How Identity Has Influenced an Attorney at Robinson Bradford LLP's Career
Nathan's religious identity, evident through graduating from BYU, has presented both opportunities and challenges in the legal field; some have viewed this favorably, while others may have held negative biases, highlighting the unpredictable nature of how individual characteristics impact career progression and the importance of not making assumptions about others' perspectives. "You don't always know how whatever makes you unique...you may not really know," illustrates the uncertainty of this impact.
Religious Identity in the Workplace, Navigating Career with Unique Identity, First Impressions and Assumptions, Unexpected Reactions and Opportunities, Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Nathan Robinson
Attorney
Robinson Bradford LLP
Brigham Young University
Texas Tech University School of Law (law degree)
Political Science, American Studies
Law
Legal
Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Being open to diverse perspectives is crucial; assumptions about how others perceive religious identity can be inaccurate.
2. A unique background can open doors and also close doors, depending on the individual and the context.
3. Don't assume your unique characteristics (religious identity in this case) will be viewed only positively or negatively; reactions may be unexpected and nuanced.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a religious person, how has that impacted the way you've navigated your career?
Well, some of this will be speculation on how other people may view my resume or view me. On my resume, it says I graduated from BYU, which most people know is a church school.
It's interesting because it gets both positive and negative reactions. Some doors have been opened to me because I have that on my resume, and I think some doors have probably been closed to me because I went there.
So, you don't always know how whatever makes you unique or different will be viewed. You may view it as a negative or a positive, but you may not really know. Don't just assume that it is a negative or a positive.
You're going to meet all sorts of different people, and they'll view that differently, perhaps differently than you expect. I've encountered people from all sorts of different backgrounds that I may have assumed were atheist or against religion, so to speak. They actually had a very nuanced, different approach than I expected, and it turned out to be very different.
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