We were lucky to catch up with Aliyah Crump recently and have shared our conversation below.
Aliyah, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
When I first started my professional career, being the only one in the room was one of the first things that stood out to me. Initially, I questioned why this was and how I would navigate spaces moving forward. The first step of this journey of finding confidence in these rooms was building my knowledge in my field. I realized I had a passion for human resources and enrolled in a Masters in Human Resources Program. Through the program and the real world experiences I was getting through my job; I started feeling confident in myself.
The next phase in my journey was learning how to speak and speak up in these rooms. In many places, the minority is not listened to. So, I practiced stating my professional opinions and raising my hand in spaces that I may not have done before to feel more comfortable speaking in front of larger groups. As I continued in my career I better developed my personal and professional values and in general became better at work life balance and finding meaningfulness in all aspects of life.
Currently, there are many tools that I use to be effective and successful while being the only one in the room. Firstly, before entering the room I gather any notes and know what my main objectives are for the meeting. Secondly, being in the room I stand firm, remember my values of peace and resilience, I don’t waver in my opinion, and remain kind. I also find that knowing my differences and turning them into strengths has been the most surprising and helpful advantage of being different. I am a lesbian woman of color and the experiences and obstacles that I have overcome makes me even better at being the only one in a room.
From a professional perspective I find that finding the common goal and/or common values in the room is helpful in having conversations. Also, actively listening and focusing on the project at hand, brainstorming, and connecting with my teams are important to my overall success as a professional. But, ultimately as a human I am effective and successful by remembering who I am, not letting anyone’s words affect me, and leaving work at work and leaning into the things, people, experiences, and hobbies that mean the most to me. Knowing who I am and finding comfort in those things when I am in spaces where no one looks like me.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am Campus Recruitment Program Manager for a company in the Research Triangle Park area in Raleigh, NC. My position has many factors to it. I attend career fairs, events, and classroom presentations geared towards recruiting college students. I travel to different universities around the United States meeting and recruiting students for my company. I also review resumes, conduct interviews, and hire for internships and recent college graduates. Lastly, I do engagement for recent college graduates and interns within the company. The most exciting part about my job is the students! Nothing is better than extending a job offer to a person that worked so hard towards their education and is now successfully entering the workforce.
I am also the proud Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Thrive Women’s Empowerment Inc.The mission of Thrive Women’s Empowerment Incorporated is to promote professional development, networking, and empowering women through mentorship. We match young women of color from Historically Black College & Universities (HBCUs) in North Carolina with a woman professional in their prospective career fields. There are many exciting things about Thrive Inc.! We have meetings and bonding events where we hear mentees and mentors discuss their professional goals, where they are in their journeys, and constantly thinking of how we can improve our mentorship program to best fit the needs of the members. Therefore, the most exciting thing is seeing people accomplish the goals that they talked about, planned out with their mentors, and walking across the stage. What is more exciting then that is knowing my organization helped these young women walk across those stages ready to face their industry with confidence and resilience.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back there are many qualities, skills, and areas of knowledge that were impactful to my journey. However, problem solving or resilience, being a team player, and patience were the most consistent things I leaned on no matter what environment or space I was in. I use problem solving and resilience interchangeably. In my line of work and working with people means problems may arise. I believe having a problem solving mindset has been helpful in my day-to-day work. Focusing on solving the problem instead of dwelling on it or avoiding it. Resilience is something that has played a factor in my personal and professional journey. I always tell the young women in Thrive Inc., you cannot help what obstacles or problems come your way but you do control how you respond to it. Resilience is a skill that has helped me face many things and overcome it no matter what.
Being a teamplayer is a common trait many employers look for regardless of the industry, department, or position. Therefore, it is a skill that I have honed in on. I know when to be a leader and when to step back. I try to learn the leadership skills, communication skills, and backgrounds of the people that I work with. I also am an active listener and communicator. I believe in being ethical and accountable from a Human Resources stand point and as a co worker. And being a teamplayer has assisted me the most in my journey in learning from others and applying what I learn in my work and engagement with others.
In uncomfortable circumstances where it would take time and a plan for me to leave those environments, patience is what I lean into. Being patient teaches me how to establish a routine, to find the beauty in the difficulty, and assists me in setting and accomplishing goals. Patience has also taught me to express, feel, and embrace the emotions that come with the ebbs and flows of life and career.
Advice I would give to anyone looking to develop and grow these skills are to be open minded and welcome constructive conflict when it does come up in work situations to better develop problem solving skills. For resilience I suggest testing the mindset and finding better ways to work through life’s difficult circumstances. Lastly, to build patience I suggest planning, journaling, and goal setting.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My most helpful ally has been my mother. She has always been business minded and would take me to business meetings, board meetings, and events growing up. For she was the first real life example that I could thrive and be successful as a woman of color in corporate America. She has always been a sounding board and helpful in navigating my career. I also credit a large part of my early success to my first three professional mentors.
Through Management Leadership of Tomorrow, I was assigned a Professional Coach that guided me in finding my first internship, met with me monthly and conducted thought provoking and productive sessions, and overall encouraged me as a young woman of color. Through my first internship I gained two mentors, Dawn Carter and Scott Beth. They taught me how to think as an innovative and well rounded human resources professional, especially within the campus recruiting landscape that is constantly changing.
Lastly, I would say I have been helpful in overcoming challenges and building essential skills. Believing in yourself is so important and helps to keep you motivated. I believe showing yourself grace, being kind to yourself, and self care is essential in building skills and growing as a person. I believe everyone should show appreciation for yourself and cheer for yourself when you can!
Contact Info:
- Website: thrivewomensempowerment.com
- Instagram: @thrivewomensempowerment
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliyah-crump-06a73696/
