Dear LinkedIn Diary: About Career Advancement

*cue Moesha music*

Dear. LinkedIn. Diary…

Let me first congratulate myself on completing another entry. *throws confetti* Diaries are where we share intimate secrets, right? So, be prepared for more vulnerability.

Earlier this month, I came across a TikTok by a gentleman in senior leadership named Jay Maliq. His page is dope as he provides insights and guidance on navigating corporate.

His stitch on “tell me something a job has taught you that you will never forget,” activated a soft spot within me I never reconciled. In his six-minute entry,?the part that stood out was his insights on three things one can achieve in corporate: to create a business that competes in a current or new industry, climb the corporate ladder (or not), or become a specialist in an area that increases our marketability—becoming the “solve” for a business.

Sidebar: has anyone talked about how weird corporate jargon is for turning nouns into verbs and vice versa?

Let me stay focused.

The eye opener and, dare I say, the anger I felt when he said it. I wish I knew this was where I should place my focus. Spent years trying to feel my way through. Asking may seem like the obvious solution; however, my time in social services taught me not knowing what to ask, blinds you from autonomy and access.

If I had the language and some insights, my corporate years would've been different. I recall working at a large publishing company as a marketing assistant. One of the three managers I reported to wanted to help me move into an area I wanted to pursue, but no matter her influence, the doors closed in my face at every turn.

Post-grad was an even bigger eye-opener.

I became acquainted with an EVP of Communications for a large broadcast station, and despite her glowing recommendation, helping me fine-tune my resume, and placing it on the hiring manager’s desk herself, it still wasn’t enough.

These reflections guided me to the value of mentorship.

I’ve listened to friends and colleagues chat about their mentors and how they’ve helped them progress in their careers and felt a void. The sentiment is that mentors find you, so I assumed I wasn’t dynamic enough to be found and spent years dodging attacks and harassment on the job. I only hoped to make an impact and do dynamic work, but perhaps it wasn’t enough or too much.

Maybe I’m too much.

I made the connection late, but I’ve always strived for the “soft life” in my work—smarter versus harder. Because I’m a fixer, when I see a problem or have a solution, I want to implement it immediately. Why over-exert ourselves when we can channel that energy in other ways? Unfortunately, no one encouraged me. Halted before I began.

And of course, hindsight is 20/20 because no one, not even me, knew I had ADHD or that I was exhibiting hyper-fixation.

But…

Having someone to guide me in understanding these attributes and turning them into valuable skills would’ve transformed my life.

In my short stint as a DEI practitioner, I met some women whom I thought would be great contacts to lean on in the industry. I desired to connect with women, in particular, who do this work and sought advice on the best ways to navigate building a sustainable practice, in my then, organization. But when I reached out to connect—crickets.

It disheartened me and reminded me that people often manufacture their excitement to connect, and not all skinfolk are kinfolk.?

What wish for all Black employees is to experience the value of mentorship. We navigate so many unseen challenges and to have a trusted confidant or colleague to provide objectivity and guidance is incomparable. Even to help regulate our emotions.

I never had that.

And to my knowledge, no one cared enough, or maybe I didn’t feel safe enough.

My elders taught me to give my all on a job and it would make me indispensable, but it had the opposite effect. It incited feelings of intimidation. This grotesque desire to contain me. People used their authority to stunt my growth, play puppeteer, and keep me in my place. Despite my best efforts to break free, I couldn't find a path that didn't leave me unscathed, and that had a profound impact on me early in my career.

How can someone emphasize career advancement when they spend their day combating microaggressions, being pitted against their colleagues, and made to feel they can do nothing right?

I’m reimagining what career advancement looks like for me as a creative practitioner, and an essential lesson I learned: right idea, wrong environment. Seems like career advancement looks like aligning with the right environment where I can spread my creative wings and blossom into the dynamic person I’ve always been.

Anyhoo… thanks again for listening.

Until we meet again.

*cue Moesha music*