ULMS graduate Zaina Mayet uses Instagram to make economics more accessible with Econ Comics
ULMS graduate Zaina Mayet (BSc Economics, 2017) works as a Business Planning Manager at Standard Chartered Bank in Saudi Arabia.
To help pass the time whilst job hunting, she started Econ Comics, a user-friendly guide to economics on Instagram. The page explores advanced and beginner topics through original comics, infographics and study guides and Zaina creates all the graphics and designs from scratch. The page has almost 24.5K followers.
We asked Zaina more about her business idea, take a look below:
You started Econ Comics whilst job hunting. Do you think it helped you to secure a graduate role?
Absolutely! Recent graduates are not expected to have lots of work experience so employers are always interested to see other ways an applicant has been able to add value. I would encourage everyone to pursue their hobbies, as it will always result in improving your soft skills which are extremely important in any workplace.
You raised the point: ‘Who says Instagram can’t be educational?’ What do you think about the platform?
I didn’t believe Instagram was a meritocracy until I started working on content creation. Instagram is unique in the way it allows information and ideas to spread. Some ideas/topics are harmful to society and we are limited in the way we can control the spread of information (repressing ideas spreads ideas). Equally though, it has helped a lot of ordinary individuals expand their platforms globally.
How do you balance your role at Standard Chartered Bank with running Econ Comics?
I have received support and encouragement from my colleagues at all levels of the Bank, all the way to senior management. I think work-life balance is definitely an amazing feature of working at Standard Chartered so I have been super lucky on that front!
What’s your favourite part of running Econ Comics?
The best part is that I get to have fun! I get to test out my ideas, take risks, and connect with amazing people.
Dewi Townley, second year student and President of the University of Liverpool’s Economics Society for 2022/23 said:
“I have read through some of Zaina's comics and think they are great! They give a concise overview of many important topics in the world of economics in a fun and creative way. They are perfect for students like me as they are informative and engaging and I look forward to reading more of her posts in the future!”