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The reckoning around race has caused another memory to surface. Back in the day when I was interviewing at top firms to be a legal assistant I remember one where the woman, her name was Carol, tried to talk me into taking a lower position. Thead 1/
It’s not important but I remember that Carol was literally wearing a sweater tied over her shoulders with a navy blue polo during the interview. For some reason I remember this detail...
Anyways! Before the interview I read the firm’s website. I knew which job I was interviewing for. I knew the job she described as “more flexible” and “an exciting opportunity” was a lower position. And I told her thanks but nope. That’s not the job I’m here for.
I got the job. Fast forward a year and I’m talking to the two other black girls who were in that lower position. The one that Carol tried to convince me was better but I knew wasn’t and it paid less.
Sidenote: This also isn’t imp but one of the girls went to Johns Hopkins. The other went to Cornell....
We were talking and at some point Carol came up. They told me she convinced them to take the lower job and said that she didn’t think they could handle the responsibility of the legal assistant job.
It had not occurred to me until that moment that she did it to all of the black girls.
I don’t know why I remembered this story this week but I know that there are a lot of Carols out there. Don’t let them dim your light. /fin
I don’t know why I remembered this story this week but I know that there are a lot of Carols out there. Don’t let them dim your light. /fin
You know I meant thread*
I just earnestly told my dad this story and he said, “Wow. Did you have a 401k at that firm? You should roll that over.” And walked away.
