Posted by José Piñero on LinkedIn on June 13, 2023
Career Advice for Latino Professionals: Key Strategies for Success
Many Latino professionals in the United States often ask, “How can I advance my career?” The professional world can be challenging to navigate, particularly for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. As a Hispanic professional, you may encounter unique challenges on your path to career success. This blog provides practical strategies to empower Latino professionals, help them climb the corporate ladder, and succeed professionally. These recommendations are based on our decades of experience doing leadership development, career acceleration seminars, and/or coaching for Latino professionals in top companies such as Amazon, Google, IBM, Kellogg’s, Lululemon, Merck, Meta, Microsoft, NBC Universal, Nike, Unilever, and many more.
Embrace Your Cultural Strengths
Latino professionals bring unique strengths and cultural values to the table, including a strong work ethic, resilience, resourcefulness, and a deep sense of community. Embrace these cultural strengths and leverage them to your advantage. Find a way to use your assets to fuel your on-the-job performance and produce tangible results. We at Latino Leadership Performance conduct tailored seminars & workshops to help Latino professionals harness their cultural strengths, grow their personal and professional power, and optimize their on-the-job performance.
Upskill Your Communications
Effective communication is crucial in the professional world, particularly for those aspiring to leadership positions. Understanding how to best present ideas and sell concepts in U.S. organizations requires adapting our traditional communication style to be more direct and objective. Given that Latinos come from a high-context culture, we work with Hispanic/Latino aspiring leaders, rising stars, and professionals to help them streamline their communication style and become more effective in the workplace. Building your communication skills can involve practicing public speaking, articulating your ideas effectively, and navigating professional conversations. In our seminars and coaching, we go deep into different ways to present ideas verbally and in written communication.
Build Your Executive Presence
Cultivating your executive presence – the ability to project confidence, poise under pressure, and decisiveness – is essential to professional growth. Executive presence can influence how others perceive you and your leadership potential. You can improve your executive presence through conscious practice, feedback, and even specialized training programs, like the ones we do at Latino Leadership Performance.
Learn How to “Manage Up” – Managing Your Boss and Other Executives
“Managing up” refers to the strategy of working proactively with your superiors to facilitate better communication, collaboration, and career advancement. This can involve understanding your boss’s expectations and communication style, delivering results that align with your boss’s priorities, and maintaining open lines of communication.
Successfully managing up can help you gain valuable recognition, ensure your work aligns with the company’s strategic goals, and potentially open up new opportunities for career advancement. While the specifics of managing up can vary depending on your workplace and your relationship with your superiors, the key lies in proactive communication, understanding your boss’s expectations, and consistently demonstrating your value to the organization.
Find a Mentor or Coach
Having a coach or mentor who understands Latino professionals’ unique experiences and challenges can be invaluable. A mentor or coach can guide, advise, and support you, helping you navigate potential career obstacles and opportunities. A good coach is a safe sounding board and helps you workshop difficult situations, strategize your plans, and role-play challenging conversations you will have. Find a coach that understands your journey and values and, at the same time, is someone you will enjoy talking to and working with. I am biased on this topic because I am a coach, and I love working with Latinx talent.
Embrace a Continuous Learning and Development Mindset
Investing in continuous learning and development is a powerful way to advance your career. Developing a continuous learner or “growth mindset” mentality is one of the most powerful things you can do. You can just get in the habit of reading or watching educational content. Social media offers a wealth of material that can educate us. In addition to the “fun” content we all watch on social media, find short videos or articles that can help you learn a new skill or best practice. Consider enrolling in leadership development programs that specifically cater to Latino professionals. We, Latino Leadership Performance, provide engaging live and online seminars and workshops that will equip you with the skills you need to ascend in the corporate world.
Network
Building a robust professional network is crucial for career advancement. Join professional organizations and attend events where you can meet and learn from other successful Latino professionals. Meet and connect with other Latino/Latina professionals in online communities, such as the Latinx Leaders membership, live events, local organizations, and Hispanic Heritage Month activities.
Advocate for Yourself
Learning to advocate for yourself is an essential career skill. Advocating can involve negotiating for a higher salary, requesting more significant projects, or seeking promotions. Two frequently challenging areas for Latino talent are “marketing their accomplishments” and “negotiation skills.” Working on these areas makes a massive difference for Hispanics in the workplace. We do significant work to help individuals advocate for themselves, become more assertive negotiators, and market their accomplishments in the workplace.
Develop the Leader within You
Leadership skills are critical for advancement in any career (and in your personal life). Finding that leader within you, identifying your personal mission, and nurturing it will be crucial to your professional and personal fulfillment. Developing your leadership skills can involve pursuing leadership roles within your current organization, seeking out mentorship opportunities, or investing in leadership training programs. For instance, Latino Leadership Performance offers leadership development programs specifically designed for Latino professionals, focusing on embracing cultural strengths and optimizing on-the-job performance.
Conclusion
So much more can be done, but this is a good start. By focusing on these strategies, Latinos can empower themselves to navigate the professional world more effectively, seize opportunities for career advancement, and contribute to a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Remember, your unique Latinx/Latino/Latina/Hispanic/Latine perspective is a strength, and cultivating your skills and abilities can help you shine in your professional journey.
If you want to learn more about advancing your career as a Latino, Latina, Hispanic, Latinx, Latine professional in the U.S., visit the Latino Leadership Performance website or contact me. My personal mission is to improve the lives of one million Hispanics by 2025 via education, coaching, and leadership development programs. I welcome all of you who want to be part of this movement to join me and spread the word. Whether you’re seeking a career coach, a leadership development program, ERG support, or resources specifically tailored for Latino professionals, I am here to help. I wish you continued success!
