I’ve been thinking about the word professionalism—how it’s used, what it means, and, more importantly, who it serves.
Before I moved to Oregon to start my first job at Nike World Headquarters, I got the equal sign tattoo to remind myself to stay true. I was scared—scared that my tone of voice, my skin color, or just existing as a gay Latino with a slight femininity in my voice might work against me. Back then, the media’s version of professionalism rarely looked like me. It was always a taller, balder white man, dressed in clothes no one wanted to wear, saying the same things I said—but saying them differently.
And that’s where this reflection starts: When you say the same thing but say it differently, does it change the grit, the sacrifice, or the drive to create change?
The Link Between Professionalism and Opportunity
When I think about professionalism, I think about opportunity. They go hand in hand. If you don’t see that, take a moment and reflect. These two words are either best friends or enemies.
Professionalism isn’t just about qualifications. It’s about tone. It’s about whether you can “appear” to work the job in the same way someone else does—someone whose background and baggage are easier to hide.
My parents worked third shifts at gas stations. They were always on time—early, actually. Sick days? Rarely taken. Work wasn’t about passion or fulfillment. It was about survival, about making sure their kids had what they needed. And they did it right.
That’s professionalism—at least, that’s what it meant to them. To their bosses, it probably meant the same: they showed up, did their job, and left. But once they got the job.
But what about getting the job? Hard work alone didn’t get my parents better opportunities. It wasn’t their work ethic that held them back—it was the invisible gatekeeping of professionalism. They didn’t fit the mold of what employers thought a professional looked, sounded, or acted like. And so, they stayed in the same jobs, despite being assets to their companies.
The Corporate Mold and LinkedIn Echo Chambers
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