Erika Turner ’13, a CWS intern on the Diversity Resources team, wrote this post about her experiences and observations during a recent conference she attended in Chicago. The information she received during this conference resonated with her and she wanted to tell other students about it.
Take a look at what Erika has to say:
From September 28th – 30th, 2012, I attended the 8th annual Out for Work Conference in Chicago, IL. What I really took from the conference was the importance of bringing one’s full self to the work place. One of the questions I get asked most frequently as an openly queer senior is how I address issues of sexuality with a potential employer. Much of the work I’ve done professionally, at nonprofits that focus on LGBTQ visibility, is also reflected in my community organizing on and off campus, particularly in relation to people of color. Naturally, without listing this information, my resume would be pretty bare. But, others have asked, “Aren’t you afraid of discrimination if you do proudly wave your rainbow flag across your resume?”
Personally, I’m not. I feel that the company that looks at my credentials and hires me based off of my skill set, regardless of how I identify as a racial and sexual minority, is the establishment that I want to invest in. If I’m not hired because they’re biased, then I feel that I’ve dodged a bullet.
Of course, in this economy, we can’t always afford to be so discerning. Especially for recent graduates, a paycheck is a paycheck, regardless of whether it’s from the Human Rights Campaign or Chick-Fil-A. Furthermore, many students don’t feel that their sexual orientation or gender identity has any bearing on their capacity to work and feel that these identities are personal information. These are viable points of view and if students feel most comfortable with keeping their “private lives private,” then they’re encouraged to do so. It may become tricky when such students have been actively involved in LGBTQ organizing, but they can always change whatever queer work they’ve done to a vague organization with a broad title, listing only the relevant skills used or acquired. Other students also feel comfortable coming out after the hiring process as a potential opportunity to educate their employer and co-workers.
Overall, the Conference panelists emphasized reflecting upon what one truly needs and expects from their work environment. Not only is it important to consider the amount of pay, but also the length of time a student or alum intends to work at a particular company, whether or not they have a strong social and support system outside of work, and the company culture. There’s also the question of spousal benefits – but most of us aren’t in the process of getting married just yet.
Furthermore, coming out in any aspect of one’s life is always a process and a point of comfort. In the workplace, who you love or the complexity of your gender identity may not be essential to how well you do the job. For others, the culture of the company and how your employers and co-workers accept and receive you are just as important as the work itself. When applying for jobs, just remember to reflect about which is more important to you and what you can be most comfortable with in the long term.