Prep, Push, Pivot. Octavia Goredema

to move toward.Deciding is liberating. When you know what you need in the next phase of your career, plan with intent and start thinking about who can help you figure out the steps you're unsure of. Between friends, their friends, the Internet, books, podcasts, and social media, there's a deep bench of people, tools, and resources you can leverage to help you prepare for your next opportunity.Your career values will also help you as you work through the interview process during your job search. You will have already decided what you want, and what your nonnegotiables are. That insight, coupled with your experiences in your current role, means you're unlikely to end up in an identical situation to the one you're in now. Things can—and will—get better.

References

      1 1. “Women of Color in the United States: Quick Take,” Catalyst, March 19, 2020, https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-of-color-in-the-united-states/.

      2 2. “U.S. Senator Kamala Harris Speaks at Spelman,” Sisters Chapel, Spelman College, October 26, 2018, https://www.spelman.edu/about-us/news-and-events/kamala-harris/page-4.

      3 3. Sheila Brassel, Joy Ohm and Dnika J. Travis, “Allyship and Curiosity Drive Inclusion for People of Color at Work” (Catalyst, 2021), https://www.catalyst.org/reports/allyship-curiosity-employees-of-color/.

      4 4. Amber Burton, “Women of Color: Invisible, Excluded and Constantly ‘On Guard,'” Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/women-of-color-invisible-excluded-and-constantly-on-guard-11571112060.

      5 5. Nicole Chavez and Faith Karimi, “California Becomes the First State to Ban Discrimination Based on Natural Hairstyles,” CNN, July 3, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/03/us/california-hair-discrimination-trnd/index.html.

      6 6. Hahna Yoon, “How to Respond to Microaggressions,” New York Times, March 3, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/03/smarter-living/how-to-respond-to-microaggressions.html.

      7 7. Yoon, “How to Respond to Microaggressions.”

      8 8. Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes, “The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention,” Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 1978.