Diversity Archives - Page 2 of 3 - The Voice of Job Seekers

5 Reasons Diversity Matters to Your Career

When you’re searching for a career, touting your diversity is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, many diverse individuals used to and still do purposefully hide their ethnicity or race because they don’t want to be hired because of their skin, or gender, or culture; they want to be hired for their skills, their knowledge, their experience, their capabilities. Likewise, let’s face it, they are still afraid of not being hired because of who they are.

The thing is though that as a diverse individual, some of your knowledge, experience, and capabilities are inextricably tied to your heritage or background, and it’s not always bad to own those aspects of your professional repertoire. In fact, now is the time to show potential employers just how much your diversity matters, and that it matters more now than ever. Why?

Listen to How to Get a Great Career Start with Janine Truitt and Chris Fields

1. You represent an underrepresented growing market segment

Almost 40% of the population is made up of minorities currently and that percentage is growing annually (US Census Bureau). If the population were to be correctly represented in the workforce, 40% of employees at any company should also, therefore be minorities. This is not the reality, however. In fact, there is a need for equal representation in most of corporate America.

Without proper representation reflecting the population, companies currently face a deficit of knowledge and will begin to lag in their ability to appeal to a market they don’t understand. Following a market segment is something companies spend billions on and having key players who are representative of those market segments is invaluable.

Spending more money on surveys will only get them so far; they need people, real people, who can speak to their audiences through marketing, product development, and tailored services.

Hence, sell your ability to understand a segment of the population you are a part of; own your market segment. Even brush up on what you need to know about the culture you represent so that you can feel comfortable selling yourself as a representative of that population. And yes, being a woman, LGBTQ, any race or ethnicity, disabled, or any other unique category counts, because each offers a diversity of ideas.

2. Lack of true not claimed, diversity won’t be acceptable in the not so distant future

With the new age of mass media and fast news, companies are under tougher scrutiny than ever. Many people go to social media to complain now — making these complaints available to the world immediately. Also, news outlets use citizen reporting and tips more than ever. So now a company’s integrity can be questioned and make headlines overnight.

Tech businesses in Silicon Valley got flack in 2016 for lack of diversity. Bad press is not good for business, and so many companies are now scrambling not to make the same mistake and get bad press for the same reasons. But ensuring your business’s staff is diversified, including at a senior and management level, takes time, effort, an attractive company culture, good recruitment strategies, and an inclusive atmosphere encourages employees to stay and move up.

You need to help businesses see why they need this, even if they haven’t fully understood it yet. Be a pioneer. And if they know why and what they are looking for, let them know why you’re the talent they have been waiting for, fitting and driving an inclusive potential culture like a glove.

Read 9 Snares In Your Job Search to Avoid

3. You’re wanted

Because of #1 and #2, many employers now know that they need to fill a diversity quota as a PR disaster avoidance technique, but they also are seeing the positive stats coming out about diverse teams and company overhead. Either way, they want diversity and want to know you will fulfill that bar.

This is a hard one for some because people want to be hired for more reasons than simply fulfilling a quota, but sometimes whatever gets you in there, allows you to prove yourself, and prove to them why they do, after all, need diversity. Use it as a chance to show resilience instead of taking offense to their lack of knowledge and understanding.

4. Post-racial America is still a vision, not a reality

President Obama recently said in his farewell address “…there was talk of a post-racial America. Such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic. For race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society. I’ve lived long enough to know race relations are better than they were 10, or 20, or 30 years ago — you can see it not just in statistics, but in the attitudes of young Americans across the political spectrum.

But we’re not where we need to be. All of us have more work to do. After all, if economic issues are framed as a struggle between a hard-working white middle class and undeserving minorities, then workers of all shades will be left fighting for scraps while the wealthy withdraw further into their private enclaves.

If we decline to invest in the children of immigrants, just because they don’t look like us, we diminish the prospects of our children — because those brown kids will represent a larger share of America’s workforce. And our economy doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. Last year, incomes rose for all races, all age groups, for men and women.”

Those brown kids need to see you hired. You need to help usher in a new era by helping employers understand the incoming majority. The sooner a workplace integrates and learns to be inclusive, the easier it will be for them to welcome the talent and uniquenesses of diverse teams. Company culture is an “it” topic currently, and you have an opportunity to be part of the molding of that.

Read 4 Job Search Resources to Change Your Life and Career

5. Your talent is just as good, of course, as ever

Most importantly, don’t doubt yourself. For years minorities, women, and other disadvantaged groups have faced ceilings in the employment world. Madeleine Albright once said, “there is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” In other words, women are already disadvantaged enough and therefore should not further the disadvantage by critiquing other women. Essentially, women should not doubt each other.

This thinking applies not only to all minority groups supporting each other, but also applies to supporting one’s self. There are enough doubters and “haters” out there, so don’t add yourself to the list of the adversaries you will face. Be proud and be bold and own that uniqueness and diversity, no matter what shape it comes in. Now, just as much as ever, your diversity is an asset.

Cherise Tolbert enjoys being an influencer among diverse job seekers across the country as the Social Media Manager for LatPro, Inc., an award-winning employment website network working to connect diverse, Hispanic, and bilingual job seekers with employers throughout the Americas. Cherise has her Master’s in Media Studies from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and a BS in Public Communications with a minor in Community and International Development from The University of Vermont. She has worked in communications for almost a decade including in higher education and non-profits. She also is a collegiate adjunct instructor teaching courses in Mass Media, Digital Culture, and Professional Writing.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Women Speak Up, and Government Job Internships for College Students

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Editor’s note: Congratulations to Linette Singleton (@NPDIVUS) and Yvonne Schuster (@SodexoYvonne) for winning Anna Runyan’s (@classycareer) e-book, “The Professional Woman’s Guide to Managing Men!”

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According to Linette Singleton (@NPDIVUS), founder of NonProfitDiversity.us, many women are too shy in talking about themselves to employers during interviews. She sent me the following tweet:

@markadyson? RT @ToyaNiles: Women are we holding ourselves back? What “resume verbs” are you using? #DavosWomen #gendergap @womensphere

— NonprofitDiversity (@NPDIVUS) January 26, 2014

Not a bad idea for a segment in the show, right? I contacted Anna Runyan who graciously agreed to offer advice to women who hesitate in speaking boldly and standing out in the working world.

Today’s guests are Anna Runyan (@classycareer), aka Classy Career Girl, has a new book called The Professional Woman’s Guide to Managing Men.

Bridget Roddy (@vsfsAtState), who is program manager of Virtual Students Foreign Service, a federal government program for current college students. She will give us more info how you, the college student, can participate in a worthwhile virtual internship program.

Is there a subject that would be helpful in knowing more about for your job search? You can contact me in two ways: email me at [email protected] or Leave me a voicemail message on any page of the blog at thevoiceofjobseekers.com.

Listen to the show and learn how to win a free copy of Anna’s book. We provided the transcript below of our conversation for you to enjoy as well.

Mark: Thank you so much for joining us, The Voice of Job Seekers . Today is a little bit special since that I’ve been getting just a little bit of feedback lately, in fact, let me tell you a little story. It is probably going to take about 30 seconds.

I was dragged into a conversation with women and interviewing and how it is hard for women to be open about their accomplishments.In other words, they find it very hard to brag about themselves. I just want to give a quick shout out to Lynette Singleton who’s the founder of a nonprofit diversity organization US, and I’ll have that information in a little bit. She’s a reader and a listener of our blog. She had initiated this discussion with me I guess she was in middle of discussion with someone else.

Anyway, I thought this would be an excellent topic for the show, and since we’re talking about excellence I just want to bring on Anna Runyan who is the founder of ClassyCareerGirl.com, which is her blog and podcast, with the same name. Anna is also a professor of Career Development Journalism and Management of DeVry University. Also, she’s the author of a newly released book entitled “Professional Women’s Guide to Managing Men”. Her site is a Forbes top 100 website for your career. Her career in office and fashion advice was featured in Peoples Stylewatch Magazine. I just wanted to invite Anna, welcome to the show and thank you for your patience Anna.

Anna: Of course and thank you for having me. I’m very excited to be here.

Mark: Glad you were able to join us. Now I’ve been watching for a while watching your video cast, the videos on YouTube and a couple of your webinars. You were sharing how it was your own struggles working with men and dealing with men, and I’m sure it kind of trickled into interviewing with men or women and I just would like for you to share a little bit about your background and a little bit about your struggles and how you came eventually to be a rock amongst men if you will.

Anna: That’s awesome. So, I worked for 8 years at a place called Booz Allen Hamilton, and it was a male-dominated industry. So I work for Navy military program, and what happened is I found it to be really tough to get my ideas heard, to communicate with the men, get that respect, and to build that trust. I felt kind of like an outsider, I was like the only woman and couldn’t get into that boys network.

I really struggled a lot, and I created a lot of stress. I was a perfectionist and they weren’t. I was putting a lot of stress on myself, but I learned a lot I hit rock bottom one day, and I said okay I have got to learn how to work with men and to manage men better if I wanted to succeed and reach my career goals.

So I kind of made up my own research project to kind of watch the men and see what they were doing and then I put it into a book and I blog about it now, and what I’ve learned and the mistakes I have made and its what I’m passionate about now. I love teaching other people what have learned and helping you all to not make the same mistakes that I did.

Mark: Right. Do you mind sharing with us a couple things that you struggled with, and how you were able to overcome them? What was probably the biggest thing that you had to struggle with as far as your abilities to open up and actually really be who you really are?

Anna: I think the biggest thing was being assertive. In the beginning, I was really scared to come out of my shell and kind of tell them what I thought. I think a lot of women we like people to like us we have that people-pleasing attitude we want people to like us, and I had to go out there and speak louder than I thought was loud. You’re not speaking too loud when you think you are in a group of men so once I started to raise my voice a little bit and asserted myself a little bit I kind of showed them that I had ideas I started speaking up in every meeting.

Getting over that bridge was probably the most difficult part but once I was able to assert myself I realize they don’t dislike me. They respected me more because I was able to assert myself and put my ideas out there. That’s the biggest thing. Women are afraid to be bitchy or they don’t want everyone to not like them I say go for it!

You have to put your ideas out there! I recommend once you’re in the meeting ask questions or provide some idea you have them put it out there because the men on your team want your strengths that other men don’t have and they want to hear that.

So don’t be afraid to provide that input to them and assert yourself.

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Mark: Now, did this trickle over to job interviews for you?

Anna: Actually I didn’t have too many issues a lot of my interviews were with women, but with the interviewing process, I definitely learned a lot about confidence and not to be timid when you are in an interview and talking about yourself. The biggest thing is for interviews, is kind of going back to what you said in the introduction is promoting yourself.

Women have a tough time promoting themselves and put their selves out there we like to be humble. I’m totally like that my dad was constantly bragging about me as a child and I was like stop dad. I don’t like all the attention on me, but that’s what I had to learn for interviews you have to go out there and tell all your accomplishments not just a task you did but really promoting yourself and telling the great things that you’ve done with a lot of confidence.

So that’s what I’ve learned the most with interviewing you really have to promote yourself and put yourself out there you can’t float on by you need to talk about some stuff that you did and promote yourself.

Mark: I don’t consider people telling about their accomplishments and the results they’ve had as necessarily bragging but I guess to put people in the right frame of mind is that the way we have to put it bragging about ourselves or are we just being truthful about whom we are and what we have accomplished?

Anna: I think you said it exactly right A lot of times we are sitting in our cubicles working really hard to make something perfect which is what I was doing but I wasn’t telling one what I was doing.

I wasn’t sharing great e-mails and great compliments I was receiving and I see that a lot in the workplace especially for women.

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We are working so hard, but you have to remember share that e-mail, spread that word, and tell people the awards and accomplishments you are receiving and this is another key thing when they say good job you have to say thank you back. You can’t say its no big deal you have to show value in yourself and what you bring to the table. So make sure you take that “oh, it’s no big deal out of your vocabulary”.

You always want to be telling people what you are doing and talking about your accomplishments every week you don’t want to just work, work, work, you want to tell people how you doing. I once had an assessment process where I wanted to get promoted to a higher level and my manager didn’t even know all the great things that I was doing. He said, “No we can’t promote you you’re not qualified yet”.

And I turned around I had presented this whole presentation of all the stuff that I have been doing that I had for the past year, all the accomplishments and the manager experience I had and then he turned around and promote me because I had all the stuff that I have been doing. But it was bad on my part because I had not told him the whole year I waited until my annual review, so you have to make sure you’re constantly doing that.

Mark: I think you have to make sure you doing that and women are not the only ones who struggle with that honestly. With me and when we do do that with a kind of exaggerated a little on our accomplishments sometimes. We do brag, and it does come across as slightly arrogant because we go the extra mile in doing that. Do you think that maybe Women need to think about the extra mile to get to the next destination?

Anna: I feel your right men do have an easier time bragging about themselves and promoting themselves and I think it is just the extra step and forcing yourself, and I’m doing the same thing right now with my book. I have to work really hard promoting myself and promoting my book and sometimes it feels uncomfortable, but I have to push myself past that to the next step and be like yeah I did write a book and it was an accomplishment. Sometimes I even forget to do that little extra step as well. Is just really take it in next up and showing people what you really bring.

Mark: Well let me just ask you a little practical advice what if that woman does get the job, she walks in and here are all the male influence that she’s been immersed in. What are some of the tips that women can apply to their work life when they first walk through the door and realize it’s a male dominant workplace?

Anna: One of the things for women is knowing how to communicate with men. And so I think from the very beginning is knowing that men want to get right to the point. So when you are talking to them you need to present that first deliverable to present to them and make sure you get right to the point, don’t give to much storytelling. You want to tell them as soon as possible what that important thing is.

Also remember to focus on the big picture A lot of women kind of get down on the details of all of the things that they have to do. Especially when you get started you want to focus on the big picture. If you’re just starting one of the things that I struggle with is having the perfectionist attitude when you want things to be perfect. You just starting and you can’t be perfect so be willing to make mistakes and go out of your comfort zone because that’s the only way you really going to learn.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and assert yourself to ask questions as long as they have smart questions and show that you really catching on and you’re learning. Asking questions is a great way to assert yourself and show your knowledge and that you really want to learn. So these are some tips right in the beginning I think will really help women.

Mark: In my experience, I used to be a part of a management team once upon a time the general expectations at least in my time that no one’s going to be perfect but when you try to be perfect that’s where a little conflict may go awry. Has that been your experience as well?

Anna: Yes, it creates a lot of stress. I look back over time I can recall a time when I was stressed out. I was trying to make spreadsheets perfect, I was trying to make all my reports perfect, and I was working a lot of hours that I didn’t need to, I was staying late, coming in early and on weekends just to try to be perfect.

And I noticed there were a lot more men on my team having fun, using humor and jokes, competitions, and just having fun and enjoying their jobs. At one point, I was thinking why do I hate my job and they all love their job?

I noticed there was something different here, and that’s when I started to relax a little bit and focus on the 80% solution.

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That’s what I think now. Instead of trying to be 115% correct just focus on being 80% correct as much as possible.

That factors in when you are making decisions too, sometimes you have to make it a skill to wing it you have to go with the best decision that you have at that point, you may not have all the information, but is really important to show you have confidence in yourself and your decisions when you’re in the spotlight.

Mark: Well that’s interesting you say that, I kind of read between the lines here. You seem to be the person that once you have it all together you focused a little more about the relationship with men and being part of the workflow than you did in trying to impress them. Do you think that’s also a key in building a relationship and trying to get a return on the relationship by getting the respect but first applying the relationship part of it?

Anna: I think that it’s crucial, and I always say that my relationship started almost overnight it changed when I started going to the social events they were having and we started to build a trust. It wasn’t in the working environment, but it was after work and a little bit more relaxed and I could hang out and I got to know them, and they got to know me a little bit better to and I will tell you my work changed the next day and it was because they had more trust and respect for me and they knew me better.

So I think is really important on building that trust, building that respect with the men that you work with. And then, you can occasionally throw in those promotive things in there but I will for sure build trust and respect first before you enter promoting yourself and trying to talk all about yourself.

Mark: Yeah, I think it’s intuitive that you know when that trust comes and respect comes. I think trust is really an easier word to kind of swallow rather than respect because respect we know as this very short but very powerful word than trust. Trust is just given at different times some people get it faster than others. When you’ve earned the trust, the respect, and even the accolades will even come after you’ve earned that trust.

Anna: Exactly. Yeah, I think it’s just really important in the workplace to be honest and truthful and transparent. It’s important when you are managing especially men not to sugarcoat anything. Always when you’re giving feedback to a man is different from giving it to a woman you definitely want to be straight up and give them information that they need right away.

Mark: One of the things I’ve been talking a lot to with the clients than here on the show is that you’ve really got to give a lot of more value, and values are going to come with trust, and all that road is going to lead up to is having a voice. A voice is going to be yours, it’s going to be unique. So therefore, you build the relationships, you’ve gained the trust and eventually people will care about hearing from you more but sometimes you do have to be assertive, and you have to be willing to put yourself out there it’s a very vulnerable place, especially if you fearful of rejection.

Anna: Definitely. And the people that you work with I mean they want to work with people who are knowledgeable and experienced. So the more you can show them how knowledgeable and how great you are that’s only going to show them how much trustworthy you are.

They are going to want to come to you for your advice, and for you training, and for your teaching and that’s only going to help your career. Training and motivating people looks great, so it’s a win-win situation even when you’re promoting yourself it’s also helping people understand what your skills are what you’re knowledgeable about so they can come to you for advice.

Mark: That was great stuff Anna. Share a little bit about your book for us. You just released it on Valentine’s Day is that correct?

Anna: Yeah, I just released it last week and it’s been going really well. It’s called “The Professional Women Guide to Managing Men”. And it’s how to guidebook about how to work with men and it have a lot of stories in there, a lot of step-by-step advice so you’re going to find a lot of actionable steps you can take. If not full of a lot of fluff it is basically your how-to manual. I think every professional woman needs to read it. I have a lot of great feedback coming in. We made it to number 30 in Women and Business category on Amazon last week. It’s a great book, and I’m hearing a lot of great reviews.

Mark: Well that’s fantastic. And I think both you and I have interviewed Emily Bennington who wrote the forward to your book. But, that was awesome to be able to have her do the forward there.

Anna: Oh she was amazing. On the blog, you can actually read her forward she wrote. But I was so honored to have her write. She also wrote, “Who Says it’s a Man’s World?” and we should talk about her book too. Yes, she’s a great author and role model for me. I am honored. Its like you go out there and ask someone to do your forward, it’s scary, but once they do and love your book it’s like your book is complete.

Mark: Yes, and I actually gave away that copy of the book as well when it first came out. And there is a lot of people who really like that book, and the book has received great feedback for the review that I gave as well. Just to close out the interview tell us about your leadership academy that you have going.

Anna: Yes so I have a leadership academy that is starting in March and its basically a 6 month program. It goes through every aspect that a female leader would need to know starting from delegation, time management, and going into your female leadership strengths so you can figure out your female leadership style.

It ends with your network action plan, a career promotion plan so basically you have everything you need. It’s for women who are in a job but want to take it to the next level. So they may be in their job but just know they are stuck and need to hit that next leadership level or executive level but need that extra push and that is what that the program is for.

Mark: I definitely want to respect your time and your effort here. If you don’t mind, can you please give us your information if people want to get in touch with you and about your book? How can they contact you or buy your book?

Anna: They can contact me if they go to my website at www.Classycareergirl.com and I’m also on Twitter @Classycareer, and if they want to check out my book its on Amazon and its called “The Professional Women’s Guide to Managing Men” and they can search my name Anna Runyan. I have a free leadership course on my website www.ClassyCareergirl.com

Mark: Anna thank you. And you’ve been listening to Anna Runyan at www.ClassyCareergirl.com , author, great and all around nice person. Thank you

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Seeking Diversity Workplace with Susan Reed

Susan E. Reed wrote The Diversity Index in 2011, which I find relevant as companies resist and other companies forge a diverse workforce. Reed’s in depth look at diversity unearth dialogue and initiatives that reaches back prior to the Civil Rights act of 1964. Reed is a for CBS News producer who has won two Emmys as a reporter and her work has appeared in the New York Times and the Washington Post among others. She offered some reflection and insight on diversity in the workplace in the last two years.

I like sharing these types of conversations because the universal workplace has become a very complex environment to people of color and to women. It helps to have varying perspectives to make informed decisions who want to work for companies that promote diversity and inclusion, but also who will be fair to all.

Mark: Since you’ve written the book two years ago are more companies proactively transforming their culture to a more diverse one?

Susan Reed: I have been pleasantly surprised to find companies that are actively trying to make their organizations more diverse. I know that because I meet diversity directors at forums where specialists are sharing best practices.

Mark: Are there recruiting efforts that matches the intent of companies that wish to change?

SR: Yes. I see recruiters looking for people everywhere: on LinkedIn, on Facebook, college campuses, and at inner city job fairs.

Mark: What are common mistakes companies make in hiring a diverse workforce?

SR: If you put one individual with very different characteristics into a homogeneous pool of workers, they will experience greater stress in trying to fit in, get along and be accepted than if you hired two or three very diverse people at once.

Mark: There is a study that came out last year that said that CEOs desired for employees to have more of a global perspective, yet many companies still are lacking in diversity. There seems to be an anomaly somewhere. Any ideas why executives fail to see the discrepancy?

SR: Everybody has a different definition of diversity. Some think only of gender diversity, others think only of racial diversity. Folks who have international experience tend to think in terms of international diversity. One can have international diversity without racial or gender diversity. For instance, nearly 10 percent of executive officers of the Fortune 100 are white men who were born outside of the U.S., exemplifying how international diversity can exist without racial or gender diversity. All of us need to think more expansively about the many aspects diversity, including ability and sexual diversity.

Mark: Companies that are diverse and make efforts to maintain a longitudinal outlook seem to also share lots of transparency. Is this an accurate assessment?

SR: Yes, I think you’re right. Many companies with a deep history in diversity will sponsor employee resource groups, and publish a general census of the diversity of their workers. They often post the information on their websites.

Mark: Should job seekers that desire to work for diverse and inclusive companies expect work related transparency as well? Are there companies that already employ this thought that you know of?

SR: In my study, I found that the government contractors who had deep history with diversity–going back to affirmative action in the 1960s– were the most experienced at creating a diverse workforce.

Mark: So a job seeker is hired by an ideal company must experience a special type of empowerment. As that a safe assessment or is that assuming too much?

SR: The new hire should assume he or she is wanted to perform the job, but I’m not sure it is reasonable to assume any special empowerment because companies are very complex organizations.