Career Development is dedicated to providing resources and supporting Willamette students of color by tailoring our services to meet your needs while approaching an individual’s career process holistically. Students of color may have unique considerations that factor into their career development process as a person’s racial, ethnic, and cultural identity--as well as their values--factors heavily into the development of career aspirations and a resulting career plan.
Throughout the career development process, students of color may be interested in considering the following questions: How does a particular organization or industry support diverse professionals? How do I find a mentor in my field of interest I can identify with? How do I talk about my identity in a cover letter, personal statement, or resume?
| Career Barriers for Students of Color | Advice and Support from WU Career Development |
|---|---|
| Finding yourself the only person of color in a white workspace | Being the only person of color in a predominantly white organization can be isolating, stressful and traumatic. We can process these feelings and concerns with students and talk about how to find diverse organizations as part of a job and internship search. |
| May face workplace discrimination and racially charged harassment | We acknowledge that we are not able to give legal advice, but are here to talk to you about your experiences and can discuss your options if you are considering filing a report or complaint. |
| Pay gap | Pay equity is still a challenge for people of color and women. It is especially challenging for women of color. This chart from the Institute of Women’s Policy Research shows the differences in pay for men and women, broken down by race. Career Development provides education and advising on navigating the job search, interviews, and salary negotiation. |
| Applying for jobs when you don’t meet all of the listed qualifications | As a student of color you may feel like you have to meet 100% of the qualifications before you can apply for a job, you don’t. We advocate for students by helping craft effective resumes and cover letters, and build interviewing skills for a variety of positions. |
| The ability to consider careers that may have traditionally been white-dominated. Increasing perceptions of possible industries and career trajectories. | Through individual career advising and programming, supports students of color as they consider a wide range of career possibilities, and actively helps students widen their options. |
| Feeling discomfort with the individualistic, Western expectations of application materials and interviews. | Provides culturally appropriate application feedback as well as interview practice that both prepares students for success and also helps maintain a sense of authenticity in the application process. |
How to evaluate organizations on their commitment to diversity and inclusion:
Many organizations are actively working to diversify their recruitment strategies to attract and retain a more diverse workforce. As a student of color, researching organizations is key to making a career choice.
We specifically encourage the following:
- View the organization's leadership structure and team to evaluate for diversity and inclusion
- Search for and conduct informational interviews with diverse employees
- Look for a diversity philosophy or policy on their website
- Research how the organization supports its diverse workforce. (This can include recruiting strategies, mentorship programs, internal teams and affinity groups, community support, etc.)
- Look to see if the organization is on Diversity Inc.’s Top 50
- Review the organization’s job postings to see if they require a diversity statement or inclusivity requirement on the post.
- Read Reviews: What do others (e.g. peers, alumni, current employees) say about the organizational culture? Find reviews on Handshake and Glassdoor.
Alumni of Color Connection - Connect with Alumni and Professionals of Color
Beginning Spring 2018, Willamette students began hosting the Willamette Alumni of Color Connection, an annual event that brings together alumni and students of color. This event is typically hosted once per year and is coordinated by student employees in the Office of Intercultural Engagement and Inclusion, and Career Development. This event is designed to provide a space for current students of color to network with alumni of color to learn what it’s like navigating their identity in their career fields.
Willamette University Linkedin Alumni Network is another great way for students to find and connect to alumni doing great work all over the world.
Resources for Students of Color
Below, we’ve collected job search boards, professional associations, blogs and other resources that might be useful.
Asian/Pacific Islander
- Asian American Professional Associations – Compilation of links to the leading Asian American professional associations, many with career and job sites of their own, collected by Monster.
- National Association of Asian American Professionals – The NAAAP a non-profit organization that cultivates and empowers Asian and Pacific Islander leaders through professional development, community service, and networking. It offers a diverse range of professional development programs including a career center and job board.
- National Council of Asian Pacific Americans – A directory of links to Asian Pacific American organizations, many with career sites of their own. The links also include website and contact information for networking and internship and job search purposes.
Black/African American
- African American Professional Associations – Compilation of links to the leading African American professional associations, many with career and job sites of their own, collected by Monster.
- National Urban League Job Network – The Urban League Job Network is backed by the National Urban League and is dedicated to helping diverse students find employment opportunities.
- United Negro College Fund – UNCF is the nation’s largest private scholarship provider to minority group members. It manages various scholarship, fellowship, and internship programs.
Hispanic/Latinx
- Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities – A compilation of internship and job boards sponsored by the association, which represents more than 400 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, and Spain.
- Hispanic and Latino Professional Associations – Compilation of links to the leading Hispanic and Latino professional associations, many with career and job sites of their own, collected by Monster.
- iHispano – Job board sponsored by the Professional Diversity Network.
- LatPro.com – Source for connecting Hispanic and Latino bilingual job seekers with recruiters searching for skilled diversity candidates.
- Oregon Latino Scholarship Program: A college scholarship program for students in Oregon
Native/Indigenous
- Native American Professional Organizations – A list of organizations and professional associations serving the Native American community.
- Indian Country Today – A magazine that covers topics pertinent to Native Americans. The website includes internships, a scholarship guide, and job search database.
- National Congress of American Indians – A list of job opportunities submitted by employers that are American Indian, Native Hawaiian or Alaska Native businesses, governments, or organizations. It also includes opportunities submitted by organizations seeking Native American applicants.
- Native American Jobs – A job search database for Native American job seekers which includes Tribal and Non-Tribal companies across the nation.
- Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education – A magazine for Native Americans in higher education which includes a job board.
Additional Multicultural Resources
- IMDiversity.com – IMDiversity.com is a career and self-development site devoted to serving the cultural and career-related needs of all minorities.
- INSIGHT Into Diversity – One of the most recognized resources for equal opportunity employers who are seeking to add diverse, qualified candidates to their workforce. Job postings include positions in academia, business, healthcare, and the government.
- Institute for Broadening Participation – A directory of links to programs designed to increase diversity in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce. The programs include an internship, job, scholarship and fellowship opportunities. The institute is an independent, open-source non-profit and provides resources to faculty and students by means of an infrastructure unfettered by institutional or disciplinary barriers.
- NACE Diversity Resources – The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) connects university career service professionals to recruiters and employers. It maintains a list of diversity resources accessible to students.
- Quintessential Careers – Career and job search resources for multicultural job seekers.
- GoinGlobal -- Use the Global City and Country Career Guides for Cultural Advice and advice on Safety and Security (Access through Handshake Resources)