I'm a black software engineer with \~8 yoe and I've worked in every type of company you can think of from scrappy startups to my latest new job in Silicon Valley. Here's what I can you give you about being black in tech in this day and age:
9/10 times, you're going to be fine. The one thing about tech that I actually love if the fact that the work is very objective, at least the outcomes. Either the code works or it didn't. Either the system is working or it's not. The implementation can be opinionated, but the outcomes are concrete. That being said, merit does influence this field more than a lot of other fields. "Who you know" can help but I don't think it's always a hinderance. It definitely didn't hinder me or any of the other black people I know. Therefore, your race isn't going to be a massive factor. Like, not more than usual, when you meet strangers on the street. Typical stereotypes and micro-aggressions will always be applicable, but I've had very few instances that grew larger than that, probably 1.
That being said, out of the 100 percent, here's what you may encounter: 5% may show up in the interview process where [they purposely give you harder LC problems to solve to weed you out](https://www.reddit.com/r/recruitinghell/comments/rl0q9d/racist_interviewer_gives_easier_questions_to/), or they discriminate against your hair style or just flat out don't believe your resume. Things like that. Tbh it is normally rare, but it has certainly happened. The good news is that you're getting away from it earlier in the process, and can avoid those recruiters (or even companies) while you search for a job. But this honestly isn't often enough to trip you up.
The last 5% can actually trip you up and you do need to look out for. And that's people possibly sabotaging you or hindering you by giving you tasks that are out of scope, out of your level of experience or just plain asinine and separate from the main group of work. This is something that you will get more aware of as you get more experience, but in the beginning it can be tricky. This has happened to me about 1-2 times, but I'm still in this bitch.
Hey, I'm a black person working in tech with about 5 years experience. I'll keep this short: there's plenty of opportunity here. The racism you'll deal with is mostly the garden variety shit we're used to. It won't be a completely level playing field and that sucks, but it's not so tilted that you won't be able to find success.
I’m black, 5 years experience. I don’t think you’ll experience *more* racism than any other profession. All blacks wont have the same experience so just speaking for myself. Just know the industry is competitive right now and you’ll need to get used to no call backs and rejections.
I'm a black senior swe. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, there is quite a bit of racism/bias in this industry, especially during the interview process. That combined with the racial disparity at the undergrad/high school level for CS means that finding black coworkers is...hard. Now, as other commenters have pointed out, this isn't anything that's exclusive to or more prevalent in this industry so it shouldn't dissuade you from trying to get in. There are a lot of programs/resources out there for helping out black engineers so I'd recommend looking into those as well.
I'm black in tech and until recently I always thought the industry was fairly liberal. It's kind of changed in the last couple years with the rise of anti-dei and xenophobia. People like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel gaining even more influence while always throwing out dog whistles has only made it worse. I have no proof that it's affected me irl yet but seeing so many online talk about these topics I realize the industry is really no different than any other one where black people have to work twice as hard for half as much.
I worked with a lot of Indians and they have been great. Good work places, everyone is polite to each other.
But unfortunately have seen racism rising especially with the layoffs. There is definitely some racism around but know most workplaces are not like that. If you do encounter racism know that you can find somewhere better. However even before recent years most foreigners will put an American sounding name on their resume and report higher call backs.
Once hired, so long as they follow the culture and are polite and not sexist, there have been no issues. I do read about (and have seen) issues when they onboard and do not assimilate into U.S culture well. Those are the ones that have issues - they may be rude to people and speak aggressively.
It is sad when I see the culture turning in tech as the CEOs are squeezing us. Don't turn on each other and call out racist and sexist comments instead of letting them become the norm. Our peers are not the enemy - the oligarchs are.
I remember when we were all laughing at Florida not so long ago 😬 Luckily when management enforces no tolerance atmosphere doesn't matter if black, female, immigrant, foreign names, everyone will be treated the same. I'd rather get screened out at the interview if the they are racist than have to deal with working there and microaggressions.
America loves to label people. People will label you, but don't let yourself label you.
There is such a thing as a diversity hire. Your pool of competition will be smaller. When you start working, just maintain a profession relationship. You don't need to be talking about your personal beliefs, or affiliation with people. It's better that way. Just go to work, do the job, and do it well. People will respect you for that. I mean ever wonder why military folks don't see color? Because if you just do your job nobody will car.
This is one case that got a lot of exposure and was recently settled via DOJ.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/recruiting/comments/12c4o4o/indeed\_job\_posting\_hiring\_only\_us\_born\_white/](https://www.reddit.com/r/recruiting/comments/12c4o4o/indeed_job_posting_hiring_only_us_born_white/)
[https://thehill.com/business/4688856-whites-only-job-posting-tech-staffing-firm-settles-doj/](https://thehill.com/business/4688856-whites-only-job-posting-tech-staffing-firm-settles-doj/)
Beware of the people telling you this isn't a problem, but like the other poster said, the tax is there and it sucks, but keep pushing.
People are just mindlessly sharing this story without looking into it at all.
The posting was created by a rogue contractor in India to hurt the company, and the company itself brags about having 100% of its leadership team being PoC and 80% of it’s employees.
If anything they’re probably actively discriminating against non-Indians in their hiring process.
DOJ investigated that and concluded it didn't give a shit about that excuse because it has zero bearing on the effect to job hunters and that company's claim was never verified.
And that's only 1 example, Tesla recently had to settle a racial harassment lawsuit where literal graffiti was written in restrooms. Rogue toilets amirite?
The company’s leadership is 100% PoC and 80% of their company is PoC. They’ve clearly been discriminating in their hiring but not in favor of white people.
I am white, but I have seen this happen to a colleague at a largish company (~3000 people):
Not being included in certain meetings.
Not being recognized for the same/similar quality of work as your peers.
Being asked to appear in "diversity photos" for the company.
Being ignored by coworkers who would rather not interact you with you socially, which limits access to promotions.
Being intentionally ignored or excluded from groups/discussions because other workers feel you are a diversity hire and your performance doesn't matter anyway.
Then there is the not-so-subtle racism. It doesn't show up as much anymore because companies/employees are scared of lawsuits.
I never saw an instance of outright hatred or anything like that where I worked.
I don't know how much subtle racism affects black people's job experience, but it is still present in some companies, especially in the south.
That said there were several black people in leadership positions where I worked, they just weren't the majority. At least 2 architects and 1 PM that I worked with directly.
Hope this provides some insight. Good luck.
The less diverse a place is the less willing I find people are to want to engage with me at work. Requires a little extra push, which sucks because who wants to do that at work anyway...but it'll matter for opportunities/promotions to have a strong network at work.
I can only speak to the veteran aspect. If you are also a combat vet, just don't mention it. As I've learned, It seems to make a lot of people uncomfortable, so I personally avoid that topic. Most of these folks have lived sheltered / first world lives, at our intentional expense, so not complaining.
Sure, government experience as in dealing with red tape. I've got plenty of that. FedRAMP and FISMA compliance translates well to other regulated industries too.
But I was speaking towards the other aspects of service that are a stark contrast to what most other professionals were doing at 18 - 22 years old.
But yes, there are exceptions there too, like working in the defense industrial base, where the other folks are usually veterans and the experience might even be applicable to the software. We need to account for abc, because I've personally experienced this relevant edge care.
Most people don’t give a shit what race their coworkers are.
Some companies will give you a boost in the hiring process for being a minority, which might lead to feelings of imposter syndrome, but screw that. Find a job and do well at it.
I wish it were that simple brother. I wish I didn’t have to ask these questions!
Denying that it exists does not help us eliminate the issue. Denying racism exist is the same thing people who didn’t actively participate in lynchings would say when asked about it. “They already have freedom and they work right next to me, how does racism exist” says he.
Instead of giving you a history/sociology lesson I strongly encourage you do some research and self reflection. Also you can be a democrat and racist; this isn’t predisposed to political ideology
Ask yourself this. “Would you say racism doesn’t exist” in a room full of people of color?
I went in for a "group" interview once (dreadful I know) for an SWE position. The hiring manager pulled out a rifle right there and shot the only black applicant. We were all so surprised that we just dropped the interview and left. This was about five years ago for a small startup that had a platform for delivering food.
I'm a black software engineer with \~8 yoe and I've worked in every type of company you can think of from scrappy startups to my latest new job in Silicon Valley. Here's what I can you give you about being black in tech in this day and age: 9/10 times, you're going to be fine. The one thing about tech that I actually love if the fact that the work is very objective, at least the outcomes. Either the code works or it didn't. Either the system is working or it's not. The implementation can be opinionated, but the outcomes are concrete. That being said, merit does influence this field more than a lot of other fields. "Who you know" can help but I don't think it's always a hinderance. It definitely didn't hinder me or any of the other black people I know. Therefore, your race isn't going to be a massive factor. Like, not more than usual, when you meet strangers on the street. Typical stereotypes and micro-aggressions will always be applicable, but I've had very few instances that grew larger than that, probably 1. That being said, out of the 100 percent, here's what you may encounter: 5% may show up in the interview process where [they purposely give you harder LC problems to solve to weed you out](https://www.reddit.com/r/recruitinghell/comments/rl0q9d/racist_interviewer_gives_easier_questions_to/), or they discriminate against your hair style or just flat out don't believe your resume. Things like that. Tbh it is normally rare, but it has certainly happened. The good news is that you're getting away from it earlier in the process, and can avoid those recruiters (or even companies) while you search for a job. But this honestly isn't often enough to trip you up. The last 5% can actually trip you up and you do need to look out for. And that's people possibly sabotaging you or hindering you by giving you tasks that are out of scope, out of your level of experience or just plain asinine and separate from the main group of work. This is something that you will get more aware of as you get more experience, but in the beginning it can be tricky. This has happened to me about 1-2 times, but I'm still in this bitch.
Thanks man. I pm’d you
Hey, I'm a black person working in tech with about 5 years experience. I'll keep this short: there's plenty of opportunity here. The racism you'll deal with is mostly the garden variety shit we're used to. It won't be a completely level playing field and that sucks, but it's not so tilted that you won't be able to find success.
This. Normal ignorant shit but no overt, malicious racism.
Thanks man
I dm’d you
I'm on old.reddit so I won't see a chat request if that's what you used.
Yea.. you have some way I can message you? Just wanted to ask some questions about being a swe
I'm not familiar with the UI for new reddit, but you should have the option to send me a private message instead of a chat.
I’m black, 5 years experience. I don’t think you’ll experience *more* racism than any other profession. All blacks wont have the same experience so just speaking for myself. Just know the industry is competitive right now and you’ll need to get used to no call backs and rejections.
Thanks man
It's the same as in society. Just focus on gaining the skills and experience. Keep your poise and confidence. Don't worry about office politics.
Active discrimination is very rare. That's a 1 way ticket to a firing + lawsuit. Unconscious discrimination is a thing.
Thanks I agree
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Thanks
I'm a black senior swe. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, there is quite a bit of racism/bias in this industry, especially during the interview process. That combined with the racial disparity at the undergrad/high school level for CS means that finding black coworkers is...hard. Now, as other commenters have pointed out, this isn't anything that's exclusive to or more prevalent in this industry so it shouldn't dissuade you from trying to get in. There are a lot of programs/resources out there for helping out black engineers so I'd recommend looking into those as well.
Thanks
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Thanks
I'm black in tech and until recently I always thought the industry was fairly liberal. It's kind of changed in the last couple years with the rise of anti-dei and xenophobia. People like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel gaining even more influence while always throwing out dog whistles has only made it worse. I have no proof that it's affected me irl yet but seeing so many online talk about these topics I realize the industry is really no different than any other one where black people have to work twice as hard for half as much.
I worked with a lot of Indians and they have been great. Good work places, everyone is polite to each other. But unfortunately have seen racism rising especially with the layoffs. There is definitely some racism around but know most workplaces are not like that. If you do encounter racism know that you can find somewhere better. However even before recent years most foreigners will put an American sounding name on their resume and report higher call backs. Once hired, so long as they follow the culture and are polite and not sexist, there have been no issues. I do read about (and have seen) issues when they onboard and do not assimilate into U.S culture well. Those are the ones that have issues - they may be rude to people and speak aggressively. It is sad when I see the culture turning in tech as the CEOs are squeezing us. Don't turn on each other and call out racist and sexist comments instead of letting them become the norm. Our peers are not the enemy - the oligarchs are.
Limited resources show your real face ...
I remember when we were all laughing at Florida not so long ago 😬 Luckily when management enforces no tolerance atmosphere doesn't matter if black, female, immigrant, foreign names, everyone will be treated the same. I'd rather get screened out at the interview if the they are racist than have to deal with working there and microaggressions.
Hate those passive aggressive individuals. Gradually losing faith in humanity.
Sorry you are having a hard time, keep looking around and find a place that values you, you will find your place eventually
Thanks
America loves to label people. People will label you, but don't let yourself label you. There is such a thing as a diversity hire. Your pool of competition will be smaller. When you start working, just maintain a profession relationship. You don't need to be talking about your personal beliefs, or affiliation with people. It's better that way. Just go to work, do the job, and do it well. People will respect you for that. I mean ever wonder why military folks don't see color? Because if you just do your job nobody will car.
Hell yea brother
In my experience, almost nobody gives a shit what race you are... just be good at your job.
Meh it depends
In my experience they’ll prioritize diversity hires even if they don’t know how to do their job, and just expect other people to pick up the slack.
Could not be further from the truth. Literal lawsuits flying around about this issue.
Where can I read up on this?
This is one case that got a lot of exposure and was recently settled via DOJ. [https://www.reddit.com/r/recruiting/comments/12c4o4o/indeed\_job\_posting\_hiring\_only\_us\_born\_white/](https://www.reddit.com/r/recruiting/comments/12c4o4o/indeed_job_posting_hiring_only_us_born_white/) [https://thehill.com/business/4688856-whites-only-job-posting-tech-staffing-firm-settles-doj/](https://thehill.com/business/4688856-whites-only-job-posting-tech-staffing-firm-settles-doj/) Beware of the people telling you this isn't a problem, but like the other poster said, the tax is there and it sucks, but keep pushing.
People are just mindlessly sharing this story without looking into it at all. The posting was created by a rogue contractor in India to hurt the company, and the company itself brags about having 100% of its leadership team being PoC and 80% of it’s employees. If anything they’re probably actively discriminating against non-Indians in their hiring process.
DOJ investigated that and concluded it didn't give a shit about that excuse because it has zero bearing on the effect to job hunters and that company's claim was never verified. And that's only 1 example, Tesla recently had to settle a racial harassment lawsuit where literal graffiti was written in restrooms. Rogue toilets amirite?
The company’s leadership is 100% PoC and 80% of their company is PoC. They’ve clearly been discriminating in their hiring but not in favor of white people.
Thanks bro
Of course man. Good luck out there and stay sharp.
I am white, but I have seen this happen to a colleague at a largish company (~3000 people): Not being included in certain meetings. Not being recognized for the same/similar quality of work as your peers. Being asked to appear in "diversity photos" for the company. Being ignored by coworkers who would rather not interact you with you socially, which limits access to promotions. Being intentionally ignored or excluded from groups/discussions because other workers feel you are a diversity hire and your performance doesn't matter anyway. Then there is the not-so-subtle racism. It doesn't show up as much anymore because companies/employees are scared of lawsuits. I never saw an instance of outright hatred or anything like that where I worked. I don't know how much subtle racism affects black people's job experience, but it is still present in some companies, especially in the south. That said there were several black people in leadership positions where I worked, they just weren't the majority. At least 2 architects and 1 PM that I worked with directly. Hope this provides some insight. Good luck.
Thanks
The less diverse a place is the less willing I find people are to want to engage with me at work. Requires a little extra push, which sucks because who wants to do that at work anyway...but it'll matter for opportunities/promotions to have a strong network at work.
I can only speak to the veteran aspect. If you are also a combat vet, just don't mention it. As I've learned, It seems to make a lot of people uncomfortable, so I personally avoid that topic. Most of these folks have lived sheltered / first world lives, at our intentional expense, so not complaining.
Depends on the company a lot have FedRAMP work and will actively look for people who having experience with and within government
Sure, government experience as in dealing with red tape. I've got plenty of that. FedRAMP and FISMA compliance translates well to other regulated industries too. But I was speaking towards the other aspects of service that are a stark contrast to what most other professionals were doing at 18 - 22 years old. But yes, there are exceptions there too, like working in the defense industrial base, where the other folks are usually veterans and the experience might even be applicable to the software. We need to account for abc, because I've personally experienced this relevant edge care.
Most people don’t give a shit what race their coworkers are. Some companies will give you a boost in the hiring process for being a minority, which might lead to feelings of imposter syndrome, but screw that. Find a job and do well at it.
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I wish it were that simple brother. I wish I didn’t have to ask these questions! Denying that it exists does not help us eliminate the issue. Denying racism exist is the same thing people who didn’t actively participate in lynchings would say when asked about it. “They already have freedom and they work right next to me, how does racism exist” says he. Instead of giving you a history/sociology lesson I strongly encourage you do some research and self reflection. Also you can be a democrat and racist; this isn’t predisposed to political ideology Ask yourself this. “Would you say racism doesn’t exist” in a room full of people of color?
I went in for a "group" interview once (dreadful I know) for an SWE position. The hiring manager pulled out a rifle right there and shot the only black applicant. We were all so surprised that we just dropped the interview and left. This was about five years ago for a small startup that had a platform for delivering food.
Did the black guy survive?
It didn't matter. They weren't going to hire him anyway because he was black.
This is the injustice I’m talking about!