Dear Black Women: Stop Selling Yourself Short When You’re Job Searching
“I found this job posting and I have all the qualifications, except for one thing…..I’m not sure I should apply.”
One thing?!?! Are you kidding me? Girl, you went to Harvard undergrad, got your MBA at Wharton, and you have 10 years of experience and you’re worried about one thing? Go ahead and apply for that job!
I find myself saying this far too often to friends whom I know are more than qualified for the roles they are unsure about applying to. Studies show that women, in general, are less confident than men when applying to jobs due to confidence gap, imposter syndrome, and a host of other factors.
When it comes to Black women, there’s more than just confidence gap. We face racism and unconscious bias in the hiring process, and it gets real old real fast. We live in a systematically racist society that heavily impacts hiring practices. White men have historically and still benefit from white male privilege when job searching. And, white men still hold the majority of leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies. It sounds dismal, but, we can’t make changes and open doors for other women of color if we don’t at least try and apply to jobs we think you're unqualified for due to one missing qualifier.
I’m not telling you to scam and be a whole scandal like Billy McFarland, the fraudulent man behind Fyre Festival. That man had no credentials, no receipts, and no accolades. Don’t apply for a job if you're familiar with the industry, and the role requires double the years you’ve been working, and you have three out of 12 qualifications. I’m talking about applying to the job that makes your eyes light up, and while reading the description, you tell yourself, “I can definitely do this job because I have experience in everything they’re looking for…..expect this one thing.” Girl, you're selling yourself short!
If you want to stop selling yourself short, you need to be very intentional during your job search. Here are five things you can do:
Have at least one job search accountability partner and encourager. Ask someone who knows your work and what you’re capable of doing to hold you accountable during your job search. For example, one of your girlfriends, a mentor, or a trusted coworker. Ask them to take a look at a couple of job postings that interest you and be very honest about if they think you should apply. Don’t feel bad about asking them for help; a real friend, mentor, or trusted coworker wants to see you succeed.
Tailor your resume! This is one of the best things you can do in your job search. Open your resume on the device of your choice and open the job description. Review each responsibility listed in the job description and write the experience you’ve had that aligns. Remember to think about transferable skills and how they are applicable to the role you’re applying to. Here’s more info about how to tailor a resume.
Some career coaches recommend the 80/20 rule when applying to jobs. If you have experience in 80% of what the role requires, you should strongly consider applying, especially if you’ve been working in the industry for several years. Remember to tailor your resume to the role!
Apply to at least one “stretch” job every week during your job search. If you have experience in at least half of the job responsibilities, you’re very familiar with the industry, and the role interests you, tailor your resume, apply and let it go. Don’t overthink it. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get an interview. Apply (with a tailored resume!) and try your best to detach yourself from the outcome.
Affirmations!! An active job search can have you questioning your whole life and the value of all your degrees. You’ll face rejection, and convince yourself that your current toxic work environment where your boss always has a microaggression to share whenever you change your hair and uses your salad dressing in the fridge without asking isn’t so bad after all. Girl, please stop! You have to practice daily affirmations when you’re looking for a new job so you can remind yourself of how amazing, hard-working, and smart you are. If you don’t want to say them out loud, write them down on a post-it note and stick them to your mirror. Here are potential affirmations you can say/write.
BONUS: When applying, take it one step further and do some research on LinkedIn to see if you can find the hiring manager and email your resume directly (especially for those stretch jobs). Or, find someone you’re connected with who works at the company and ask if they can refer you for the position.
That’s it! Happy job hunting! And remember.....
