Do you think its harder for minorities and/or females to be successful in the business world?
I’ve read online about how many white males are employed over minorities and females. And also that corporate American has a very specific culture that only certain ppl can fit (“white/male/conservative culture”). As a liberal black female, should I try to go into business? I’m not specifically interested in business but I’m considering double majoring in finance b/c my current major, anthropology, doesn’t seem marketable in the job field. I’m not sure how I’d fit into the culture of busines firms s and I’m not sure if I’ll like it but I like the security that having a business background over just having a social science background.
I’m just a kid so I don’t know anything. However, a family friend who works in HR at a small company says that they seek diversity. If your qualifications and resume are up to par, then I can’t see why you wouldn’t get hired. Also, your viewpoints and opinions will add a wider perspective to your company.
I think it depends on where it is, and what sort of business it is. If you’re looking for work in a more liberal city (Perhaps Seattle, Portland, SF, etc) then I don’t see what the problem would be. But if you’re looking for a job in Alabama or something, you might have a more difficult time fitting in.
As a black female with 30+ years in a conservative field (banking) I would say go for what you like, where you want to be. If you are interested in business and work to perfect skills in your industry, you have a great chance of being hired and employable. My industry does require professional dress and communication, with needed skill sets being the primary consideration. It is important to remember that in local/regional business fields and specialized industries, it is truly a small world. Never burn bridges, always be supportive to others, and protective of your reputation and good name.
I’ve had a former boss end up as a peer at a different company and now work with people I met 25+ years ago when I was a trainee rotating in their departments at yet a different company. All along the way, males and non-minorities have also sought me out for positions and provide recommendations for positions I wanted. I respect them, carry myself in a manner deserving of respect and deal with any disrespect in a professional manner. You definitely want to be with a company that values diversity of opinions and also inclusion of all employees. But you can’t make assumptions from the outside, based on the company’s location, etc.
I was a liberal arts undergrad and took a one-credit Personal Finance class. It made perfect sense to me. I refused to switch my major and added a minor in Marketing, the only courses a non-Business major could take at my college. (long story in between). I visited a bank with my then BF and liked the atmosphere. (another long story in between) I took a job as a P/T teller and found that I was good at it, got my MBA in Finance and Accounting at night and kept moving up, and have been in the field ever since. (New grads can now enter retail banking as business bankers or the credit side through credit training programs.)
I like that a large bank is like a city and included many different majors, including engineering, marketing, MIS, etc. I like finance over accounting because it paints a picture of the borrower/customer, provides opportunities to learn about many other industries in depth, and provides essential services, for a nominal fee, of course. We make things happen.
I like being primarily in an office environment, working with nice intelligent adults, paid for mental work that will allow me to work even when this body is old, paid a salary with bonuses, generally respected in the community. I like to build things and help people do what they what or need to do while maintaining the integrity of the banking systems.
Funny little things matter to me, like how the Knights Templar provided ancient transactional banking services.
BTW - the industry is conservative, but you can’t make assumptions about everyone in it. People have surprised me over the years. In general, politics and other “taboo” topics are not discussed widely in the office, in keeping with the desire to maintain professional interactions with peers and customers. Other conversations with work-friends can go further.
No, it is not harder for minorites or females to be successful in the business world. Although the financial sector is filled with mostly white males, that doesn’t mean that it is hard for minorites or females to make it. Rather, it just shows you that the interests for the sector vary by demographics.
For example, it is very common to find a minority majoring in engineering or a women majoring in some kind of medicinal science. But does that mean that these people wouldn’t make in the business world? Most definitely not, they just happen to have a passion/interest in some other field that is not business. Meanwhile, I would say that most of the white males in the finance industry started out with an interest in the economics of finance (although they might not enjoy it anymore due to the work load). In reality, the only thing that will prevent someone from becoming successful in business is themselves.
To be honest, I don’t think you should major in Finance if you don’t have an interest in it particularly. Even though, it would lead to basically your only job offers (anthropology is useless unless you decide to pursue a phd) it would most likely make you unhappy with the work you decide to do. I mean think about it, you wouln’t be asking the question “do minorites and females in business become successful?” if you had a passion for business. Instead, you would know that you would become successful no matter what your sex/race/ethnicity is because you’re willing to fight against anything to become successful. I’m a Bengali immigrant majoring in Finance and Economics and I don’t think anything of the white male majority in the financial industry.
I’m black. The director of our career services center (also black) told me one day in his office that me being a black accounting major with a strong resume is “both an advantage and a huge weight weighing me down”.
Still don’t know what he meant by that but I think of it sometimes and it gives me goosebumps :-S
I don’t think so. Things are changing. It is hard to find black candidates in finance, and everyone wants diversity. So it can be an advantage, meaning your resume gets a second look (assuming it shows memberships in orgs that make it a good bet you are black).
Where it becomes less rosey is advancement. You need to stay on top of your career advancement bc that is where women tend to get lost is in the senior space.
The weighing you down part? Ask a senior woman in business why they are so “aggressive”, or a beeotch. It’s hard to be treated the same sometimes. Stereotypes of black women create additional issues I’m told. Look for companies that have committed to diversity and advertise it. They have ethnic special interest groups for employees to find support and to learn from others if you a white person like me.