Systemic racial injustices against African Americans are so widespread that they negatively affect the recruitment of Black people in tech. In the past, this has contributed to the gaping wealth inequality in the US. But going forward, such bias will likely be more devastating if it’s not addressed.
Rapid advances in technology are revolutionizing the world of work. In the next few years, tech-related disruption will end multiple careers across industries, especially the jobs that can be automated.
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And since Black people are disproportionately concentrated in positions like school bus drivers, cleaners, and security guards, they’ll be the most hit.
It’s vital for Black workers to be able to transition to tech careers with more job security. The first part of that transition is the acquisition of skills, which we’ve covered in this article:
Read Also: How Black Americans Can Move from Low Wage to High-Paying Jobs
But once Black workers have the necessary skills, how do they side-step the biased recruitment ecosystem to access high-paying tech jobs?
Access to platforms for Black people in tech is one answer, and we’ve reviewed and handpicked the best platforms for Black techies, which we present in this article.
1. Dev Color
Dev Color’s mission is to accelerate the career progress of Black software engineers, technologists, and executives. They do so through the following services:
- A job board that matches applicants to jobs based on their profiles.
- Expert feedback and personalized coaching to advance the technical interview readiness of Black software engineers.
- A-Star, a peer mentorship program for software engineers.
- Industry-expert perspectives and professional development opportunities to help Black techies advance their careers.
- Coaching on pitching and branding, mock investor meetings, and networking opportunities to help Black entrepreneurs succeed.
Dev Color also helps companies remain accountable in tackling the equity problem. Here’s a testimonial by a Black software engineer who’s benefitted from Dev Color:
Read Also: How to Access Capital As a Black Entrepreneur
2. Black Tech Jobs
The Black Tech Jobs website caters to mid-career and senior-level Black tech professionals by helping them land jobs.
In addition to helping job seekers, the website provides consultancy services to firms looking to recruit and maintain diverse workforces. One of the services they offer is the establishment of workplace cultures that facilitate the success of all employees.
3. Black Tech Pipeline
The Black Tech Pipeline website is a job board that doubles as a recruitment platform. It helps black people in tech learn about and apply for tech jobs. Uniquely, the platform goes out of its way to inform applicants about the current state of potential employers. They shed light on areas such as:
- Internal practices on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- What current teams look like.
- What the company does to retain and support Black employees.
Below is a YouTube video that explains how Black Tech Pipeline works:
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4. Coding Black Females
Coding Black Females is a non-profit organization that accelerates the advancement of Black women in tech. One of its services is a job board that highlights jobs posted by Black-owned companies.
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Whether you’re a newbie or have spent years in the tech industry, Coding Black Females will help you advance by giving you access to the following opportunities:
- Apprenticeships
- Internships
- Volunteer opportunities
- Part-time jobs
- Graduate programs
- Opportunities for boot camp graduates
- Training opportunities
Additionally, the website facilitates personal development, networking, and support for members.
Below is one of the educational resources that Coding Black Females typically provides to its members:
5. People of Color In Tech
People of Color in Tech is a platform that helps black people in tech primarily through a jobs platform. To use the platform, you create a professional profile, then apply and get matched to jobs.
The platform allows you to filter opportunities according to:
- Preferred tech role, with roles such as data scientist, front-end developer, and technical writer.
- Experience level.
- Terms of service such as full-time, contract, or part-time.
The platform has numerous remote jobs, allowing Africans worldwide to apply for high-paying tech jobs.
6. Blacks In Technology
Blacks in Technology is dedicated to increasing the representation and success of Black people in Tech. They do this through:
- A LinkedIn and Slack group where Black techies can share resumes and access jobs posted by companies that are intentional on diverse workforces.
- A jobs board with remote, on-site, full-time, and part-time opportunities for developers.
7. Black Code Collective
Black Code Collective was started as a community to help Black people in tech deal with the challenges of underrepresentation in the industry. It helps Black techies survive and thrive in their workplaces.
The organization also recognizes a critical fact: Most job opportunities are never advertised and are filled through networking. In the past, this has disadvantaged Black techies, and the collective seeks to overcome this by providing networking opportunities for Black techies.
Additionally, they have a job board to advertise tech opportunities.
Job Hunting While Black: Important Tips
While job hunting, as much as you want to land a well-paying job, you also want to end up in a healthy work environment that allows you to thrive. You’ll likely want to avoid getting a job in a toxic environment where you won’t last long. The following tips can help:
- Survey the company photos on their social media pages and website to see whether they feature black and minority employees.
- Assess the company policy by checking whether they have a mission statement or strategic plan supporting diversity.
- Use platforms like LinkedIn and Glassdoor to review the experiences of former employees.
Which Companies Hire the Most Black People?
According to a Glassdoor study, these are the ten companies you should seek to work for if you’re black. They not only hire black people but are also committed to their career success.
- Delta Airlines.
- Microsoft.
- Northrop Gumman.
- Deloitte.
- FedEx.
- Bank of America.
- Capital One.
- Enterprise.
- EY.
- Chick-fil-A.
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