A while back I saw a post on X (formerly Twitter) where a girl was advising applicants to lie/Bs on their job applications, particularly in the professional space. Further, she asserts that employers don’t really check if your credentials are valid and that by the time they do, you’ll have gained the necessary experience: ie, fake it til you make. Though will this work for everyone? In reality, the author of this post was oblivious to their own privilege as the were not only a female, but a fairer skinned one at that. Further men, especially of colour, will quickly realise the mileage varies on this advice.
For starters, black men will be thoroughly vetted for positions that are professional or desired in some way, even if the role is not professional per se (eg, a managerial blue collar position). In other words, in cases where other demographics’ credentials would be taken at face value, black men’s qualifications will be thoroughly accessed if not minimised.
Moreover, the achievement gap that occurs between blacks compared to others, even when controlling for education, is the best metric to debunk the fake it til you make it advice. For instance, an article from tamus.edu acknowledges higher education can improve financial outcomes no matter one’s race/ethnicity but still concludes that the an achievement gap occurs between between Asians, Whites and Blacks post high-school and widens with education level. Of course, this study doesn’t even account for differing outcomes by sex. But I think it’s safe to say a similar phenomenon occurs between men and women, regardless of race.
Altogether, fake it til you make is one of those capitalist idioms akin to “Your Network is your Net Worth” that minimises how pre-determined attributes (e.g., race, sex) factor into ones success, especially in the West. But it’s understandable how a women or even a man who fits the status quo can adopt such philosophies. With that said thanks for reading and stay pissed.
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