7 Networking Tips for Minorities in Tech
How to surround yourself with allies, step by step.
I am not your typical tech worker. I am a queer woman, and tech is my second career. Anyone who can relate and has sat in enough male-dominated meetings knows that two things become obvious after working in the field for awhile. First, networking is invaluable. Second, the more similar you are to the elite college educated, straight, white male, tech worker stereotype, the better you’ll do, because the simpler networking is.
When you go to college, at least half of what you’re purchasing isn’t a degree, it’s a professional network and grooming process that trains you to think and behave in the way that people in power expect (credit to Chomsky for this observation). When you’re a minority or an outsider— whether by birth, upbringing, or personal decisions — you may not have access to these robust, professional networks. Thus, you must fiercely advocate for yourself lest you risk falling through the cracks.
If you need another reminder: big tech companies like Microsoft, Facebook, and Google are overwhelming male and overwhelmingly white. FAANG companies employ around one million people worldwide. So many families’ livelihoods would substantially improve with better diversity and inclusion across the high paying tech sector. This fantasy becomes reality when the underrepresented minorities of tech band together and form groups that challenge and progress the status quo. This is possible only through networking.
First, I want to acknowledge my privileges as a college-educated, white, cis person in good mental and physical health. While I cannot give specific advice to black or indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), most queer folks, or other marginalized groups, I am sharing my experience because I think it’s generalizable enough to be useful for people of different backgrounds. That said, YMMV.
I used to be afraid of networking, like it was something reserved for extreme extroverts or people far more capable than me. Networking is, simply put, making connections. Deciding to go to an event and sit next to someone is networking. Here, I’ll list some networking ideas from beginner to advanced that will strengthen the bond you have with other technologists in your communities.
Level 0
- Go to a local event hosted by a tech enthusiasts group. If you live near a city, Meetup groups will likely exist. To find a new group, search for keywords that focus on the demographic or tech you’re interested in, e.g.: (women, BIPOC, queer, LGBTQ+), or (JavaScript, python, machine learning, or AR/VR). Bonus: in a pre-pandemic world, tech Meetups frequently provided free food and drinks.
- Join your company’s ERGs. If your company offers employee resource groups (ERGs), find and join the group(s) that apply best to your identity or the identities of people you want to support as an ally or advocate.
- Make an introductory post once you are invited into a Meetup or ERG group discussion board. Don’t overthink it — just share a recent picture, some background info, and a peek into your skills or hobbies. Sometimes that’s all you need for a connection to land.
- Reach out to people in your organization if you’re currently employed. If there are people whose work you’re interested in or who you’ve always wanted to know, set up set up 15 minute, introductory 1:1s to connect. Nobody has ever turned me away when I’ve requested this.
Level 1
- Schedule a lunch with people from your social group or company organization that you connected with in Level 0. For example, reserve a lunch slot on people’s calendars called “Women of AI.” Feel free to come up with a loose agenda for discussion, but keep it mostly casual.
- Give a lightning talk or teach a short lesson at work or in your Meetup chapter. Don’t fret about writing the material — there are plenty of free resources out there like The Carpentries that provide the content for live coding classes (I’ve personally taught The Unix Shell several times).
Level 2
- Become an event organizer for a local Meetup chapter or your workplace ERG. Schedule events like the lightning talks I discussed in Level 1. Host resume writing workshops and mock interview practices. Lift up the other people in your community, and become a networking enabler.
Conclusion
While late nights studying alone will motorize your career, networking will give you wings. I’ve shared some of my favorite strategies that have worked well for me, but I’m sure there are hundreds more beyond my reckoning. I’d love to hear what’s worked for you! Please feel free to reach out to me via email or Twitter.
If you’re interested in hearing more of my story, check out my other blog posts:
