare her for the future.

What inspired you to choose this career path?
I chose this major because I was interested in working in the media industry and liked that I would be working on creative work, while also understanding business. I did not always want to pursue this career. It was after attending some classes in a different major that I realized I love the entertainment world.

What was your original degree path?
I was studying more of an environmental and government related major. I realized during my first semester that I wasn’t interested in that path, and I really liked media and entertainment.

Tell us about your role as a research analyst at Discovery Inc.
I work on understanding the linear television landscape. I am constantly researching what our competitors are creating and releasing on their networks. I spend a lot of time looking at how many people are viewing each of our shows once a new episode is released and creating reports that will help the programming, marketing, and finance teams to support their initiatives. Another aspect of my research involves keeping up to date with new apps for streaming services, what technologies are trending in the media realm, and what data is being reported on major sporting or award shows.

How did New York Tech help to prepare you for this career?
New York Tech gave me the opportunity to secure many internships while attending classes full-time. I completed internships at FOX, NBC, and Modern Luxury magazine during my time at school and this gave me the experience and skillset to succeed at my job at Discovery Inc. These experiences gave a me an edge when applying to jobs and to my recent venture in grad school at the University of Southern California.

What are some of your fondest New York Tech memories?
Meeting my lifelong friends freshman year. We attended large events at school like Relay for Life and the end of the year cruise. Also, being a part of the student orientation team was a life-changing. Being an orientation leader helped me to come out of my shell and gain confidence in my ability to lead a large group and speak publicly. It was a year I’ll never forget!

Did you have any favorite professors or classes at New York Tech?
My favorite professors were Adjunct Communication Arts faculty James Wykoff, D.H.A., and Julie Price, M.S., who taught the Experiential Model: Advertising/ PR Agency class. The class was about creating an advertising campaign to help a real-life small business and pitching our ideas to them. Prior to this class, I had never worked with a professional in the advertising field. I was the team leader and lead the presentation, which is a skill I use every day at work with my presentations. Both professors were very open-minded and let the students be as creative as possible. They always had the students back when difficult issues with the clients came up. I always learned something useful and had a great time.

What advice do you have for incoming students at New York Tech?
My advice for incoming students is get to know as many people as you can during your time at New York Tech. These people can help you to further your career or just help you to navigate your current life. I would also recommend starting early with finding internships, so you can have the most experience as possible as you move along in your education.