Dear Inspiration: by Alejandra Angeles
Alejandra Angeles moved to Melbourne from Mexico City in 2018. The excitement of moving to a new country came with its challenges, especially with English as her second language. But cultural barriers aside, she persevered. She finished her master’s degree and landed herself a six-month digital marketing placement; which allowed her to meet new people, make friends and get her career moving in the right direction.
But after everything she’d accomplished, something still didn’t feel right. Ale felt that the language obstacle, coupled with her introverted personality wouldn’t ever allow her to feel like her authentic self at work. Or progress in her career. Feeling stuck, she applied for a free mentoring program called The Trenches. It was here she met her role model and source of inspiration, Alice, a management consultant at PWC. This experience led her to create Gals en Australia. A movement designed to empower and equip over 3000 Latin and Hispanic women to succeed in their personal and professional lives in Australia. Here’s her open letter to inspiration.
Dear Inspiration,
I didn’t have much of you last year. After moving halfway around the world and spending years finishing off my degree and securing a job, I was still feeling uncomfortable. In fact, I felt worse than I had before.
I had shifted careers once again - first finance, then sales, now marketing? I felt like I would never progress or I’d always find myself in a junior position. I needed help and I wanted to know if it was normal to feel that way. Was there going to be a light at the end of my tunnel?
I saw a glimmer of you when I first heard about The Trenches.
It’s a free and inclusive mentoring program that supports young talent in the creative, tech, media and marketing industries. Thinking it was too good to be true, I applied. A couple of days later to my surprise, I received an email with a form to that would help pair me with the right mentor. And a few days later another that read “Welcome to your first match!”.
I couldn’t believe my luck – I was going to be able to meet you. I was excited but nervous. I’d never had a mentor before, and I wasn’t sure where to begin.
Self-doubt naturally began to trickle in: I don’t know what to ask? What if my English isn’t good enough? How should I start the conversation?
But I went anyway.
It was here I got to meet you. Alice, you immediately made me feel comfortable and I felt I could trust you and share all of my feelings about coming to Australia and how I felt about myself. You were patient. Kind. Generous.
You taught me the power that introverts have and the important role that we have in society, despite often being perceived as quiet.
It was this important lesson that would help me change the perceptions I had of my self-worth for good. And you inspired me to create something that I find truly meaningful and that fills me with purpose.
It's now been almost 7 months since we met, and I wanted to share with you what I’ve been up to. A couple of days after we met, alongside my friend Claudia Viloria from Colombia, we created a Facebook Group to connect with other Latin and Hispanic women living in Australia – Gals en Australia.
We started by organising free professional and personal development workshops in Melbourne to help these women with things like improving their LinkedIn, resume or interview skills. After the success of our first few workshops, we created a program called 'Ambassadors en Australia', to enlist some volunteers that help us organise these events in Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane.
We have grown to more than 3,200 women in a private Facebook group.
To date, we’ve held 11 free workshops in Melbourne, 2 in Sydney, 1 in Adelaide, 1 in Brisbane.
And have expanded the content to include personal wellbeing, with workshops around meditation, how to overcome anxiety and distress using breathing techniques; grief and loss; and emotional management to mention a few.
I hope you now know the impact our conversation had on me. It inspired me to do something I’m passionate about – to inspire other women that feel the same way I’ve felt.
I hope that I can return the favour someday. At least over another coffee…when there is no longer a viral risk.
Thank you,
Alejandra
Ale’s experience is one of many positive stories to come out of The Trenches. If you’re under 30 in media, creative, marketing, technology or consulting and in need of some inspiration, support or objective advice, be it professional, intellectual or emotional go to https://www.thetrenches.com.au/
