Roy Holder，高级基础设施工程师 DWP Digital shares his personal 经验s and his career journey within the technology sector.
作为第一代英国黑人公民, I don’t remember much emphasis about celebrating Black History at all in school until I left. The fact that it’s now recognised in the UK shows me that we’re ready to share our achievements and history constructively, 另外，帮助别人了解我们的旅程.
在我看来, 如果你不能认清自己的过去, 那么你就不能真正塑造你的现在或未来, 所以你不能充分发挥你的潜力. That’s why Black History Month is important to me - the torch needs to pass to the next generation. Being British I understand that my generation is the link between here and my Caribbean/African history, so we need details of the past to contribute to the present and shape the future.
从私营部门转型
My journey to joining the Civil Service hadn’t been planned initially, 虽然我很高兴事情解决了. Working in the private sector you get the impression that working in a government department like DWP would be mundane or like Groundhog Day, 但这与事实相去甚远.
我离开学校时，具备了相当的资格, had a couple of career changes but settled on IT as the main focus. I worked myself up to an IT manager position with a Manchester Media company and was happily in the job for 15 years. Being a black man in that position could have been the highlight of my working career but I yearned for more of a challenge. Sometimes in your working life you get comfortable with where you are, 你对日常生活很满意, 但要问自己:“你是否达到了职业生涯的巅峰?? 你还能取得更多成就吗?”
15年后离开一份“舒适”的工作可能很难, especially when you know your potential and what you want your journey to look like. I had the desire and will to learn and push myself to be the best, but you always know that there will be barriers in front of you - the colour of your skin. At times you can have all the passion to succeed in an interview, 知道自己有资格和经验, 但看到或听到无意识的偏见可能会让人筋疲力尽. I genuinely believe some interviewers are unaware that they give that vibe off, but the likes of DWP种族网络 加上 多样性 & 包容 团队努力改变所有同事的心态. Not all private sector companies are willing to invest or address the need for internal training on this type of problem. There is also a need to recognise that these types of issues happen in all races, 黑白兼有.
Dealing with any rejection based on the colour of your skin can leave you angry, 沮丧，想要放弃. Knowing the journey that my parents took from leaving Barbados in the Caribbean to arriving in England in the 1960s inspires me to want to carry on. 就像大多数黑人故事一样, they dealt with the pressures of arriving in an unfamiliar place and tackling racism but still built a legacy for my generation to continue on. 这就是为什么承认你的过去是如此重要. My achievement is only built on all pioneers that have paved the way and made my task easier.
采取下一步措施
获得经验后, 生活和工作, plus gaining further qualifications I applied for a role with BPDTS which showed a more interesting side to joining the Civil Service. During the interview it was explained that there was a major push to bring the majority of DWP’s infrastructure in-house using the latest technologies, 这是令人惊喜的.
I was asked to join a team that was building a new managed MacBook platform as the first full-time Senior Infrastructure Engineer. My IT background was based on Windows technologies so this role would be new territory but provided the opportunity to add to my 经验, 所以我接受了挑战. Sometimes being out of your comfort zone shapes the type of person you are and shows your character.
Our team manages both DWP internal systems 加上 devices that DWP’s customers use on a daily basis in jobcentres, 我很高兴知道我在为 为客户带来积极的改变.
现在是我在这个团队的第四年, and I finally feel that I have achieved my career goal with a great team and great employer. DWP has shown me that as a black British man you can work for a grown-up company where you’re trusted and can grow in your role. Plus, the organisations doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations, which is refreshing. 开始十大网博靠谱平台种族主义的对话, 对大多数公司来说，多元化和包容性是最困难的部分. Once this is achieved, you find that the journey for all eventually gets easier. 是的, 会有上升的, downs and frustrations but once you start to reflect on how your actions or words affect others, 然后你就会看到真实的自己. It’s like looking in a mirror: ask yourself are you happy with what you see.
The wide range of work we do in DWP Digital requires a diverse mix of cultures, 视角, 经验, 技巧和想法. If you’re interested in working on technical projects that make a difference in the lives of citizens, 订阅DWP数码通讯 or 访问我们的求职网站 对于我们的现场角色.
