Summary

The author has secured a new job as a Diversity and Equality Consultant after being noticed for their Medium articles on diversity and equality, emphasizing the importance of having an accessible email address for professional opportunities.

Abstract

The author shares their excitement about landing a job as a Diversity and Equality Consultant, a role that emerged from their insightful writing on Medium. The position was offered after the organization read the author's articles and appreciated their perspective, which aligns with the organization's values of common sense over extreme 'wokery.' The author stresses the significance of being authentic in their writing, as it led to this unexpected career opportunity. They also reflect on the diverse makeup of their own family and the UK in general, suggesting that their new role will involve fostering understanding and inclusivity in the workplace. Additionally, the author advises other writers on Medium not to focus solely on monetary gains but to value the intrinsic rewards of writing, such as improved skills and networking opportunities. The author's practice of including an email address in their bio is highlighted as a crucial factor in being approached for the job, underscoring the value of accessibility and direct communication for career advancement.

Opinions

The author believes that their honest and humorous writing style was key to being offered the new job.
They express a preference for genuine diversity and equality efforts over performative 'wokery.'
The author is critical of the requirement to have 100 followers to join the Medium Partner Program, suggesting it devalues the writing process.
They advocate for writing as a passion rather than for the primary purpose of making money, emphasizing personal growth and enjoyment.
The author values private communication and believes that having an email address publicly available can lead to unexpected professional opportunities.
They are optimistic about the potential for real change in the workplace regarding diversity and equality.

ON A DIVERSITY RIDE

Writing on Medium Got Me Noticed

They contacted me because my email address is in my bio

I signed my contract yesterday and can finally share my good news!

Someone read my articles, got in touch, had a chat and offered me a job. A very good job that doesn’t have sex worke… err, content writer in the title.

The title they’ve given me is pretty awful, but the job is a match made in heaven — I interrogated them as much as they interrogated me so we both know what we’re getting into.

I’m now the Diversity and Equality Consultant for an organisation that’s sailing the good ship Common Sense through the choppy seas of Wokery and Bandwagons. They like me because I’m not BLM or Stonewall. I like them because they still like white people.

I told them about the passenger my husband drove when he was an Uber driver.

One day he picks up a female passenger in Croydon. BLM matters are in the news and as the black Head of Diversity for a big city consultancy, she’s putting together a panel to discuss diversity issues.

She’s on the phone to one of her panelists, a black guy who’s not sympathetic to the BLM cause. He wants to present his view on the panel and she’s not having any of that. She tears into him, strong-arming him into the Kingdom of Woke with a barrage of insults strong enough to corrode paintwork.

— I’m The Wife Of An Uber Driver And I Have Stories

That’s the kind of diversity lead nobody needs.

So, I’m wishing myself luck as I step into this new role. I’ve never done anything like this before and if there had been a standard application process, I wouldn’t even have applied.

The organisation saw something in my articles that told them my views are the story they want to tell. The rigorous interview process cemented it.

I’m glad they’ve seen my thoughts along with the humour and sarcasm in my writing. It means I don’t have to change or suppress anything because they approached me after seeing all that. The cards are on the table from the beginning.

Maybe I’ll start my first day by pairing up a whitey with a brownie and having them spend quality weekends together.

Oh wait, this is the UK. Mixed pairings and interactions aren’t the shockers they once were. I don’t know a single family where someone in it hasn’t fancied, dated or married someone from a different ethnicity.

The seas have even washed up a few English, a Scot and a couple of Italians into my wider family. There was a Nigerian and a Canadian too but they’re long gone. The notch still counts.

Anyway, this is business, not romance. Let’s see how the workforce plays. I’m betting they’re all sane outside Twitter.

I only started writing here as a hobby

I’ve seen several posts recently from people frustrated that they haven’t got 100 followers yet and how they’re on the verge of giving up.

The feeling is real. I set my account up ages ago but only started writing when they sent the email about the new rules. Then I hustled my 100 followers and got into the writing thing properly.

Medium have never explained why they need 100 followers for someone to join the MPP. People are now having to write for zilch in order get enough followers to write for peanuts.

Which brings me to my point.

Writing on Medium should never be about the money.

I joined the $100 club in my first month with less than 100 followers. While that’s a great brag, it’s STUPID too because $100 is not a living wage and doesn’t warrant the time that goes into the stories.

All it does is keep you trapped in the “write more, hustle more, maybe get $150 next time” mindset and this sucks the joy out of writing and you end up joining the gormless self-help/money-porn brigade.

Write because you want to write and have something to say.

The rewards come in the form of better writing, better thinking, friends, connections and opportunities.

You don’t have to stay here forever either. Once your writing is improved, your portfolio is built, choose your next mission.

Use this platform for your own agenda, don’t let it knock you down.

Recap: Don’t write for the money, write for your thoughts. It’s not like most of us are earning a living wage here anyway.

People need a way to contact you

Whenever I join a platform, I have a habit of dropping an email address somewhere nice and visible for people to get in touch if they want to.

I’ve been doing this almost forever because there’s always someone who appreciates a private word as opposed to a public comment.

Medium doesn’t offer an easy and obvious way to send a private message and you’d be surprised how many people prefer email chat to comment chat.

The articles I write tagged with Diversity or Racism always draw an email or two — I’ve had anonymous hate mail but mostly they are messages of support, fun things or conversation continuations when it becomes difficult to carry it on in the comments section.

You never know what opportunities are waiting so keep the door wedged open by making it easy for people to contact you directly.

An employer, a publisher, a long-lost friend. You never know who’s reading your words and looking for a way to get in touch.

Join Medium to write your own stories — you can even get paid once you get 100 followers which is surprisingly easy to do

If you enjoyed this, why not buy me a saucer of milk for the antioxidants ❤️ (cos I’ll turn it to wine)

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