VIRAL “Bro” Job/Networking Game

I created this game to emulate how an absence of an affluent upbringing or white (male) status advantage greatly hinders a job search and career moves. This now-viral game recognizes bias and entitlement.

This game is guaranteed to change your perspective forever. This reading will enlighten you, but playing the game for a week leads to a much richer experience.

This fun real-life game is a reality check to privilege and connection.

Rules:

1. Create a new LinkedIn profile using an alternate version of your real name. No, I don’t work for LinkedIn, but they may want to hire me after this if they see a huge growth spike in new users and activity. Lol.
2. Your revised resume can’t utilize bros, friends, or entitled family members who helped you “get interviews” from your former networks or relationships. You can only connect w/ family if the above doesn’t apply.
3. List your education, boot camps, continuing education, or certifications that you gathered without the help of other’s connections. Add keywords applicable to the jobs you’ve legitimately made by networking yourself.
4. Continue to work at your current job and perform usual life duties. Take care of your family, household, sick friends, etc.
5. Begin to build new connections. Avoid using contacts from your former professional LinkedIn profile!
6. Use your new adjusted empty pipeline to experience the networking struggles of the job search while juggling life.
7. Attend FREE webinars and conference events that interest you and use the chat area to network. Apply to job boards, and reach out to listed HR contacts, if given, on the job posting. Be willing to “cold-call” connect.
8. Try to get interviews ONLY using or talking about your alternate set of relevant experiences.
9. As you build your new network, use this new set of people to connect within your job search.
10. No cheating! Don’t use this social experiment as a means of “networking.”

Reflection:

Bookmark this page and revisit the below area AFTER you’ve played.

1. How overwhelming was it for you to create a new profile from scratch?
2. How did you market yourself with no information or contacts?
3. Was the education you gathered through childhood entitlements, family savings to help you “get a better life,” or was it all up to you?
4. With how many people did you establish meaningful connections?
5. How/when/where did you meet people?
6. Did former life experiences bias your journey (i.e., did you attend an engineering meetup or network with engineers at a conference because entitlements paid for a formal engineering degree)?
7. Was the skill of your ability to network biased? Did you have “more success” because of your eloquence or current “life” skills?
8. Did any connections turn into good-will job prospects?
9. Did recruiters contact you for jobs? If so, what roles did they feel met their qualifications? Were those roles “beneath” you?
10. Consider continuing this exercise, adding 50 people to your alternate profile. How many days/weeks/months did it take?

Wrap-up:

• This game emulates the job search experience for many BIPOCs, women, transgender, etc.
• It is not an accurate account because your life experiences and bias will creep into your ability to talk to people, develop connections, and be familiar with how to “play the game of networking life.”
• This game helps you understand the hardships of locating jobs remotely with limited resources and knowledge.

Build an understanding of what you take for granted daily.

If you enjoyed this article or game, feel free to connect with me.

My alternate-reality LI: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinalsmith/

My real-life LI: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinarudolph/

I did not have a “bro” network. I created one. You will see lots of overlap between my realities. If you want to be “woke,” read my alternate-reality education and read the NOTE areas listed after each job description.