By Carmen Van Kerckhove
 
People of your racial or ethnic group are stereotyped as good employees with a solid work ethic. That should bode well for your career, right?

Not necessarily. Even so-called “positive” racial stereotypes could spell trouble for you in the workplace. Here are some adverse effects you could experience.

1. You get pigeonholed

If people at your workplace buy into a racial stereotype, it could influence the type of positions for which they think you are best suited. Say, for example, you’re Asian-American, and your colleagues believe that all Asians are good at science and math. You could have a hard time moving into a client-facing position because your boss thinks you’d be better suited crunching numbers in a back office. » Continue reading “Why Positive Racial Stereotypes Can Be Harmful Too”

By Carmen Van Kerckhove 
 
Think twice before reporting racial discrimination to your company’s human resources department. Why? Because it’s not always the most effective strategy.

Read on for a step-by-step guide on what to do if you believe your supervisor is discriminating against you because of your race.

(Of course, I am not a lawyer so please do not take this opinion as professional legal advice.)

1. Ask Yourself If It’s Truly Racial Discrimination
 
All people of color have an internal racism radar. For some, it’s turned all the way up so that they see racial conspiracy around every corner. For others, it’s turned all the way down so that they are in denial about how racism affects their lives. For most of us, it’s somewhere in-between.

Before you take any action, ask yourself if you are sure that you’re being discriminated against because of your race. Does your supervisor treat other people of your racial or ethnic group poorly too? Or does she only pick on you? Could there be other reasons you’re being passed over for raises or promotions? Are your colleagues better situated in terms of performance, education, experience, or skills? Are they better at cultivating relationships with the boss or making their accomplishments known? Is it a personality issue? Could it be that you’re just not well-liked by your coworkers? » Continue reading “What to Do If You’re the Victim of Racial Discrimination in the Workplace”

By Carmen Van Kerckhove

Figuring out how to react when a co-worker makes a racist joke can be extremely difficult. If you don’t call the person out on her racism, you seem to be condoning the behavior. But if you do say something, you risk alienating him and sabotaging your working relationship.

The best response to a racist joke should accomplish 3 things:

1. Communicate that you find this behavior unacceptable.
2. Demonstrate that the joke is racist.
3. Inflict as little damage as possible to your working relationship with the joker.

Before I explain the response I would recommend, let’s look at some of the other possible reactions available to you and why they are not ideal.

You don’t laugh.

Withholding your laughter is a way to avoid personally colluding in this kind of racist behavior without damaging your relationship with the joker. However, by staying silent, you do not necessarily make it clear that you find this kind of humor unacceptable and that the joke is racist. » Continue reading “How to Respond to a Racist Joke”

By Carmen Van Kerckhove

To get ahead in a crowded field, it isn’t always what you know, it’s frequently who you know. This is why networking is crucial, especially for women and people of color who want to break through the glass ceiling.

If you’re like most people, you probably hate the idea of networking for a number of reasons. Perhaps you’ve attended networking events where people shoved their business cards at you, fake-smiled, and then — when they realized you couldn’t help them land a job — immediately found another victim to assault just an arm’s length away.

Relax! It doesn’t have to be like this. In fact, if you wait until you need a job to start networking, as in the above instance, you’re going about it all wrong. Networking should be an on-going part of your working lifestyle, not a last-ditch tactic when you’re in dire straits.

As you change the negative notions you associate with networking, you’ll actually become a much better networker. It’s not about trying to get what you want as much as it is about helping other people get what they want.
 
Career expert Penelope Truck says, “Networking is about being nice. It’s about figuring out what someone needs, and determining how to help him get it. Be aware of what people are trying to accomplish in their lives so that you can help them reach their goals — either by helping them yourself or putting them in touch with someone who can help them.” » Continue reading “The Introvert’s Guide to Networking Like a Pro”