f098448f
im a black engineer at a FAANG. i earned my spot. 4.0 GPA, published research, 3 internships, passed every interview round.
but theres always this voice in the back of my head: "did they pick you because youre good, or because you checked a box?"
and then you see the discourse online. "diversity hires lower the bar." "DEI is reverse racism." and it makes the voice louder.
the cruelest part of being a minority in tech isnt the racism itself. its the constant questioning of whether you deserve to be here. even when you objectively do.
ff668761
you had a 4.0, published research, and 3 internships. that puts you ahead of literally 95% of candidates regardless of race. the voice is lying to you. tell it to shut up
3bf59a34
i feel this deeply as a latina engineer. every time i get promoted i wonder if its real or if theyre just hitting a quota. the self-doubt is exhausting and its not something my white colleagues ever have to deal with
cb1d14d6
the discourse is designed to make you feel this way. the people saying "diversity hires lower the bar" WANT you to doubt yourself. dont give them that power. you earned it
6ecf62c6
honest take from a white engineer: the diversity conversation made ME uncomfortable for the opposite reason. am i only here because im mediocre and the bar is lower for me because of my demographic? imposter syndrome hits everyone, the reasons just differ
994a283d
the research on this is clear: diverse teams perform better. you being there isnt charity. its good business. the company benefits from your perspective. own it
