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NWA❗️
Got the call for this piece yesterday.
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Chief
Additional Posts in Black Professionals In Accounting
Bowl Leader
Today was a good day
Bowl Leader
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Get the CPA soon. They judge you if you don’t
Once you’ve reached a reviewer level, remember to treat up and coming POC fairly, i.e. don’t be ten times more critical as you would be if they were a non-POC. I made this mistake a few years ago and the associate left the firm very shortly after. As POCs that ultimately reach a management level and become more involved in recruiting and retention, I believe it is incumbent upon us to work to end the notion and trend, and the resulting pressure that we have to be 10x better than our non-POC counterparts for the same job and compensation.
It’s ok to be yourself. When asked about your weekend, it’s ok to say you went to Afropunk or the family cookout. I used to be very vague or evasive about my experiences because I felt like I was on an island because I knew nothing about going golfing or camping like my counterparts… this was quickly misconstrued as me being shy or or stand-offish.
You'll be the only POC in the room more often than not. Be confident
Find a mentor for yourself as soon as possible - preferably both a bit higher up, and much higher up to guide your steps. If you can find both POC and nonPOC mentors, even better. Different views add up.
Don’t say sorry a lot, even as a coping mechanism because you think it makes the moment friendlier. It impacts how you’re viewed. Blind spots and unconscious bias, are real. Halo effect is real. Retaliation is real. Being pushed out when you don’t fit is real. Yes everyone is aware you’re the only POC, even when saying insensitive comments.
Your mistakes may be viewed more critically, so be thoughtful and careful. Listen more than you speak, but make sure you speak. You need to be viewed as a contributor. When dealing with passive aggressiveness, micro aggressions, gaslighting and hypersensitivity, you won’t win giving them what they give you. Be your best self but remember you are not the standard, so your “norm” is not someone else’s norm or even acceptable.
Bowl Leader
This is the best advice, I've seen. Wish I would have truly understood it all earlier on my career.
Thank you.
Don’t be afraid to ask others for help and you aren’t alone, I learned this the hard way 😅
Bowl Leader
Build the network (like this one), as it helps with having resources with situations that come up and if nothing else, you learn that you're not the only one on an island.