Concerned about fitting in with co-workers and corporate culture, a diverse body of students attended last night's "Invisible Issues and Illusions of Industries" panel discussion, featuring five minority speakers specifically chosen on the basis of their distinct identities and corporate backgrounds.
Discussing questions about whether or not it is necessary to assimilate in order to fit in at work, the panel members took up a variety of positions but ultimately agreed that just doing a good job is not enough when it comes to getting ahead in the corporate world.
Speaking from professional experience, Management Professor Louis Thomas pointed out that it is important to make social connections with co-workers.
"Bottom line," Thomas said, "no one wants to promote someone they don't trust."
But panelist Rina Borromeo, a recent Penn graduate and research analyst, explained how being a Filipino lesbian sometimes makes it difficult to relate to her co-workers.
Using lunch discussions about dating with her colleagues as an example, Borromeo said, "It's really hard for me to be out with them."
Other panelists shared stories about how they dealt with certain stereotypes that they encountered while on the job.
Legal Studies Professor Nien-hˆ Hsieh spoke about how people have made assumptions about him based solely upon how his name looks and are surprised that his field is legal studies instead of something technical.
"With my name," Hsieh said, "it's often assumed that I'm not a native speaker of English."
Thomas described that as a black man, he remembers the confusion that would sometimes appear on people's faces the first time he would enter a classroom.
Although Thomas knew that they were pondering, "Is he the TA or is he the janitor?" he explained that he started to have a little fun with their preconceptions by not making his position immediately obvious at first.
And while there were definitely some stories that the speakers could laugh off, panelist Heather Holmes addressed the fact that everyone has a part to play in helping those on staff make connections with their colleagues.
"I don't want to come off and say that it's the responsibility of the individual to solely make the relationship," said Holmes, a Wharton sophomore.
Despite the difficulties that they had encountered on the job as minorities, the panelists ended on a positive note, agreeing that having a distinct identity could also be a strength.
The talk was sponsored by the Black Wharton Undergraduate Association.
