How first-generation college graduates are seeing their perspectives as strengths

Without being able to rely on a parent or older sibling’s experience or connections, the task of launching a career can be daunting. Even knowing how to format a resume or attempting to build a professional network can be open-ended questions, without clear answers. As first-generation college graduates are being recruited, hired, and empowered at more and more companies, their strength as a community and predilection towards helping and supporting one another is hugely valuable. And it’s changing company culture in the process.

As companies recognize and meet this group’s specific needs and concerns surrounding interviews, on-boarding, and adjustment to corporate life, it’s important to remember first-gen graduates’ particular experiences can be a real asset beyond their individual teams. There is an inherent balance between specific initiatives that companies can develop to make first-generation graduates feel included and fostering the kind of culture that encourages those employees to self-organize and seek out new opportunities.

Power of community

For Bloomberg employees Guadalupe Alonso, Vanessa Mercedes Almonte, and O’Neil Edwards, Project Basta, a Bloomberg Corporate Philanthropy partner since 2018, played a critical role in helping them build confidence and see their own potential as they searched for their first jobs. Project Basta is dedicated to bridging the employment gap for first-generation students and takes a comprehensive, holistic approach.

Navigating uncharted territory and successfully overcoming obstacles is an asset in the workplace. By focusing on the self-sufficiency, drive, and determination that set these students apart, Basta is able to empower first-generation college graduates by considering their unique skill-set from a position of strength.

“At Project Basta, the journey of the first-gen college student is celebrated. It is considered a badge of honor,” says Edwards, an equity specialist within Analytics. “I am incredibly thankful that Basta encourages all fellows to be their authentic selves and embrace the uniqueness of being first-gen. Because of this type of inclusivity, I felt a sense of belonging because I was working with people who truly cared about my success.”

Though the students and graduates who work with Project Basta represent different backgrounds and interests, the experience of being first-gen unites them, and helps them find encouragement and inspiration in one another. “Basta helped us see ourselves differently,” says Almonte, who works on the Trade Desk within Analytics. “Meeting other first-gen students, we’d always assumed we were at a disadvantage, but the program helped us to understand that our backgrounds actually show a lot of resiliency. I wouldn’t even have thought about applying for a job at Bloomberg if it weren’t for Basta, and how they taught me to look at my experience.”

“When I find people who are going through the same process as me, or if we all have similar questions, I tend to stick with them,” explains Alonso, a Customer Support Representative, focused on Spanish-speaking audiences. “Most of the friends I made in college were also first-gen. We were all going through something that we weren’t totally sure how to handle, but we were going to find a way to figure it out together.”

Adapting a new company culture

Given this group’s inherent strengths and specific concerns, how can companies help first-gen graduates flourish, and empower new talent in the process?

Dom DiPasquale, Bloomberg’s Global Head of Community, Compliance, and Collaboration in Core Product (and a first-generation graduate himself), thinks it’s essential to consider what matters to someone from a first-gen background, instead of communicating with entry level hires using a “one size fits all” approach, as many companies do.

“The things that most entry level new hires don’t necessarily care about are actually what really matter to first-gen graduates. Things like benefits, resources, cultural aspects, any kind of safety net,” says DiPasquale, speaking from personal experience. “It’s possible some of these  graduates may have grown up without good healthcare. They may never have had a savings account or a real understanding of financial literacy. All of this guidance can be hugely valuable and worthwhile to them, and most companies gloss over it when speaking with entry level hires.”

Because of this community’s inclination to support one another and build community, companies need to be able to provide resources for these individuals to self-organize, and empower these groups to advocate for what they need. Bloomberg’s partnership with Project Basta has been instrumental in both raising the company’s awareness to obstacles  first-gen graduates face and providing guidance in how to attract and retain them.

This is especially important when considering the challenges that first-generation graduates might face in a new work environment: questions they’re not sure how to ask or situations for which they’re not prepared. Mentorship with experienced employees is key in addressing these. “If these students show a little vulnerability and seek out mentors and connections outside their immediate circle,” says DiPasquale, “it can be hugely beneficial to them and create real opportunity.”

“Not only are we the first in our families to graduate from college, but we experience a lot of other firsts,” says Alonso. For her, year-end evaluations with her manager were a new experience, and one that she was able to navigate with help from a mentor. “I didn’t know what we would talk about or what I should prepare. It’s not something I was able to ask my family about, but luckily I could get advice from a mentor I connected with through Bloomberg. He talked me through the whole process and we even practiced together. That relationship has been amazing and so helpful.”

Looking ahead

Tenacity and potential of first-generation graduates are clearly valuable in any business environment, and understanding their particular needs and perspectives is key to empowerment and advancement. By accommodating this group’s particular concerns and embracing their strengths, companies can not only attract needed talent, but also enrich corporate culture and encourage the sense of community that first-generation graduates embody so fully.

Join a community of first-generation college students and receive the support and guidance to land a job in the field of your choice. Click here to learn more about Project Basta and their fellowship program.

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