How Identity Has Influenced a Consultant in a Boston Consulting Group Career

That's a good question. I think I didn't see a lot of Black consultants when I was considering a career in consulting, and that gave me some hesitation. I wondered if it was truly the right space for me, and if people like me were successful in such environments.

It was actually a few connections I made with Black consultants that helped give me the courage to pursue it. They helped me envision myself working in that role and being successful. So, I think that was key even just to get started.

Once I was in the job, I had experiences where people didn't believe I was a consultant. They'd look at me and seem to wonder what I was doing there, or if I was part of a team. They'd even ask to see my ID again.

At the same time, it allowed me to connect more deeply with some clients, particularly clients of color. It also enabled me to help build a community within the firm. I noticed that while there was a community, it could be nurtured more effectively.

Leaning into my identity and the fact that others also identified as Black and felt similarly about the lack of a strong, tight-knit community allowed us to build one within the firm. This helped me establish many mentorship relationships and receive guidance from consultants who looked like me. They understood the specific ways being Black can impact one's professional journey.

For example, I didn't receive feedback for my first project for a very long time, much longer than I should have. Ultimately, the feedback wasn't great; it was quite negative. One of my learning and development coaches explained that managers sometimes try to soften feedback for Black individuals on their teams.

They might be worried about appearing prejudiced if they give tough feedback to a Black direct report. However, this deprives the person of the opportunity to know when something is wrong and needs to be addressed.

So, I went several more months, and then at my first promotion meeting, they told me I wasn't doing well. I had no idea because no one had told me directly, as they didn't want to seem racist by pointing out areas for improvement. This became a self-fulfilling prophecy; I wasn't getting the feedback I needed to improve.

Eventually, I received the feedback late, and some mentors stepped in to help me build the necessary skills. Navigating the workplace as a Black person, or as a member of any marginalized group, can make the experience different. It's helpful to have people around you who understand this and can support you through it.