There have been several high-profile stories in the last two months of students who suffered difficult career circumstances because of how they communicated their anger about racial injustice issues.

Brandon Wright, Director of the University Alabama at Birmingham Career Center, shared his thoughts on this during the most recent episode of the Informational Interview 2.0 podcast.

“We have to be so cognizant of what we are putting online,” said Brandon. “Impact and intent are two different things. Our students have to consider the impact of their decisions. That is what people see; people won’t see your intent. Students have to control their narrative and not allow mass media to tell the story for you as a young minority student who is irate about social injustices.”

Brandon also offered insights on career paths, innovation and empathy. Among the key points are:

-  Take risks to set yourself apart from others

-  Find clarity for what you DON’T want, which can shape what you do want

-  Understand possibilities

-  Map your end goal and track the process with attainable milestones

-  Elevate your conversations by inviting thought individuals to the table

-  Develop a diverse personal advisory council

-  Market yourself as an advocate



He also shared the fun story of a successful student who developed a business around his passion for fishing and recounted leadership lessons from his experiences playing high-level collegiate football. 



The Informational Interview 2.0 Podcast is brought to you by the Global Innovators Academy's "Interview an Innovator" course experience and by Career Path Writing Solutions.