Sarah Friar’s Post

Miami and South Florida are thriving with a vibrant culture, diverse population, and a booming economy. The region's favorable tax climate, strategic location, and high quality of life attract major businesses like Meta, Apple, and Citadel. This influx is transforming the executive talent landscape, making this area a magnet for top roles. As the business environment continues to evolve, so too must the strategies to recruit and keep the best and brightest in this bustling region. Dive into our latest blog written by Taline Bignon-Berberian and Mar Hernandez to uncover the unique talent challenges and opportunities in this dynamic hub. Read the full blog here - https://lnkd.in/eJBdaH_Z #ai #executivesearch #NU #NUAdvisoryPartners #Miami #SouthFlorida #TalentAcquisition #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #tech #technology

🚀 Dream Big, Act Bigger: Breaking Barriers in the Tech Industry 🚀 "It's okay to dream, but you need an actionable plan to accomplish that dream." 🌟 In a world where the tech industry offers average salaries of $90,000 per year, there's a place for everyone to thrive. But let's face it: there are barriers, disparities, and inequalities that we must confront head-on. 📊 The Hard Truth: Black professionals make up only 4% of the tech workforce and less than 1% in big tech companies. This is not just a statistic; it's a challenge, an obstacle, and a call to action. We must come together to overcome these disparities and build a more inclusive tech community. 💡 How can we bridge the gap and break into this industry? 1️⃣ **Education and Skills**: Invest in your education and skills. The tech industry is ever-evolving, and staying ahead of the curve is essential. Seek out courses, certifications, and online resources to build your expertise. 2️⃣ **Networking**: Connect with like-minded individuals, mentors, and industry professionals. Networking can open doors, provide guidance, and help you find opportunities you might not have discovered otherwise. 3️⃣ **Diversity and Inclusion**: Advocate for diversity and inclusion within the tech sector. Encourage organizations to create more inclusive workplaces, where talent and potential are recognized above all else. 4️⃣ **Perseverance**: Know that the journey won't always be easy. But remember, every challenge you face is an opportunity to learn and grow. Perseverance is key to breaking barriers. 5️⃣ **Community**: Join communities and organizations that support underrepresented groups in tech. Together, we can leverage our collective strength to effect change. Let's transform these barriers into stepping stones, and together, we can change the narrative. The tech industry should be a place where talent, innovation, and determination reign supreme, regardless of race or background. Are you ready to turn your dreams into an actionable plan? Together, we can make the tech industry more diverse, inclusive, and welcoming for all. 🌐�� #TechInclusion #DiversityInTech #DreamBig #ActionPlan #CareerInTech

The painful and difficult truth, a bitter pill that is hard to swallow when it comes to the unique trials and tribulations of being a first-generation engineer, is seeing the gap. You hear the call of your people's needs, you listen to the ring bell sound while on group projects with your classmates. You pause, lost in thoughts, as they try to wake you up from your drifting mind into a territory that they have no idea about. In class, we chat about the fantasies of getting to Silicon Valley at #Apple, #Google, #Amazon —you name it. But the bell rings again, and you see them calling you for help. Born in a war-torn country, being a refugee, and now waiting to be conferred as the first-generation engineer at the #UniversityofWaterloo School of Engineering is a great achievement—one that anyone would pop a bottle of champagne for. But to me, it still feels a little. I still feel I haven’t achieved enough to celebrate. I still spend 16% commission for every $100 sent to my mom. It takes days, if not weeks, for that support to reach my people, and sometimes the support arrives when it is no longer needed. It is tough to reconcile these two worlds. In these moments, the weight of responsibility is heavy. Your classmates' conversations about dream jobs and high-tech careers often feel distant and disconnected from the reality you face. Their worries are about optimizing algorithms, while your mind races with thoughts of how to bring technological advancements back home. The sense of isolation can be profound. While others discuss internships and networking opportunities, you're often grappling with feelings of being an outsider. The lack of a roadmap, the absence of mentors who understand your background, and the constant pressure to not only succeed but to uplift your community can be overwhelming. Yet, it's this very struggle that shapes you, driving a deeper purpose and a relentless determination. Young South Sudanese online creators, the survivors of 21 years of civil war, are still seeking digital refuge in neighboring countries like Uganda and Kenya in order to monetize their content and establish an online presence that translates into income. We have the expertise to address this issue, but we require trust and support from tech giants to bridge this gap. We need major tech giants to collaborate with us in order to find a solution. Being a first-generation engineer means navigating uncharted waters, balancing the aspirations of Silicon Valley with the pressing needs of your roots. It's about finding a way to bridge these worlds, to bring the innovation and opportunities of one to benefit the other. And though the journey is fraught with challenges, it's also filled with unparalleled potential—to not only dream of change but to be the catalyst for it. #NileRemit #newgrad #opentowork #Ironring #UWaterlooGrad #convocation #June15 #episode001

🤯 🙌 Yesterday was nothing short of inspirational... I took a break from the job searching and attended Black Tech Fest, seeking to learn and more deeply understand the innovation in, and challenges for, underrepresented communities in tech. In a packed event, I was lucky enough to sit in a few sessions. Here are my takeaways from two of my favourites... 🤝 'Allyship: Knowing when to step in and out' - Thank you Hannah Boyd-Piercy, Abu Bundu-Kamara, Kim Coombs 🙏 1. Being an Ally is not self-declared. Intentionally put your privilege to work by advocating for underrepresented people. If you do this, only people in those communities have the right to recognise you as an Ally. 2. Try and avoid only lifting people up to the pre-existing dominant norms. Support individuals for their unique perspectives and contributions. This is where innovation is hiding in plain sight! 3. Be aware, curious, compassionate and take action! Recognise when change or intervention needs to happen, step in where you notice micro-aggressions. Don't be passive or ask permission. Bring people into rooms they wouldn't normally have access to and allow them to showcase their talent at work! 🔮 'How to build a future-proof organisation' - Thank you Maktuno Suit, Folley Ogundele, Ranil Boteju, Jay Grant 🙏 1. Intentionally invest in three main areas of People, Tools and Environment. Foster a culture that highly values a Growth Mindset. Are you allowing ideas and creativity to flourish for future success by creating a 'test and iterate' culture, without fear of failure? 2. Deeply understand your current workforce and future needs. What are the current skills gaps and what might they be in 1, 3 or even 10 years time? Invest in talent pipelines that will offer long term future value, rather than fighting everyone else for in-demand talent with a short term horizon. E.g. Early Careers, academies and high school work placements. Do this in diverse communities to drive long term innovation with varied perspectives. 3. Create a 'culture of learning' from the top down. "You can have all the right tools and frameworks in place, if your senior leaders don't prioritise it....then it won't work!". Build clear and accessible learning pathways. Incentivise and reward the application of learning into practice. I will continue to reflect on these topics and so much more absorbed throughout what was an amazing event! Thank you to the organisers at Black Tech Fest, and thank you to all of those I met on the day. 🙏 If anyone would like to connect and discuss any of these topics or others within the People, Talent and Tech space. Please reach out! 🙌

Are you a minority looking to break into tech? Trust me when I say, these companies want you 🫵🏼! Great companies want diversity so that new fresh ideas can continuously grow the company Not only that, they want money from these investors! What these investors demand, is that they hit a diversity quota. So yeah, there’s plenty of room for people of color in tech! Don’t know which career path you want to work in tech? Check out CourseCareers: https://lnkd.in/gzk3ipgV

BAE are helping to alleviate a major misconception around gaining a career in Tech by opening up the sector with apprenticeships and trainee positions to bring in more opportunities for diverse talent early on in their careers. With these opportunities helping support and improve upon the current and future diverse skills shortage within the Tech sector. Two other of the main perceived barriers fall within the lack of information and education for career paths within Tech in schools, so should it just be the responsibility of the education sector, or should the wider tech industry have a more hands on approach?

📢 Attention Australian tech connections! 📢 I will be in Sydney and available 12 - 23 December for any speaking opportunities revolving around AI, women in tech, tech careers, media tech, or software engineering in general. 🤩💻 About me 👀 - I am an opera singer turned software engineer and now a director of product and engineering for the tech subsidiary of Europe's largest media publishing company, based in Berlin Germany. Suffice it to say, I'm EXTREMELY comfortable on the stage and in front of people! - In 2022, my book "You Belong in Tech: How to Go From Zero Programming Knowledge to Hired" was published, focusing on practical steps for beginning a career in tech - I bring a lot of energy and light to a stage: my motto for presentations is that they must always be both "entertaining and useful"! - I have spoken and moderated at dozens of tech events here in Europe, as well as podcasts and panel discussions - I've also led workshops for developers on how to give good presentations, so I love lifting up the skills of everyone around me! - In addition to all the above, I'm a Google Women Techmakers Ambassador, and pride myself in supporting all historically excluded people in their journeys into the tech industry If you might be interested please do reach out on LinkedIn: you can also check out my website (link in comments) and use the contact form if you prefer. #callforspeakers #womenintech #womenintechnology #womeninstem #techcommunity #techcareer #techcareerskills #techcareers #techaustralia

What’s standing in the way of more people pursuing tech careers? And how can we better drive social mobility within the sector? Consultancy.uk digs into our new research, looking at the common ‘perceived barriers’ holding individuals back from getting into the tech field. Speaking to our own Global Head of DE&I Theresa Palmer the article discusses how ideas around tech roles begin at school, where industry has a big part to play in showcasing alternative routes into tech and helping more people from diverse backgrounds enter the sector – in turn offering a ‘key chance’ to bridge its current talent shortage. Read the article here ➡️ http://baes.co/LKuS50Ro2Uk' #DEI #DiversityinTech #DrivingDigitalDiversity

  Meet Azim M.anjee who is a Principal Technical Specialist at #Microsoft #Atlanta in the Mighty South Enterprise Commercial Organization, where he works to #empower every enterprise and strategic customer he touches with solutions that drive #secure #productivity in a #Hybrid world. He also serves to support the Microsoft #Garage, Asians of Atlanta #ERG, and is a regular speaker at the Microsoft Experience Center and Microsoft Technology Centers. Azim is extremely #passionate about #inclusion. He believes the most important thing one can do at Microsoft is make others feel included, invited, and valued. Azim often says “Inclusion is my love language.” Azim has been at Microsoft since 2019 and this is his perspective on working at Microsoft: “Microsoft has allowed me to truly ignite my passions for #learning. It is the only place I have worked where I am surrounded by people who are excited to wake up every day and solve business and human problems with technology. Our #GrowthMindset #Culture unlocked a zestful spirit of #innovation and learning where we have permission to fail, but the fortitude to do so quickly.” Azim’s favorite quote is “When tools == toys, then work == play” (to which he is the author of). He believes that work should never be just work and that anyone can shift their mindset in such a way to make work enjoyable by treating it like a game or puzzle to combine fun and purpose. I am #grateful for Azim's contribution to our vibrant culture of inclusion, fun, innovation in #service of our #customers.