A Special We Speak We LEAD Session: Finding Our Way & Human Resources Insights

On Tuesday, June 22, NWNY with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, hosted a very special session of our We Speak We LEAD program. Alexandra Ruiz, a guest speaker from the NYC Mayor’s Office, joined us for the beginning of this unique two-part session. As our special guest, she shared her career path journey with us, including its twists and turns. A panel of two Human Resources experts followed this conversation. Sharon Jones, Senior Director of Workforce Optimization & Planning at Cigna, and Rafaela Estrella, HR Consultant and CEO at Rafaela Estrellita Consulting, shared helpful tips while providing our community members with an insider perspective on how to impress hiring managers. 

Kicking off our special two-part Spring 2021 We Speak LEAD session, Alejandro Cercas, Project Coordinator of We Speak NYC at NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, asked a poignant icebreaker: “What was your dream job as a child?” Faces lit up across the screen as NWNY community members (current program participants and graduates, devoted volunteers, and staff), along with several We Speak NYC team members, were transported into the past, remembering the dreams of their youth. Hailing from a long list of diverse countries (Ecuador, Brazil, Belarus, and Nepal, to name a few), attendees shared these dream jobs (some deferred, some achieved, and some a springboard to something else): zoologist, flight attendant, violin instructor, actress, writer. 

The list went on. Alejandro, who also serves as a lead facilitator of our We Speak We LEAD program, then passed the mic to Arielle Kandel, our Founder & CEO. Arielle provided us with an overview of We Speak We LEAD (WSWL), one of three distinct NWNY workforce development programs offered to the immigrant women we serve. NWNY is a proud partner with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and CUNY in developing the curriculum, outreach, and facilitation of WSWL, which combines job readiness training with professional English learning for intermediate English learners. Over the course of 16 workshops, We Speak We LEADers improve their professional English, gain speaking confidence through practice, acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to enter the US workforce successfully while also exploring their professional and personal goals in a safe, inclusive space. Somehow, someway, women from all different walks of life, from countries on opposite ends of the world, come together in the spirit of solidarity, empowerment, and self-improvement. Arielle reminded us of the significance of celebrating this second installment of the WSWL series, “first piloted in the middle of the pandemic” last year. Coming from a year of significant challenges and changes, WSWL was born and successfully nurtured, making it to its first birthday in the middle of National Immigrant Heritage Month!

In the first half of this special session, taking place during the last week of the series, Alexandra Ruiz, who served as the Executive Director of Programs at NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) and the Co-Branch Chief of Forward Planning at the NYC Vaccine Command Center and Co-Chair of the TRIE Vaccine Equity Sub-Committee at City Hall, joined us for an inspiring and intimate open-discussion about her career journey as an immigrant woman of color. Utilizing a compelling visual presentation mapping out this journey, Alexandra walked us through her story, starting with her abuela Carmen, who, despite being “born in a poor area” of the Dominican Republic, had a “vision of education.” This vision spurred her to “create and establish a school” so that Alexandra’s mother, aunts, and uncles could lead successful lives. Through her efforts, abuela Carmen’s children became doctors, engineers, and even an Attorney General of the Dominican Republic (the second woman to hold the position). It was this same vision that inspired Alexandra to meet the challenges of living for ten years without papers as a child, watching her parents struggle to find work, learn English, and then to successfully change careers on her own as a young woman without the connections afforded to those born in the United States. 

Throughout Alexandra’s presentation, she illustrated how her grandmother’s “innovation was channeled through [her],” shaping her both professionally and personally. Throughout so much change, the constant for Alexandra was the reminder of her grandmother’s and family’s resilience. She pivoted from a career in film and theatre to founding a nonprofit serving immigrants in Queens, to then serving in city government. She then expanded her professional impact at the NYC Department of Small Business Service, building on her nonprofit experience and sharing this insight with New Yorkers starting their own businesses or organizations. All of this change has led Alexandra to take a leadership role at the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, as Executive Director of Programs, and more recently championing vaccine outreach initiatives, building awareness and confidence among New York City’s diverse communities.   

Opening the floor up to discussion, Alexandra did not hold back. “As an immigrant woman, I often feel I am not allowed to fail,” answering a participant’s question. She intimated that she wouldn’t be where she is today without learning to embrace and accept failure. Internalizing this advice, this same participant assured Alexandra that “We [immigrant women] are allowed to make an experiment and risk failure…[we] don’t have to frame the failure as a failure.” 

“Being in this position, I know very deeply what it’s like to be undocumented…not to have health insurance, not [knowing how] to speak English,” explaining how personal it was for her at the height of the pandemic witnessing the distress and high volume of immigrants in need. What was clear from the start, for all of us, is that Alexandra cares. She spoke with honesty, encouraging We Speak We LEADers to embrace who they are because it’s in our uniqueness that we shine as professionals. 

This message was carried over into the second part of our session, featuring a Human Resources panel. Sharon Jones, Senior Director of Workforce Optimization & Planning at Cigna, and Rafaela Estrella, HR Consultant and CEO at Rafaela Estrellita Consulting, lifted the veil on the recruitment and hiring process. Both also offered their tips for job applications and interviews while also providing insight on tools and resources available to employers through HR departments. 

Our very own in-house Human Resources expert, Abbey Longyear, NWNY’s Chief People & Culture Officer, moderated this panel. “Human Resources is the first connection” we make with potential employers, shared Abbey, encouraging our We Speak We LEADers to leverage the advice shared by Sharon and Rafaella. After both experts explained their best practices for interacting with recruiters and hiring managers and how to address gaps and speak to the value of international experience, a LEAD alumna asked for advice on dealing with perceived age discrimination at the interview stage. Sharon urged this participant to reframe such deeply discouraging situations as opportunities to gain empowerment. “Don’t let anyone else define who you are,” she declared while stressing the need to advocate for one’s self.

Additionally, she suggested that “remembering what you bring to the table” is a way to move past the discouragement easily felt in putting ourselves out there. In agreement, Rafaela asserted that there is absolute truth to the expression “with age comes experience.” She assured this participant that the right employer would value that experience, saying, “where you end up will appreciate who you are.” Thanks to Sharon and Rafaela, many of us walked away from this special We Speak We LEAD session with a clear understanding of how to make that good first impression described by Abbey as so pivotal. We hope that all community members felt seen and heard during this session, especially our We Speak We LEADers, as they embark on their unique career journey with the preparedness acquired through our collaboration with MOIA and CUNY.