How Identity Has Influenced A Product Manager Engineer At Fintech Company's Career
As a first-generation Black American in a field where Black professionals are underrepresented, the interviewee acknowledged the challenges of feeling like an outlier and lacking an automatic alumni network, stating "less than 3% of tech is black". Despite these obstacles, being clear with goals, drawing inspiration from family, and proactively networking are helping to pave the way for the future and future generations.
First Generation, Networking, Representation in Tech, Overcoming Challenges, Inspiration
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Honorebel S. Walker
Product Manager - Engineer
Fintech Company
University of San Diego
Engineering - Electrical
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense, Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Importance of starting early in tech to gain experience and navigate the field effectively.
2. Challenges of being underrepresented in tech and venture capital, particularly as a Black professional, and the need to be clear about one's goals.
3. The evolving nature of challenges faced as a first-generation Black American in tech, from college to full-time employment and building a future network.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a first-generation Black American, how has that impacted how you navigated your career?
That's a good question. I would say that because I was able to experience a lot of the tech industry early on, it was relatively straightforward for me.
However, I think it's tough because if you're not represented in industry, you're going to feel like an outlier. In my case, less than 3% of tech is Black, and less than 1% of venture capital funding goes to Black founders.
This does create an additional level of challenges. I think being very clear with what you want can be very helpful. I've been working full-time for about 11 months, and also working on a startup. The challenges I'm having now aren't the same as when I was in college.
This will continue to evolve. My dad just graduated college, and my mom got her master's last year. They have been a huge inspiration to me, even though I graduated before them.
Going back to the actual challenges, I would definitely say that being first-generation and a Black American means you don't have that automatic network that comes if your parents attended college. That creates a lot of additional challenges, which goes back to networking.
Right now, I'm paving the way for my future, and for when I have children. This is different from someone who isn't first-generation. They had a first, and it just takes time. I think that's been the big focus right now.