The Partnerships organization at Meta embodies collaboration, working seamlessly with a diverse mix of companies and individuals in the media, finance, commerce, gaming and community spaces.

“Our team serves as a bridge between Meta and our external partners,” Alejandro C., a strategic partner manager, explains. “Not only do we help our external partners use Meta technologies to help achieve their goals, but we also relay feedback from them to internal teams so we can improve our products.”

Alejandro continues, “Partnerships is a fantastic organization for people of all experience levels, including those who are early on in their careers. Their fresh perspectives help us see products from a new lens, and are critical when bringing a new product to market. The impact you can make on this team is endless. No problem is too small to solve.”

Alejandro works on the Commerce team, focusing on the automotive and real estate industries. From enabling chat features to connect buyers with dealers to licensing data from partners to help buyers make informed decisions while using our products, an important part of his role is collaborating with partners for feedback. “We want to help drive auto and real estate industries forward through new products and tools,” says Alejandro. “I don’t have prior real estate or automotive industry experience. But I’m passionate about seeking out new information that will impact the products we create.”

Alejandro especially appreciates the independence he has and the strategic thinking involved in his role. “We have total autonomy in our work,” he says. “We’re not selling a product. Instead, we’re helping bring new products to market.”

As part of the Media Partnerships team in LATAM, Heitor S. works with news outlets, influencers, creators and public figures to help them make the most of their presence in Meta technologies.

“We’re constantly working with our partners to determine new ways our products and technologies can be used. For example, people all around the world use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family. But what if they could also use it to buy tickets for events? Unlocking these new capabilities is one of the most exciting parts of my job.”

Heitor has been on the Media Partnerships team for six years, and he says knowing he’s always at the tip of innovation is what keeps him going. “What’s the digital evolution of things like live sports and virtual reality? How can Meta work with news partners to understand and combat misinformation? Finding the answers to these questions keeps me inspired every day.”

“There is no one background that we look for when hiring. I have colleagues that used to be journalists, psychologists, graphic designers, economists—you name it,” says Heitor. “We’re looking for adaptability and critical and forward-thinking skills. Consider how you can take your past experiences and apply them to what we’re doing here. Those are the characteristics that will make you successful.”

Joining the Partnerships team was personal for Amala O. “Growing up as a first generation Nigerian Black woman, I often didn’t feel like I was represented in mainstream media. From film to magazines, I always hoped there would be someone who looked like me. I wanted to see more representation in our culture, and knew I would have the opportunity to make a difference at Meta.”

When Amala first joined Meta as a Partner Manager straight out of college, her role was to consult agencies on how to help grow their businesses using Facebook. In her spare time, Amala met with minority-owned small businesses, pursuing her passion of helping underrepresented groups succeed. “I met with over 100 small businesses owners to understand both their opportunities and challenges. Doing this work opened the door for me to step into my new role as a strategic partner manager. Recently, in a meeting with my manager, I mentioned a small business I had met with, and she immediately asked if I wanted to add them as a partner. Since we’ve started supporting them, they have hit the ground running, and were even featured in the local news as a Black business to watch,” Amala shares.

By melding her passions and work into one, Amala now works as a strategic partner manager, helping small businesses and minority-owned brands get discovered by new audiences, build their commerce content strategy and sell their products on Instagram. “I think it’s common to feel that you need to have two different personalities when you enter the workforce. A professional life and a personal life that you keep separate. When you are hired at Meta, don’t check your passions at the door. Find the synergy between the work you do and the things you love to do and be vocal about them. When I learned to blend my personal passions with work, that’s when I truly felt like I had stepped into my dream job.” Amala concludes.