Black Charm with Fern Stroud

Life has had a way of recalibrating itself for me every ten years or so. Late in 2012, I began to contemplate my career; I knew I was grossly underpaid for my skill set, yet I couldn’t land a solid position outside of my company.

Based on what I saw at companies I interviewed with, I certainly did not fit the mold of what a Senior Information Technology Program Manager looks like. I am not bubbly, full of shit, nor will I claim to be able to come and save the day. All I wanted to do was to come into a new situation, analyze what wasn’t working, learn the individual personalities of team members and start making recommendations for improvement. As a young Black woman with a visually masculine appearance and a demeanor that didn’t fit this mold, I simply couldn’t sell myself.

I was constantly telling myself all the “right” things to do in those interview scenarios. After jumping through hoops just to get a first interview, then there were also the series of interviews that followed if I jumped successfully, because someone really liked me and wanted me in, but that someone had to convince the others of my worthiness (now often masked as “cultural fit”). So I said FUCK EM! If you can’t appreciate my value I will stay with the place that I know at least shows appreciation and has provided me with opportunities and the flexibility to focus on things I wanted to do outside of work.