It's Time to Close the Opportunity Gap for Students of Color

AiLun Ku, CEO of The Opportunity Network shares her advice on how students of color can thrive in college and at work - and how their classmates, colleagues, and organizations can help. Remember that it's okay to ask for help. Get into the habit of going to your professors' office hours, regularly visit your schools' wellness counseling and academic advising offices, and go to the Dean's Office to find out what resources are available to you. Learn about as many opportunities as possible when applying to internships. Look for opportunities that either help you build generalist skills like communication and collaboration, or functional expertise, which will help you in specific career paths. Building your personal network will take time. But a good way to think about it is to work on forming a personal board of directors with people who fill different roles for you, such as a "cheerleader," the "truth-teller," and your "sounding board." Ask questions during job interviews that will help you assess the company's policies. You can ask questions like, "What programs do you have to support my development?" and "Do you have employee resource programs?" to determine how the employer might invest in your sense of belonging.