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Desiree Davidson
Were they afraid we were planning a coup d'etat?

I spent my first summer during Columbia Law School at a firm in Philadelphia described as one of the best places in the city for black lawyers. I believed that if there was any place where I would have an equal chance at opportunities, be treated fairly and succeed, this would be it. There were three black female summer associates out of sixty that year but any time all three of us were in an office talking, one of the partners would knock on the door to see how we were doing. It happened too often to be a coincidence that sometimes we would purposely agree to meet in so-and-so's office to test our theory that we were being monitored. Like clock work, ten minutes after we would get together a partner would stop by.

Should she stay or go?

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I was recruited for a position with a Big Four accounting firm. They pressured me for a start date, sent me an offer letter which I signed and sent back.

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I would have stayed in my previous position if the background check was conducted prior to the issuing of an offer letter.

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Throughout my experiences in multiple industries, it is my opinion (so far), that people can be very difficult in the workplace when they are competitive and extremely self-interested.

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I actually did very well with clients, customers, new/prospective employees, with anyone outside of my work group.

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Upper management, supervisors, (men in the workplace when women got catty with me) did more to step in.

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Keep a low profile. Don't try to invite too much attention from people you work with. Try to blend in, and look/seem the same as everyone else around you.

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I wish when I went to college, career counselors and alumnae told me more about office politics, people getting territorial at the workplace, and how competitive people can get.

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