I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak with you – visible minority students as potential entrants to the Canadian labour force about effective strategies for your career advancement. The issue is especially topical, given the challenges before us as Canada’s population undergoes major transformation and the face – especially, the face – of our society continues to change. Societies rarely offer advantages to members thought of as part of its “minority’, and in many ways 21st Century Canada is no exception. The various segments of Canadian society, including the labour force, do not always reflect the full participation of all its citizens. It is advantageous then to consider the impact race and gender has on our ability to access all the benefits this country offers.

Child development experts tell us that educational and career aspirations are defined by gender during the early years of childhood. The pattern continues even today, as we see the constant under-enrolment of women in educational programs with a focus on math, science, and technology - all traditionally male-dominated subjects. Yet, these study areas are essential for success in today’s technological competitive environment, to secure meaningful work and to achieve the career mobility women need to sustain themselves.

Today, we continue to see men enjoying upward career mobility in the higher occupational categories, while women tend to be grouped at the lower end of the labour force – if they have not been pushed out of it altogether. The positive results from gender career-streaming that occurred in earlier years – at least, women were convinced to stay in school – have been eroded by massive layoffs and instabilities in those parts of the labour force dominated by women.

When we consider racialized persons, both men and women, their labour force participation is further complicated by a number of factors, such as: negative preconceptions of minorities, absence of role models in executive positions, frequent exclusion from informal networks, and traditional attitudes and practices deeply embedded in an organization’s corporate culture. Any and indeed all of these issues can work to exclude many racialized persons from meaningful work, regardless of individual educational achievements.

Today’s business environment features corporate downsizing, increased demand of knowledge-based workers, global competition, and increasing use of technology. When we consider all those issues – issues which impact each and every person seeking participation in the labour force – and add increased racial intolerance to the mix, racialized people are indeed challenged to develop new strategies if they are to gain access to meaningful employment.

What should our approach be?

My personal strategy began with a thorough exploration and understanding of myself. When all is said and done – who am I? I am a racialized, educated woman who is committed to facilitating opportunities for all those individuals particularly women, who find themselves on the fringes of society. I am fully committed to achieving equality and fairness for all persons. Because I must do as I am, my work includes giving back to the community through volunteering, sharing, teaching and learning.

As you look ahead to completing your studies and launching your career, now is the time to commit yourself to keeping doors open that will allow others to follow in your footsteps. As I have, you must be constantly on the lookout for ways to eliminate those barriers that deny fair and equal opportunities to people of diverse backgrounds, barriers that prevent the contribution of peoples’ skills, talents, and abilities to the labour force.

Strategies To Alleviate Barriers To Career Advancement

Most career strategies are somewhat generic: they don’t always address the particular issues of specific individuals or groups. Certainly, it is much more challenging for minorities to develop a comprehensive career plan since traditional discriminatory practices continue to be “alive and well” in our today’s society. Given our experiences of exclusion, yours and mine, I would like to share some useful techniques that may help you to solve the problem of gaining access to meaningful work.

Understand yourself:

You cannot allow the forces of systemic oppression to keep you marginalized. It is essential to explore yourself, and develop a personal definition of who you are and what you are all about. Such a definition will have to do with values, principles, and personal ethics. Such self-understanding will keep you focused on effective career building, and will contribute to your confidence and personal empowerment. You will also need to assess the impact upon yourself of such negative social realities as racism and sexism, and develop methods to deal effectively with those challenges. Finally, you must always be aware of your personal biases and how they affect the choices you make. Listen to the heart, know what others need, and be willing to invest in yourself.

Research companies that promote diversity and social responsibility:

As you start your job search, review the corporate vision and mission of the corporations you consider applying to – their published vision and mission may tell you something about their commitment to diversity. Use the Internet and the business publications to monitor trends in those businesses committed to building a representative workforce, and note the mobility of racialized workers in those corporations.

Develop short and long-term strategies:

Set personal and career goals for yourself. Develop an action plan for achieving those goals. Monitor how well you implement your action, so that you will stay true to your job search activities, and your personal and social responsibilities. If you don’t have paid work waiting for you when you graduate – these days, very few people do – look for part-time work in the area of your field of study. Although you may feel you’re losing a bit on the income side of the equation, part-time work is an excellent way to get relevant work experience and develop an understanding of corporate culture.

Volunteering:

For many minorities, whether Canadian-born or a newcomer, one of the biggest challenges to gaining employment is lack of Canadian work experience. One excellent way to break this barrier is volunteering. There are many opportunities to volunteer – what matters is that you find a cause to believe in from your heart, and tailor your volunteer activity to support that cause. For example, many community and human services organizations are strapped for the human resources needed to meet their service demands. Volunteering with organizations whose work you believe enables the organizations to meet their goals, and helps you to see the value in the ideals that drive you, and contribute to you achieving self fulfilment.

Skills development:

Because the labour force demands knowledge-based workers and the business environment is continually changing, be fully committed to the practice of life-long learning. You can expand your knowledge and improve your marketability in the labour force by developing an understanding of various industries. There’s a lot more to workplace success than the basic training you receive as an undergraduate: employers are looking for workers who are able to think critically, show initiative, and be creative, while at the same time take calculated risks. The more you understand the industry you are in, the more you will be able to develop and display these highly-desirable skills.

Build communication skills:
As practice for interviews, and eventual employment when you will need to be able to initiate conversation for career advancement, spend time reading, and share with others the new information you find.

Enhance your presentation skills:
As part of the interview process, many employers are requiring individuals to make a presentation to a panel. Starting with your peer group, seek out opportunities to present information and receive feedback. The practice will help you build the confidence you will need to present information from your own knowledge to your future employer.

Develop public speaking skills:
Leadership skills – including public speaking – are a requirement for career mobility in this competitive environment. Through volunteer opportunities, you can learn to speak in public with confidence and authority. Alternately, or additionally, a public speaking course can greatly improve self-confidence as well as provide great opportunities for feedback. Especially, if you should ever have the opportunity to identify a speaker for an organization you’re associated with in some way, suggest a minority person – maybe it will be your opportunity to open the door for someone else!

Build support systems:

Mentoring and coaching have become widely recognized as good business practices. Many corporations today provide personal mentors for their senior management personnel, to help them develop the business acumen required to be effective business leaders. Think of a minority woman who has inspired you (for many minority women, it is our mother who is most often our mentor or role model). Identify what is about the individual that you admire. Keep the vision of that person central to your growth and development. Formally seek out a mentor, someone you respect, for guidance and support. Such a person may be someone you know or know of, either in the work place or in the community. Your mentor can be a valuable sounding board for ideas and critical feedback.

Use resources and networks available:

Either formally or informally, meet with other minorities at all levels - community, government, business etc - to discuss opportunities and build relationships. The interaction with others who understand and often share your challenges will help you stay informed of changes, both positive and negative. The networking aspect of such meetings will help you establish allies, and together, you and your associates can create opportunities for other minorities. Through networking, you can become a role model for other minorities; you can share your expertise, passing along what you have learned about your own career laddering; and you can build a stronger network to support improved access for other minorities.

Use minority associations:

Find the associations dedicated to minorities, whether they are community-based or business-focused, and become involved. Understand the purpose of these associations, and use their resources to help you make the connections to land the job you seek. Volunteering in these associations maintains your commitment to giving back to the community and creating opportunities for other minorities to follow you. Minority-focused associations are often the bridge that will take you from where you are to where you want to be – and when they have helped you realize your dreams, you can take your own proud place among their members, helping those behind you to find their way.

Conclusion

For minorities, the challenges to establishing a career are very complicated. Whatever our educational attainment, overt discrimination and pervasive systemic practices continue to limit our access to meaningful work. For this reason, I encourage you to continue your growth: educate yourselves; challenge the negative systemic forces wherever you find them; build relationships with other minorities; seek out careers in public office so that you can affect public policy development; volunteer, especially where the work you do will benefit other minorities. Any or all of these activities will help you gain experience and will strengthen the community.

Just as important as growing your professional profile is, maintain balance in your life: establish a blending process, so that as you work and play; you experience an all-encompassing sense of satisfaction.

Finally, always see yourself as a winner: never let society’s expectations of you limit your sense of your own potential, and your achievement of it. I am reminded of the saying that “a mind is a terrible thing to waste”; unfortunately, however, if opportunities never become available, then it is truly difficult for individuals to become all they could be.
Today, I am greatly encouraged. Your presence here is my inspiration, my hope for the future, and my certainty that changes will come.