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AFROTECH™ Conference 2024 was in Houston, TX, from Nov. 13 to 17 — and on Day 3, LinkedIn hosted an Executive Stage session titled “The Path Forward: Adapting Amidst Rapid Tech.” Career expert Drew McCaskill and technology leader Bef Ayenew led the panel to discuss artificial intelligence’s transformative impact on jobs, teams, and companies. With 1.1 billion members leveraging LinkedIn for career growth, knowledge sharing, skill development, and community building, many have already enhanced their profiles with AI skills . “We’ve seen 140x in times in LinkedIn members globally adding AI skills to their LinkedIn profiles. That’s 140x increase in people adding those skills,” McCaskill said. “70% of companies are reporting that they’re using AI already at work. If you think about it like this, 25% of the skills needed for the jobs that all of us do and have been doing for the past eight years have changed.” “So even if you’re not changing jobs, your jobs are changing on you,” he...
Drake released an album, “Scary Hours.” And while many resonated with its theme, many likely didn’t believe that today’s job market would take on some similar sentiments. Currently, job seekers are navigating turbulent and interesting times. There are consistent layoffs but also an influx of available job postings of new openings. Couple that dichotomy with the inflation rate, and the job search process takes on a life of its own that many were not expecting, especially the most recent graduating cohort. According to data provided by LinkedIn, the Class of 2023 is graduating into a challenging job market, with data showing that hiring is down 45% for those who recently finished their bachelor’s degree, compared to the same time last year. It also showed that hiring dropped 37% year over year for entry-level jobs that do not require a college degree. This reality hits a little harder for Black and Latino career starters. LinkedIn shared that based on a Federal Reserve Economic Data...
Editorial Note: Opinions are the writer’s own and not those of AfroTech. The values that a company upholds are an integral part of its very DNA, and reversing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts can greatly impact how companies attract and retain talent. Companies who want to attract and engage Black, Latino, and underrepresented talent and consumers, must build a culture founded on values that permeate every part of the business. Amidst ongoing news of layoffs, inflation, and economic uncertainty, many businesses have made the unfortunate decision to scale back on DEI efforts. These initiatives should not be considered an afterthought, but rather an essential piece of an organization’s culture helping businesses attract and retain talent, boost innovation, and drive growth. Company culture is increasingly important to employees – and can be a deciding factor for those considering quitting or choosing a new job. Whether that means creating inclusive environments, adopting...
Here’s a harsh reality — a recession may be on its way. Many economists and business insiders believe that it is already here. With the uneasy motion of the real estate market, the crazy price of eggs, and a tumultuous job market — all signs point to an economically unstable economic environment that has people on edge. However, all is not lost. For Black people particularly, there is a well-documented history of overcoming difficult times. When society and powers placed restrictions to hinder Black men and women, they created resources, services, and products that transcended prejudices and allowed them to succeed. That same level of ingenuity and resilience is evident today as people navigate the uncertainty that’s present in several industries in the job market. AfroTech was able to team up with Andrew McCaskill, Sr. Director & Career Expert, LinkedIn, to gain practical insight on how job seekers can become recession-proof.
If you’re able to transport your mind to the 1970s for a second, you’ll likely become acquainted with the classic sitcom “Good Times.” The show focused on a Black family attempting to navigate the struggles of divestment and poor policy in the inner city of Chicago, IL. Episode after episode, the Evans Family faces a barrier that halts their attempt to progress forward. One of the recurring barriers was centered around economic mobility due to low-paying jobs. The patriarch of the family, James Evans, was relentless in his desire to provide a better lifestyle for his family. And one day, the opportunity of a lifetime happens. The caveat? The job is based in Alaska. It’s not the ideal situation for the family, but the break they needed, and since options were few, the Evans Family made it work until it didn’t work anymore. For years, bearing some nuances, many people approached the job market similarly – taking whatever opportunities would pay the bills and working their way up a...
AfroTech Conference 2022 is right around the corner and our friends at LinkedIn are here with the ins and outs of leaving the highly-anticipated conference with tips on how to maximize your time while extending your network. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AfroTech (@afro.tech) For some attendees, their goals are to walk away with something that either jumpstarts their career, helps them to make a career transition, or propels them into the executive role of their dreams. Thankfully, LinkedIn Career Expert Drew McCaskill sat down with AfroTech with tips and tricks that are sure to help you walk away with a connection that changes your life.
In 1900, James Weldon Johnson penned the poem, “Lift Every Voice And Sing.” Later, his brother J. Rosamond Johnson would put music to that poem, which would be one day known as the Black National Anthem. Written initially to commemorate the birthday of President Abraham Lincoln, the anthem is now a song of pride for Black people and speaks to the audacity of hope and a future far beyond many people’s wildest dreams. For years, Black men and women have latched on to that audacity, and through innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit, they created a life and a future they could be proud of. As the United States celebrates Black Business Month in August, it is a time to reflect on the glorious past and strategize for a more promising future. LinkedIn is a partner in that strategic effort and collaborated with YouGov to gather data about the state of Black businesses that can help shed light on the great strides the community has made and the opportunities to advance. During its...
Gabrielle Union is creating a table and Black-owned businesses are the centerpiece. As a part of a new partnership with LinkedIn, which includes an exclusive new content series, “Getting Real with Gabrielle Union,” the star opens up about being a Black woman in the industry, business, and how fear drove her decisions, plus more. Now Gabrielle Union has adopted a new mindset to land the right opportunities and she has since racked in many wins. As AfroTech previously reported, Gabrielle Union recently became an investor in Angel City Football Club alongside her daughter Kaavia James Union Wade. “If it does not positively impact my peace, my joy and my grace, I don’t wanna have anything to do with it. When I look at investments, businesses, I look at who else is involved? Are these people that I would trust with my child or trust with my life? No. Okay. Well that’s okay. That’s not for me,” Gabrielle Union said in an interview with LinkedIn News Editor in Chief Dan Roth. Gabrielle...
LinkedIn is on a mission to support the Black community. According to information provided exclusively to AfroTech, LinkedIn will distribute $500,000 in grants to digitalundivided and Blavity.org. The contribution will propel LinkedIn’s Black entrepreneurship fellowship programs and provide new economic pathways for the community. LinkedIn will work alongside the selected organizations to uplift the stories of rising entrepreneurs and instill awareness for additional capital and resources year-round. “As a company, we are on a journey to create equal access to opportunity and help drive more equitable outcomes. Our strategic partners are essential in that journey and since 2020, we have donated $5 million in funding and services to organizations that support economic and workforce development within the Black community,” LinkedIn said in an article published. “We selected digitalundivided and Blavity.org because of their holistic approach to developing, supporting and funding...
A moment of frustration and despair led Carah Lockett to LinkedIn, where she would write a viral post garnering half a million views from job recruiters and users who shared similar sentiments. Amidst the pandemic, many reconsidered their current job positions as transitional periods trickled into the workforce economy. The same went for Lockett, who would bravely quit her most recent Navy Federal Credit Union job in August 2021. “There was a lack of growth for me. I want to know that my efforts are working towards something — that there’s an end goal in mind,” she told AfroTech. “Unfortunately working in that branch, I was not able to move up in the way that I wanted to.” Lockett joins a cohort of millennials who have tapped into “The Great Resignation.” Approximately 63 percent of millennials are on the search for new employment opportunities, according to Bankrate’s August jobseeker survey. A push for higher pay is just one factor contributing to the growing quitting spree. The...
Working from home could soon cost you if you’re a Google employee. As the pandemic continues to take the world by storm, many companies are restructuring what work looks like for their employees. Last year, COVID-19 sent everyone into quarantine pushing non-essential employees to transform their homes into offices, schools, restaurants — the whole nine. Now, as the world attempts to return to normal (whatever that is), some employers are reconsidering what the future of work looks like. Among those companies is Google who’s giving their employees the option to choose which work environment works best for them at a cost. According to Tech Times, Google employees who decide to work from home could experience anywhere from a 5 percent to 25 percent pay cut. The company will allegedly penalize staffers who make the decision to work remotely in cities where Google offices are located. They have rolled out an internal calculator that will further detail the potential pay cuts. Per the...
When it comes to authenticity within the entertainment industry, entertainer RuPaul could write the handbook! That’s why he teamed up with LinkedIn to stand in his truth. Considered to be the most commercially successful drag queen in the United States, RuPaul, joined LinkedIn’s Conversations for Change series to mark Pride Month. He also discussed the power that comes with being authentic and allowed viewers into his world through his barrier-breaking career and even offered advice on how to navigate the workforce as a Black member of the LGBTQIA+ community. “I believe this conversation is important for the LGBTQIA+ community because that is what I am,” said RuPaul. “And I am a living example of what it takes to navigate a career. You may not want to be in show business. You may want to do something in the business world, retail or farming, but all of the solutions are the same. And the key is to know thyself, be brave enough to peel away the layers, and look at yourself in the...
Black professionals are groomed to be resilient and steadfast, especially when it comes to entering the job market. When the coronavirus pandemic hit last year, the economy was sent into disarray. At its highest, the unemployment rate was up to 14.7% last April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, and 16.7% of the Black population was without work. The numbers are stark, but graduates from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have continued to find a soft spot in the economy as they enter the job market for the first time. HBCUs were created to educate Black Americans when other institutions wouldn’t. Today, roughly 85% of HBCU students are still Black. Since 2016, the hiring rate for HBCU graduates has climbed an average of 5.9% year over year, LinkedIn shared in some new research, but there was a sharp decline last year for obvious reasons. The hiring rate for HBCU alumni fell by 11.9% in 2020, compared to a decline of 16.2% for all national LinkedIn...