Job Searching, Networking and My Undocumented Camouflage Mentality
Late night reflections… It’s about to get real
We’ve all probably heard one of the following: “attend networking events”, “it’s about who you know”, “just go network”. This was a topic that was wildly talked about in college, yet I didn’t really understand how to actually network. How do I talk to someone that I don’t know and get a job from that? Isn’t that weird? Doesn’t it feel deceiving to get to know someone just because they can help me land a job? What if they don’t respond? What if I say something dumb? What if I just blank out?
All these questions and more, kept racing through my head. It can be stressful to approach professionals who can influence your career — whether in a good or bad way. Fear and anxiety were my biggest barriers. Fear of putting myself out there and maybe saying something that would jeopardize myself — even worse, my family. Bragging about myself felt uncomfortable. Besides, I’m just a normal person trying to learn more about this whole networking thing. In the U.S., networking is expected if you want to advance in your career. Okay, fine. I’ll give it a try. Wait…where do I even start? I don’t know anyone…
Growing up, I continuously kept getting the “talk” in Spanish. My mom would say something like,
“Don’t get in trouble. Don’t talk to anyone you don’t know. Come straight home after school. If you see someone with a badge, avoid them. Whatever you do, don’t get stopped by police.”
Some of these phrases are all too familiar among the undocumented community. From a young age, some kids already know not to bring attention to themselves or their families. There is always this constant fear and worry that if you do something wrong or something that exposes your family’s status, then the police or ICE will come and separate your family. For most of my life, I was oblivious to the fact that I grew up in a mixed-status family. I grew up thinking that we were all undocumented for a long time. We all followed the same rules of laying low and not bringing any attention to ourselves. Everyone would come back home straight from either work or school. We would maybe see relatives at big events like a quinceañera or a wedding. I never talked about those issues with my parents or siblings. It was just common sense not to challenge or question my mom’s decisions — 12 out of 10 times, I would lose by default.
I didn’t know I was a U.S. Citizen until I was applying to college. I had my suspicions but nothing concrete. At the end of the day, being a citizen child didn’t exempt me from experiencing the same fears and anxiety my undocumented family members felt. I was worried that any of my family members could be deported at any time. I could be in school and next thing I know, I come home to an empty apartment. Who would I live with if they weren’t there? I was still a minor, how would I survive? Would I need to drop out of high school? I wanted to be the first in my family to graduate high school and college. I was scared of that not being possible. I decided to attend NYU because I would be close to home — just in case of an emergency. I am fortunate to benefit from my citizenship but some of the frustrations, fears, and anxieties lingered in college.
While at networking events I would often see my peers sharing a lot about themselves and I remember thinking, isn’t that too much information? Why do I need to know where your parents work? Was that bit of information necessary? I’m not telling you where mine work. What if their workplace gets raided? That’s when I realized how much of a privilege it is to be able to think about the future, your goals, and even have time to plan it out. Low income folks like my family are just trying to make it through each day and there you are talking about 5 years? Damn. Am I in the wrong place?
Some folks have more trouble than others when it comes to bragging about themselves — myself included. Networking requires a degree of vulnerability that many folks with a similar background to mine can’t afford. It’s hard transitioning from a private and reserved individual to being open about what you do, where you see yourself in your career, and small talk in general. These conversations didn’t occur frequently enough while growing up. Back then, I didn’t really have a chance to take a step back and think about what I wanted. The dynamics of my family revolved around getting food on the table and any other immediate needs.
Career growth? Goals? What were those? Those weren’t a thing for me until college came around. Even then, college for me was about graduating, paying off my debt, and getting a better paying job. In my family, college was viewed as this golden ticket to a better life. I often failed to set some time aside to pause and think about myself and what I wanted. This is an essential step that needs to happen before you can start getting it together. What are my likes/dislikes? What goals do I want to set up for myself? Who am I and where do I fit? It seems like I’m involved in two completely different worlds and I don’t know where I belong or which direction to head towards.
The biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome was being okay with asking for help. I didn’t really need it when I was younger. I was the one providing translations and developing solutions. I remember explaining what Chemical Engineering entails to my mom in Spanish, as this was my major in college. My first thoughts were: Oh, shit. This is hard. How do I say this in Spanish? Is there even a word for this in Spanish? Even when I didn’t understand something, I found ways to figure it out but when it came to my career I didn’t know where to begin. I felt like I would bothering someone with my questions or that I could probably find answers to my questions online… somewhere. It’s just weird receiving help when I’m so used to being the one providing answers.
One of my strongest skills is translating.
It’s not just about the process of rendering complex issues into simple terms or another language, but the practice of being careful with the words you choose. Sometimes the direct Google translations from English to Spanish don’t make sense so I have to iteratively adjust the words I use until I have successfully communicated what I actually meant. This skill is highly valuable but how do I put this on my resume?
Job: Translator for my parents?
They didn’t pay me so it wasn’t a job.
This happened more when I was younger but still happens today.
Should my start date be when I was 6 years old?
How do I showcase my intangible skills through a resume when it’s technically not relevant to Data Science roles?
ATS currently detects how compatible you are for a particular role based on your resume but it can’t read into the potential of a candidate. Behind these resumes are people with extraordinary potential. We’re talking about a very resilient population — a population that relies on their work, their spirituality, the social support of families, even though they might not be here. They might not typically come from a straight path (college → corporate experience → higher corporate position) but they are capable of achieving success. There are candidates that want to do great things and are committed to serving their communities but will inevitably get rejected early on without a chance to be heard. How do you find talent that simply flies under the radar?
Fortunately, I found mentors that pushed me to think outside the box and build out a plan to reach my goals. Networking is vital not just for job searching but also for personal growth.
As I mentioned before, it requires a degree of vulnerability but it’s definitely a lot easier with the right environment and practice. I met one of my recent mentors at a Data Science for Product Development event. She was presenting and mentioned her career path at the beginning of her talk. After the presentation, a sea of students were surrounding her — ready to ask follow up questions. I stood there listening to all the questions that were asked, hoping my question wouldn’t be asked. I wanted to ask more about her experience working at a small company vs a large company but I didn’t have the courage to speak up. I blanked out when it was my turn to finally say something and asked another random question. I don’t recall what it was but I’m sure I didn’t leave a good impression. The next day, I reached out via LinkedIn to thank her for her time, introduce myself, and see if there was a chance to discuss the topic. Hitting that send key button on LinkedIn was wild. I remember screaming, “AAAHHHHH!!!” and cringing as the message sent. I was expecting radio silence but to my surprise, I had a phone call set up for the following Monday.
None of this would be possible if it weren’t for attending that event. Meeting people at networking events or at conferences is easier because the space is designed for networking. It’s also easier to talk to people with similar backgrounds as you because you share common ground. This isn’t just limited to immigration status, college you attended, social class, or industry. Think about your hobbies, maybe start there. The spaces you’re in can serve as a major catalyst to either network or at least get you comfortable in that setting. Bring a friend if it helps but just expose yourself to these types of events more often. Baby steps, ya know?
One of my mentors once told me,
“You’re a hidden gem that just needs a little polishing to shine“
When I was younger I didn’t know who to look to when it came to career related questions, corporate life, or advice in general. My personal growth wouldn’t be possible without the support of the mentors and organizations I have met throughout the years. Shoutout to the mentors that have helped understand what their day to day looks like, what the culture of the company they are working for is like, what their career path has looked like, etc. I am grateful for all the mentors in my life who take the time to talk and check-in. Without their support, I don’t think I’d grow as much as I have.
The New York State Youth Leadership Council and Techqueria have been instrumental in my opening up to people. Seeing folks with similar backgrounds to mine accomplish great things reignited a spark and a drive within me to do and accomplish more. It has given me hope that I, too, can accomplish my own version of success. Understanding who you are and where you want to go takes time, practice, and grit. I’ve been working on this for a while now and I can definitely see the improvement. I’m more confident about who I am, what value I bring to the table, and what I’m looking for. 6 months ago? No idea.
Even after all the changes were made and my resume looked stellar, I had a hard time believing that was me and not just something tailored for a job. Imposter Syndrome is real, yo.
I would highly encourage you to join these spaces if you identify as Latinx in Tech, undocumented, or even an ally. I enjoy helping ambitious, motivated, intelligent, and conscientious young folks that are trying to showcase their potential. I’ve been there and I know how hard it is for folks to tell their story on their resume. I’m not an expert by any means but I’ve definitely learned a lot as I’ve endlessly worked on my resume. It takes time, patience, trial and error.
It’s not really about helping with the resume. It’s about the support network, a helping hand that has been in similar situations, the motivation that it gives someone to do better, and the belief that their potential can be reached if they work hard at it. It’s just hard to get vulnerable without a safe space or even just the time if you’re busy with work.
Remember that professionals in all industries know that networking is part of the job search process. In fact, they are usually happy to help if they can. It is likely that a friend or colleague also helped them find a job at some point. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself to make small changes in your environment that will yield growth. Networking doesn’t have to be intimidating but if it is, feel free to reach out.
I feel your struggle, let’s keep hustling!
