No longer hiding my background

I am Belfast born and bred. I grew up in the north of the city, went to school and university there. I’ve always known that my mum and grandparents worked extremely hard to give me opportunities they never had but, after uni, I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career. It was not something I was even aware of, and I stumbled across consulting completely by chance whilst finishing my degree and then came to work within Pharma and Life Sciences. I immediately fell in love with the industry and the work and moved to Baringa exactly four years ago.

I am very proudly both Northern Irish and from a working-class background. In my last company, I think these two sides came across loud and clear; we had an entire Belfast office, so it was easy to fit in. When I came to Baringa, it was quite different, and I think I was so focused on showing my Northern Irish side that I didn’t realise I was hiding my working-class side.

Emotional realisation

I took part in Baringa’s reverse mentoring programme where I had the opportunity to mentor one of our directors. I had a pre-conceived idea of their background but, as we started chatting, it dawned on me that, like me, they also came from an incredibly working-class background. We had a great discussion and that’s when I realised that I hadn’t really been openly showing that side of myself. This realisation that there was a code, and I was abiding to it, was quite emotional. My background is something I am really proud of so why was I not singing about it?

The start of the social mobility network

So began my journey of trying to be more vocal about my own background and, completely by coincidence, at the same time, Baringa launched its social mobility network. I was glad to be able to have something to have something to hook on to so I could start being more open about my background. The network has been a great driving force in raising awareness about social mobility and helps give everyone a voice and opportunity to challenge that unwritten code.

The network has led to some really interesting discussions about our different experiences. It can be uncomfortable at times, but it’s positive that we feel safe enough to talk about those sensitive subjects and challenge perceptions. We’ve also had more visibility of leaders from diverse backgrounds which has been inspiring to see. Right now, the network has about seventy members and I’m excited about what’s to come.

Recruiting more employees from working class backgrounds

When it comes to recruitment, consultancy can be hard to break into and it would be great if Baringa can continue to implement new ways of attracting more employees from working class backgrounds. People like me might never have heard of consulting or what it entails during school; therefore access and awareness of consulting opportunities are key. 

The importance of authenticity

In terms of how authentic I now feel, I would say I am 99% there. It’s so important to be able to bring your full self to work because, otherwise, you’re not making truly meaningful connections. I’ve had to work very hard and overcome all sorts of challenges to get to where I am now. I am extremely proud of my background and I genuinely want people to know the whole me.