Diversity and Inclusion Calendar 2022
Inclusive leaders are ones who make their team feel like they belong, like they're valued, and like their whole self is seen and appreciated at work. Being cognizant of different holidays and celebrations can go a long way in doing that.
Perhaps your company chooses to highlight the diversity of your employees by collectively celebrating different festive days. Or maybe you're encouraging employees to use floating paid holidays to mark important days with their families and friends. Either way, a diversity awareness calendar can go a long way in helping you meet your goals. Avoid insensitive missteps by checking against these diversity holidays before scheduling all-hands meetings or company parties.
Start your planning with this diversity and inclusion calendar —and make sure it's truly inclusive by asking your team to add the holidays that are important to them.
You can sync this calendar with your Google Calendar by clicking the link below!
January
This diversity calendar starts with month-long celebrations in January:
- Poverty in America Awareness Month
- Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month
January 1: New Year's Day, the first day of the year as celebrated by many countries.
January 6: The Feast of the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day or Día de los Reyes, a Christian holiday that recognizes the visit of the three wise men to the baby Jesus after his birth.
January 7: Christmas Day, as celebrated by Eastern Orthodox Christians, as they follow the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar.
January 10: Bodhi Day, the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that Siddhartha Gautama experienced enlightenment.
January 14: Orthodox New Year, according to the Julian calendar.
January 16: World Religion Day, a Bahá'í holiday that celebrates the commonality between different religions and encourages interfaith understanding.
January 16-17: Tu B'shevat, or the Jewish New Year for Trees, known as the Jewish Arbor Day, which marks the start of spring in Israel.
January 17: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a holiday that marks the birthday of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 18: Mahayana New Year, the day that Mahayana Buddhists celebrate the new year.
February
February is Black History Month, celebrating the history and achievements of Black Americans.
February 1: National Freedom Day, honoring the signing by Abraham Lincoln of a resolution that later became the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that abolished slavery.
February 1: Lunar New Year, a week-long festival that begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar, celebrated in China as well as in Japan, Vietnam, Korea, and Mongolia.
February 2: Candlemas, a Christian holy day that commemorates when Jesus was presented to the temple for the first time.
February 5: Vasant Panchami, a Hindu festival celebrating spring and Saraswati Devi, the goddess of art and culture.
February 11: Asian-American Women's Equal Pay Day, marking the fact that Asian-American women earn 90 cents for every dollar earned by white men.
February 14: Valentine's Day, celebrated by western Christians as a saint's day and as a secular holiday highlighting love.
February 15: Nirvana Day, a Buddhist commemoration of Buddha's death.
February 15: Presidents' Day, a U.S. holiday celebrating President George Washington's birthday and all the presidents after him.
February 16: Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday and the end of the Carnival season, celebrated by Christians as the last day before Lent and often full of feasting and celebration.
February 16: Mukha Bucha Day, also known as Māgha Pūjā, a Buddhist holiday celebrating the Buddhist community spent giving alms, visiting the temple, and meditating.
February 16: Maghi-Purnima, a Hindu festival celebrated on the last day of Magha, a month focused on charity work, when devotees often take holy baths and do charity.
March
March is National Women's History Month, celebrating the contributions and achievements women have made to American history. It's also:
- Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
- Greek-American Heritage Month
- Irish-American Heritage Month
March 1: Maha Shivarati, a Hindu festival celebrated to honor Lord Shiva and the arrival of spring.
March 1: Lailat al Miraj, a Muslim holiday commemorating Muhammad's journey from Mecca to the Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem and beginning the night before at sundown.
March 2: Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent in the Christian calendar.
March 8: International Women's Day, celebrating women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements and highlighting women's rights.
March 9: Asian American and Pacific Islander Women's Equal Pay
March 16-17: Purim, a Jewish holiday marking when the Jewish community in Persia was saved from genocide, celbrated by giving charity and feasting.
March 17: St. Patrick's Day, a holiday celebrating the patron saint of Ireland.
March 18: Holi, a Hindu and sikh spring festival celebrating spring and new beginnings with bonfires, bright colors, and feasting.
March 20: Ostara, a holiday celebrating the spring equinox observed by Pagans and Wiccans.
March 20: Norooz, the Persian New Year.
March 20-21: Naw-Ruz, the Baha'I New Year.
March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, declared by the United Nations in 1966 to honor the killing of 69 people at a demonstration against South African apartheid.
March 24: All Women's Equal Pay Day
March 25: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, declared by the United Nation in 2008 to honor and remember slaves who died.
March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility
April
April is:
- Arab-American Heritage Month
- Autism Awareness Month
- Earth Month
- Tartan (Scottish-American) Heritage Month
April 2: World Autism Awareness Day, meant to raise awareness of the developmental disorder.
April 2-May 2: Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim year and a holy month celebrating when Mohammad received the revelations of the Quran, spent fasting, reflecting, and praying.
April 8: Yom Hashoah, or Holocaust Memorial Day, celebrated in Israel and around the world as a day of remembrance for the 6 million Jews that died in the Holocaust.
April 10: Ram Navami, a Hindu holiday celebrating the birthday of Lord Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishu.
April 10: Palm Sunday, a Christian holiday marking Jesus's entry into Jerusalem and the start of the Holy Week.
April 14: Holy Thursday, a Christian holiday commemorating the Last Supper between Jesus and the Apostles before his crucifixion.
April 14: Lord's Evening Meal, celebrated by Jehovah's Witnesses in memory the Last Supper celebrated on the first night of Passover in 33 CE.
April 14: Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year and a celebration of the founding of the Sikh community in 1699
April 13-15: Songkran Festival, the Thai New Year, also celebrated as the Buddhist New Year.
April 15: Good Friday, a Christian holiday marking Jesus's crucifixion.
April 17: Easter, celebrated by Christians as the day Jesus rose from the dead after dying on the cross.
April 13: Equal Pay Day, at the time of writing; this day marking the pay gap between men and women moves depending on the actual pay gap.
April 14: Mahavir Jayanti, an important holiday celebrated by Jains commemorating the birth of Lord Mahavira.
April 15-April 23: Passover or Pesach, an eight-day Jewish festival celebrating when Israelites were freed from slavery in ancient Egypt.
April 21-May 2: Rivdan, a Baha'i festival celebrating when Baha'u'llah resided in paradise and proclaimed his mission as God's messenger.
April 22: Earth Day, promoting sustainability and environmental protection.
April 23: National Day of Silence, a protest against bullying and harassment of LGBTQIA+ individuals by students who take a vow of silence.
April 24: Armenian Martyrs' Day, honoring the 1.5 million Armenians killed by genocide in Turkey.
April 24: Pascha, Orthodox Easter.
April 29: Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest night of the year for Muslims, celebrated on the 27th day of Ramadan and commemorating the night that the Quran was revealed to Mohammad.
May
May has several month-long celebrations, including:
- Mental Health Month
- Haitian Heritage Month
- Indian Heritage Month
- Jewish-American Heritage Month
- National Asian American and South Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- Older Americans Month
- South Asian American Heritage Month
May 1: Beltane, a Celtic festival celebrating the beginning of summer, also known as May Day.
May 2-3: Eid al-Fitr, the celebration of the end of Ramadan and the beginning of the Islamic month of Shawwal.
May 5: Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican holiday commemorating Mexico's 1862 victory over France in the Battle of Puebla, celebrated in the Mexican state of Puebla and by Mexican-Americans.
May 5: Mother's Equal Pay Day
May 6: Vesak Day or Visakha Puja, a Buddhist festival marking Gautama Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death.
May 9: Mother's Day.
May 17: International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
May 21: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, a day set by the United Nations to celebrate harmony.
May 24: Declaration of the Bab, a Baha'i holiday.
May 25: Africa Day, commemorating the foundation of the Organization of African Unity in 1963.
May 26: The Feast of the Ascension, a Christian holiday celebrating Jesus's ascension into heaven.
May 29-30: Ascension of Baha'u'llah, a Baha'i holy day.
May 30: Memorial Day, a U.S. holiday honoring military veterans who died in war.
June
In June, several month-long holidays are celebrated, including LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, along with:
- AIDS Awareness Month
- Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month
- National Caribbean American Heritage Month
June 4-6: Shavuot, a Jewish holiday that commemorates the spring harvest and the giving of the Torah.
June 5: Pentecost, a Christian holiday commemorating when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles.
June 12: Loving Day, celebrating the anniversary of the 1967 Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia that made interracial marriage legal.
June 12: Anne Frank Day, celebrating the birthday of the young Jewish hero.
June 13: Race Unity Day, a Baha'i holiday founded in 1957.
June 15: Native American Citizenship Day, which commemorates when the U.S. Congress passed legislation recognizing the citizenship of Native Americans in 1924.
June 19: Juneteenth, a holiday that originally commemorated when the abolition of slavery was announced in Texas in 1865 and is now a broader celebration of Black freedom and achievement.
June 19: All Saints' Day, an Orthodox celebration of all known and unknown Christian saints.
June 20: Father's Day.
June 20: World Refugee Day, marked by the UN to encourage public awareness and refugee support.
June 24: Litha, the summer solstice celebrated by Pagans.
June 26: Anniversary of the legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S., which happened via the Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015.
July
The month of July is French-American Heritage Month.
July 4: Independence Day
July 4: Republic Day, also known as Filipino-American Friendship Day, marking the Philippines' independence from the United States.
July 9: Martyrdom of the Bab, a Baha'i holiday observing the anniversary of the death of the Bab, the prophet of the Baha'i faith.
July 9-13: Eid al-Adha, a Muslim holiday commemorating the prophet Ibrahim's readiness to sacrifice his son, Ismail.
July 13: Dharma Day, also known as Asalha Puja, a Buddhist holiday commemorating the Buddha's first discourse after his spiritual awakening.July 13: Dharma Day, also known as Asalha Puja, a Buddhist holiday commemorating the Buddha's first discourse after his spiritual awakening.
July 14: Bastille Day, also known as French National Day, celebrating the storming of the Bastille in 1789, a turning point in the French Revolution.
July 18: International Nelson Mandela Day, marked on Mendela's birthday to honor his legacy.
July 24: Pioneer Day, a Mormon holiday recognizing the arrival of Brigham Young and the first group of Morman pioneers in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake.
July 26: ADA Day, celebrating when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in 1990.
July 29-30: Al-Hijra, the first day of the month of Muharram, which marks the beginning of the Islamic year.
July 30: International Day of Friendship, a day designated by the UN to promote relationships and friendship across cultures.
August
August 9: International Day of the World's Indigenous People, celebrating the rich heritage of indigenous cultures and recognizing the challenges they face.
August 3: Black Women's Equal Pay Day
August 5-6: Tisha B'Av, a Jewish date of observance mourning the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.
August 8: Ashura, a day of fasting observed by Muslims to mark Moses' exodus from Egypt.
August 11: Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi, an Indian festival celebrating the relationship between brothers and sisters.
August 19: World Humanitarian Day, marked by the UN to commemorate humanitarian workers killed or injured through their work.
August 19: Krishna Janmashtami, also known as Jayanti, a Hindu holiday celebrating Krishna's birthday.
August 26: Women's Equality Day, which celebrates the passing of the 19th Amendment that granted women the right to vote.
August 31: Ganesh Chaturthi, a Hindu holiday celebrating the birthday of Ganesha.
September
September 15th to October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of the U.S. Latinx and Hispanic communities. It begins on September 15th because that day is the independence day of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.
September 6: Labor Day, celebrating workers and the labor union movement.
September 8: Native American Women's Equal Pay Day
September 16: Mexican Independence Day
September 21: International Day of Peace, a day of nonviolence started by the United Nations.
September 23: Bi Visibility Day, marking the bi+ community.
September 25-27: Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and the beginning of a ten-day period of spiritual renewal.
September 26: European Day of Languages, created by the Council of Europe and organized by the CoE and the European Union, which commemorates the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe.
September 26- October 5: Navratri, a nine-day festival celebrating good triumphing over evil and ends in Dussehra on the 15th.
October
October is a packed month for cultural and communal celebrations, including:
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- Disability Employment Awareness Month
- Down Syndrome Awareness Month
- Filipino-American Heritage Month
- German-American Heritage Month
- Italian-American Heritage Month
- LGBTQIA+ History Month
- National Work and Family Month
- Polish-American Heritage Month
- Family History Month
October 2: International Day of Nonviolence, marked on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday to work towards a culture of peace, tolerance, and understanding.
October 4-5: Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement that ends the ten days of penance that began with Rosh Hashanah.
October 9-16: Sukkot, a Jewish weeklong commemoration of the 40-year wanderings of the Israelites.
October 10: World Mental Health Day
October 11: National Coming Out Day, which is celebrated on the anniversary of a 500,000-person march on Washington for gay and lesbian equality.
October 11: Indigenous Peoples' Day, celebrating and honoring Native American history and culture, previously celebrated as Columbus Day and changed by many states and cities to decenter genocide.
October 15: White Cane Safety Day, a day for awareness of the blind community.
October 16-18: Shemini Atzeret, a Jewish holiday known as the Eighth Day of Assembly and marked by joy and prayers.
September 17-18: Simchat Torah, a Jewish holiday that celebrates the Torah and marks a new cycle of reading it.
October 18-19: Eid Milad ul-Nabi, a Muslim holiday marking the birthday of the prophet Mohammed, celebrated by by Sunni Muslims on the 18th and Shi'a Muslims on the 23rd.
October 20: Sikh Holy Day, celebrating the birth of Guru Granth.
October 21: Latina's Equal Pay Day
October 22: International Stuttering Awareness Day, which works to raise public awareness of stuttering.
October 24: Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
October 25-26: Birth of the Bab, a Baha'i holiday marking the birth of the faith's prophet-herald.
October 27: Birth of Baha'u'llah, a Baha'i observance of another prophet-herald.
October 31: Halloween
October 31-November 2: Día de los Muertos, the Mexican celebration marking the Day of the Dead and celebrating those who have passed.
November
November includes:
- National Native American, American Indian, and Alaskan Native Heritage Month
- Movember, meant to increase awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer
November 1: All Saints' Day, a western Christian holiday commemorating known and unknown Christian saints.
November 2: All Souls' Day, a Christian holiday to commemorate the dead (marked as Día de los Muertos in Mexico).
November 8: Guru Nanek Dev Ji's birthday, an important Sikh holiday celebrating the founder of Sikhism.
November 11: Veterans Day, honoring military veterans.
November 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance, memorializing those killed due to anti-transgender prejudice.
November 24: Thanksgiving, commemorating the Pilgrims' harvest feast, and sometimes marked as a day of mourning to recognize the decimation of the Native Americans by the colonists.
November 25: Native American Heritage Day, observed on the day after Thanksgiving to honor Native American culture and history.
November 25-26: Day of the Covenant, a Baha'i holiday celebrating the appointment of Abdúl-Baha as the faith's successor.
November 28-29: Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha, a Baha'i holiday.
December
December is Universal Human Rights Month.
December 1: World AIDS Day, encouraging activism and education on HIV and AIDS.
December 3: International Day for People with Disabilities, planned to raise awareness of the issues people with disabilities face.
December 6: St. Nicholas' Day, the saint's day for the inspiration for modern-day Santa Claus celebrated in western Christian countries.
December 10: International Human Rights Day, started by the UN in 1948 upon the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
December 16-24: Las Posadas, a religious festival celebrated in Mexico and other parts of Latin America that commemorates the journey Mary and Joseph made to Bethlehem before Jesus's birth.
December 18-26: Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights that celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over King Antiochus.
December 21: Yule Winter Solstice, a pagan celebration of the first day of winter.
December 24: Christmas Eve, celebrating Mary and Joseph's arrival in Bethlehem for Jesus's birth.
December 25: Christmas, a western Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus.
December 26: Kwanzaa, a seven-day celebration of African-American culture and life originally founded in 1966.
December 31: New Year's Eve, the last day of the year in the Gregorian calendar and celebrated as the passing of one year and the beginning of another.
Thanks to the Anti-Defamation League, Diversity Best Practices, and other inclusivity-focused resources for background research!
A Successful Job Search Requires Strategy. Learn How To Approach It In The Best Possible Way!
💎For a successful job search you need to be very strategic, focused, and intentional about your career. Watch the video to the end to get advice on how to achieve it!
📼Be successful in your job search by identifying the career goals you’d like to achieve over the next 12 to 18 months. LaMont Price, Senior Recruiter, and Meg Fronckowiak, Senior Talent Acquisition Recruiter at Tenable, share with you the benefits of having a short-term career development plan and understanding your unique value proposition.
📼A successful job search requires you to take a deep dive into the job description. Look at your resume and try to match the skills and the qualifications and highlight that on your resume, so it stands out. Secondly, do your research. You want to make sure that you've taken a look at the company website. You've looked at the leadership of the company, the size of the company, and the culture of the company. And to go one step further, look at the interviewer. Look them up on LinkedIn, and take a look at their background. Recruiters always look for people who have great insightful questions that show the level of research the person did.
📼You’ll be successful in a job search if you know how to face the interview process. Every interview includes some don’ts. Don't be late. There's nothing worse than showing up late for an interview. Dress Professionally. Try to be in a quiet place so that you're not distracted. Get through the interview process, show that you're engaged, and have good body language. At the end of the interview, you always want to ask if there's any question that maybe you weren't able to answer. And always ask about the interview process to get a good understanding of the timeline.
A Successful Job Search Requires Research - Learn About A Company’s Values!
Recruiters need to know if you are aligned with the company’s culture. If you want to apply to Tenable, you should know that its core values are diversity, equity, and inclusion. They work together and they win together, and this is an idea that resonates throughout the entire organization. Tenable celebrates all of its employees. This allows them to focus on the equal representation of women and minorities in technical roles, sales roles, and leadership roles. The company provides training for all of its employees in diversity, equity, and inclusion. This helps employees to understand how their behaviors can impact others. Make sure to show that you are aligned with these values during your interview!
🧑💼 Are you interested in joining Tenable? They have open positions! To learn more, click here.
Get to Know LaMont Price and Meg Fronckowiak
Over the last 25+ years, LaMont Price has researched, analyzed, and optimized services and products by exploiting the latest tools and tactics aligned with the strategic goal via Attention, Differentiation, Trust, and Memorability. Meg Fronckowiak has been working in the recruiting and talent attraction since 2003 and she spent the majority of her career working across all disciplines including, Building out GTM Teams, Accounting & Finance, Marketing, Operations, and Sales Leadership. If interested in a career at Tenable, you can connect with LaMont and Meg on LinkedIn. Don’t forget to mention this video!
More About Tenable
Tenable empowers all organizations to understand and reduce their cybersecurity risk. Over 30,000 organizations, more than 50% being fortune 500 companies worldwide, rely on Tenable to help them understand and reduce cybersecurity risk. The company has some of the greatest minds. That’s because they bring people who come from diverse backgrounds and give them the resources and support to partner together to bring new ideas to life.
Careers in Web Development: Which One's For You?
We all have our favorite websites– the ones we frequent, bookmark, and recommend to others. You might even enjoy some website features so much that you’ve found yourself wondering why they aren’t more popular. Or maybe you’ve experienced times where you were frustrated with a website and wished you could add features or even design your own!
If you’ve ever found yourself intrigued at the prospect of designing and developing your own websites, then a career as a web developer might be just for you!
As a web developer you would be responsible for coding, designing, optimizing, and maintaining websites. Today, there are over 1.7 billion websites in the world and, in turn, the demand for web developers is on the rise. In order to figure out what kind of web development work best suits you let’s start with an introduction to the three main roles in web development that you can choose from.
The Three Types of Web Development Jobs
Front-End Web Development: The Creative Side
Think of front-end development as the décor of a house. The color scheme, furniture, manicured lawns, and overall aesthetic. In terms of a website, front-end development is laser-focused on the appearance of a website and its presentation on different devices. If you’re considering a role in front-end development, it’s important to learn programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These three languages go hand-in-hand. HTML allows you to create user interface elements, CSS helps you with stylistic elements, and JavaScript allows you to incorporate online tools and connect your website to back-end functions.
In addition to programming skills, front-end developers need to be detail oriented, creative, willing to keep up with the latest trends in web development, cyber security conscious, and geared toward user-friendly designs. The median salary for a front-end developer can reach well into the $90,000 to $100,000 range.
Back-End Web Development: The Logical Counterpart
While a house can be beautifully decorated, it’s incomplete without a solid foundation and efficient infrastructure. Similarly, a well-designed website depends on logical and functional code to power the features of that website. Back-end web development is code-heavy and focused on the specifics of how a website works. If you enjoy the analytical challenge of creating the behind-the-scenes code that powers a website, then back-end development is for you.
Since this role is more code-heavy, it’s important that you learn numerous programming languages and understand algorithms and data structures. Some languages that are essential to back-end development are Ruby, Python, SQL, and JavaScript. Back-end developers also ensure that users can successfully retrieve and access data. This requires creating and using APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) which act as messengers that relay data related requests. Additionally, developing the code for the inner workings of a website also requires back-end developers to be conscious of the user interface features designed by front-end developers and to internally mitigate potential security risks. Due to the increased technical aspect of this position, back-end developers normally earn higher salaries than front-end developers. The average median salary for this role is around $118,000 per year.
Full-Stack Web Development: A Little Bit of Everything
A full-stack developer is essentially the Jack (or Jill)-of-all-trades in web development. Full-stack developers need to be knowledgeable about both front-end and back-end roles. This does not necessarily imply that you would need to be an expert in both roles, but you should fully understand the different applications and synergies they each imply. In order to work in this position, you will need to know the programming languages used by front-end and back-end developers. In addition to these languages, full-stack developers also specialize in databases, storage, HTTP, REST, and web architecture.
Full-stack developers are often required to act as liaisons between front-end and back-end developers. Full-stack developers need to be both problem solvers and great communicators. The end goal for a full-stack developer is to ensure that the user’s experience is seamless, both on the front-end and on the back-end. In return, you can expect to earn a median salary of $100,000 – $115,000 a year for this role.
Taking the Next Step
Web development is both in-demand and lucrative! All three roles described above contribute to specific aspects of web development and the scope of each one can be customized to the industries and positions you feel best suit you. Regardless of which role you choose, all of them need a foundation in programming.
To gain the programming skills needed in each role, you can enroll in courses or learn independently. Coding bootcamps are a great way to boost your skillset quickly and efficiently.
Click here for some of our highly rated programming bootcamp options! Make sure to check out the discounts available to PowerToFly members.
Monica Arias of Chainalysis on How Underrepresented Talent Can Break into the Tech Industry
Monica Arias has long been interested in the new and the next. That interest is what drove her to work in national security after 9/11, and in the cryptocurrency space after learning about modern-day crimes committed on the blockchain.
One thing she has noticed every time she’s been somewhere new: the importance of having a diverse early team to shape it.
“We need minorities to be willing to take a chance and apply to firms like ours and other tech firms,” says Monica, who is currently a Federal Business Development Lead at Chainalysis, a blockchain data platform. “As these companies grow rapidly, we need diverse candidates who can offer diverse thoughts and approaches to problems.”
Monica currently works closely with the Chainalysis federal government team to pursue opportunities to support customers that are in need of Chainalysis data to track blockchain criminals and bring them to justice. She was well-prepared for some parts of the job after holding various roles but had to come up the curve on technical skills — which is why she’s sure that other candidates like her, from non-technical, underrepresented backgrounds, will be able to do so, too.
We sat down with Monica to hear more about how marginalized people can break into crypto and best position themselves for success in the field.
Connecting to a Bigger Mission
Growing up around DC, Monica got early exposure to federal service. From a young age, she knew she wanted to help represent and advocate for people.
She went to law school, thinking that would be the best path to fulfilling her goals. But living through 9/11 inspired her to support national security missions more actively. That’s how she got her first exposure to her now-employer — she brought in Chainalysis for a demo to learn how to on leverage their blockchain analysis tools.
“I’ve always wanted to be a part of something that had a bigger mission,” says Monica. “And the crypto space had that.”
It wasn’t just any crypto company that interested Monica, though. She particularly liked the company’s innovative culture and fast growth.
“Chainalysis is a very open and encouraging place,” says Monica, who came in to interview at the startup having studied up on crypto, but never having worked in the field or with blockchain technology.
“The culture is very much about learning, and they’ve created an environment where they enable you to do so. The underlying foundation is ongoing learning, and soliciting ideas on how to evolve and expand.”
Leveraging a Non-Technical Background
Monica gets what it’s like to not want to apply to an opportunity because you feel underqualified — that’s what happened to her.
“In some conversations, the feedback I received was that I didn’t have enough of a technical background and that therefore it would be challenging to go and join a tech firm,” she says. “It’s a big deterrent for so many people. And it also compounds things. Because if you’re a minority or from an underrepresented group, you’re already less likely to apply. And if you have no technical background, you’re even less likely to do so.”
How did Monica break through that? She got creative.
“I had to take a step back and say, ‘You know, I have skills. How can I transfer those into a non-technical role supporting a tech firm?” she says.
We asked her to share more about what that process was like, and here’s what she said:
5 Tips as You Gear Up to Be Competitive in the Tech Industry
- Find firms that are in fields you find interesting. Since you’re going to have to do a lot of learning, find a tech firm that is involved in a field you are excited about. Monica found her interest - crypto! She’s excited to continuously be learning about the rapidly changing crypto landscape. She added, “the tech industry can be demanding so you need to stay motivated about the work you’re doing and believe in the company you’re with.”
- Find firms that are open-minded, too. Interviewing at Chainalysis even without technical skills on her resume didn’t pose a problem for Monica. That’s because they were willing to look at her in her entirety. “It’s not just, ‘Do you fit A, B, and C,’ but ‘Do you have the overall skills and ability to learn and grow in this type of field?’”
- Recognize your transferable skills. Monica coaches other people with non-technical backgrounds like hers to start by acknowledging their accomplishments in their own fields. “What have you done? Is it people managing? Because these firms manage people in one way or another. Those and other skills can be leveraged and transferred,” says Monica. “Literally, make a list and identify those skills, then highlight those skills throughout your resume.”
- Remember that most people are in the same boat. “You won’t come across too many candidates who have 10 years of crypto experience, because this field is new,” says Monica. “The perfect candidate who meets every single qualification listed in a job ad may not exist so instead recruiters — especially those who are good at their jobs - spend time getting to know candidates. But they can't get to know you if you are deterred from applying by thinking you don't meet all the qualifications.”
- Study up. Monica follows crypto influencers, keeps up with crypto companies on LinkedIn, follows government statements on crypto, and reads reports put out by her firm and others. “If this is your focus, you need to read, talk, and network — just be curious,” she says.
Does a job at Chainalysis sound right for you? Check out their open roles!
5 Networking Tips to Score a Remote Job
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of workers have turned to remote work. Before the pandemic in 2019, 22% of employers offered at least some remote work. Now in 2022, that percentage nearly doubled to 40%. The shift to remote work has become beneficial for me and many of my friends who are recent college grads starting their careers. It’s allowed us to dictate our own time and save money from commuting, spend more time with loved ones at home, and have the flexibility to travel and build connections from anywhere. Remote working has also changed how people network for jobs. We have more options now.
Since remote networking is so new, it can be challenging to understand how to do it effectively. Read on to learn my top tips for networking for a remote job.
1. Connect with your high school or college.
The schools you went to want to see you succeed! Connect with old professors, classmates, or alumni on social platforms like PowerToFly or LinkedIn. You can find connections through sports teams, clubs, or topics of interest that will help you build stronger relationships. Don’t be afraid to ask them for advice, mentorship, or even introductions.
2. Join a class!
Have you ever had a hobby that you never had the chance to pursue? Coding? Running? Painting? It’s never too late to learn something new. Plus, spending time doing what you love will introduce you to other people who love the same thing. Not only will this help expand your social circle, it can also help your career! Once you feel comfortable, talk to your classmates about your work, and ask them about theirs. The perk of classes like these is that you will build relationships with people from all different career backgrounds which will help you determine your career path, especially if you are looking for a mid-career pivot.
3. Register for the Early Career Summit.
My friends and I are very excited to join PowerToFly’s Early Career Summit this fall to meet the inspiring founders and CEOs of incredibly impactful companies. This is a great opportunity to get useful tips and learn about different perspectives, professions, and topics that you may be interested in.
4. Attend a virtual job fair and connect with leaders who inspire you.
Job fairs are great for meeting people who can be helpful because everyone attending is there to network! Job fairs at PowerToFly are a great place to meet hiring managers and recruiters from our sponsoring companies. If you come prepared with a resume it is an opportunity to make a great first impression with a company. After the virtual job fair, remember to connect with the people who stuck out to you and introduce yourself on PowerToFly or LinkedIn. Make sure to tell the recruiter who you are, and highlight what stood out to you about their talk.
5. Offer to help.
People really value your help (when it‘s needed). If you know someone in your network looking to hire a web designer and you know a great place to find one, don’t be afraid to make the connection! If you see a job opening that would be great for someone in your network, let them know! Helping people in this way will help build your trust and credibility.
Remote networking has its differences from in-person networking, but it has never been easier to have access to social platforms that can help create connections. It will take some creativity and hard work, but once you have the appropriate mindset the options are endless.
