How Identity Has Influenced a Recruitment Specialist at Social Services Agency's Career
Alicia, a first-generation Black woman, describes navigating a career path where they "literally had to push through doors," facing questions about career choices and often being "the 1% in every company." However, their commitment to diversity and inclusion, coupled with the growing emphasis on DEI within organizations, has allowed them to "speak their truth and be part of the company culture."
Overcoming Challenges, Diversity and Inclusion, Resilience, Career Development, Motivation
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alicia Ellington
Talent Acquisition Recruitment Specialist
Socail Services Agency
California State University - Los Angeles 2015 / Full Sail University 2020
N/A
Fine Arts, Music
Recruitment, HR & Related Professional Services
Human Resources (HR)
Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Alicia's experience as a first-generation black woman highlights the challenges and triumphs of navigating a professional career while advocating for diversity and inclusion.
2. Her journey underscores the importance of perseverance and self-advocacy in overcoming obstacles and achieving career goals.
3. Alicia's emphasis on the impact of DEI initiatives in companies provides valuable insights into the evolving workplace landscape and the growing need for diverse representation in leadership roles and throughout organizations
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a first-generation Black woman, how has that impacted how you navigate your career?
As a first-generation Black woman, it has been very difficult, especially at the beginning, being the first in my family to graduate from college. I didn't know what I needed to do to advance into a career.
Being a Black woman in this industry, I literally had to push through doors to get where I wanted to be. Although I have two degrees, I'm not a hundred percent utilizing both of them, but I am using some of the skill sets I learned.
When I came into this field, many questions came to me about why I wanted to do this. I really felt drawn towards the cause and being part of the community. I just really wanted to make sure that diversity is also being impacted into companies and high-status positions.
That's where the challenge arises, being sometimes the one percent in every company. It becomes a challenge and a battle, but knowing that all these companies are establishing DEI in their companies makes it a lot better for me to speak my truth and be part of the company culture.