Finding Community In An Industry Position
We were several months into a global pandemic when I graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in molecular biology. After bouncing around a couple of monotonous lab technician jobs and completing an extensive interview process, I finally landed a research associate position at the Allen Institute for Immunology, a prestigious research institute. I immediately felt intimidated by the talented and intelligent people working around me, busy with cutting-edge immunological research and complex molecular experiments. I should have felt lucky to play my part in this incredible unit of scientists, but I was ridden with imposter syndrome and social anxiety. In my case, I was the newest hire on my team and worked mainly with scientists with PhDs who were experts in their fields. As a result, my ability to feel comfortable with my peers or find a sense of community within the workplace was hindered.
Despite a wide range of work event opportunities, such as happy hours, journal clubs, and social groups, I struggled to come out of my shell. Luckily, the Institute (as well as many other large biotech companies) had a very sizable diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiative with several affinity groups including LGBTQ+, AAAPI, and Black Advancement, Support and Empowerment (BASE), among others. My Mexican culture and background is a huge part of who I am, and I was hoping to find a Hispanic group I could relate to and join. After connecting with a small group of people who were looking to start a new affinity group geared towards the Latine community, Estamos Aqui, Somos Latine (EASL), which translates to, “We Are Here, We Are Latine,” was born. As a part of EASL’s leadership team we developed one of the largest affinity groups at the Allen Institute, planning cultural events, hosting keynote speakers, and brainstorming outreach ideas. Most valuable for me, I had found a community of hardworking, like-minded people who allowed me to share an important part of myself.
In an effort to connect more with my department, I gauged interest about forming a work soccer team. After spearheading research about local leagues, I recruited about 20 of those highly talented scientists I was so intimidated by at one point and scheduled weekly games. We chose an immunology-themed team name of course: the Cytokine Storm! Even though we lost most games, there was something so rewarding about watching teammates score goals against particularly competitive opponents or a coworker who had never played soccer before, let alone goalie, make amazing saves one after the other. I found that playing soccer with my peers was a really fun way of leveling the playing field (pun intended) between different levels of academics and humanizing the people that I really looked up to, especially because I was able to dip into a leadership role different to that of the office dynamic.
I have found that most companies invest in internal engagement and community development programs for employees. In my case, looking into what my company already offered via employee websites or outreach, oftentimes HR or DEI department heads, got me some answers. Additionally, asking around my work community to see if my coworkers shared the same interests and being extra inviting to those on the edge allowed me to start a really rewarding weekly tradition. Although participation in these groups was supplemental to my work duties, they enriched my motivation to come to work and deepened the connections I had with my coworkers. I found that, despite my discomfort, making an effort to find a preexisting community as well as creating my own within my workplace made me more motivated and genuinely happy to go to work.
