Why Career Coaching for Latinas Has to Be Different
Let’s have a real conversation, hermana to hermana.
I coach Latinas in tech through salary negotiations, and I see something way too often. Smart, capable women are showing up to work feeling powerless.
Not because they aren’t skilled or ready. Not because they don’t want to speak up. But because somewhere along the way, they were taught not to.
We were raised to be humble, quiet, and grateful just to be in the room. We learned to play it safe, keep our heads down, and not ask for too much. We were told that speaking up might cost us our jobs or relationships. And while those fears aren’t always wrong, they come at a price.
That’s why career coaching for Latinas has to look different. This isn’t just about resumes and LinkedIn polish. This is about unlearning, reclaiming, and taking up space with no apologies.
Why Career Coaching for Latinas Has to Be Different
Generic career advice tells us to “speak up,” “network more,” or “lean in.” Cute.
But when you’re the only one in the room, when your silence has kept you safe, that advice is dangerous.
Career coaching for Latinas means:
Naming how white-dominant workplaces have trained us to shrink
Strategizing based on your cultural strengths, not erasing them
Building confidence and language for hard conversations like “I deserve a raise”
You don’t need a mentor who tells you to “be grateful.” You need someone who shows you how to walk into that room and ask for five figures more, and mean it.
How Coaching Helps Latinas Reclaim Their Voice at Work
Power isn’t about personality. It’s about position. It’s the ability to influence what happens next, in your role, in your paycheck, in your career.
And too often, Latinas are told to work hard, wait quietly, and hope someone notices. That’s not power. That’s survival.
Reclaiming your power means recognizing that you don’t have to ask permission to take up space, speak your value, or set boundaries. It means making decisions from a place of clarity, not fear. It’s knowing that your labor, your ideas, and your time have weight and acting like it.
Why Power Feels Out of Reach
Let’s be honest, the workplace wasn’t built with Latinas in mind. It rewards assimilation, not authenticity. It normalizes underpayment, overwork, and invisibility.
So when you second-guess asking for a raise, stay quiet in meetings, or feel pressure to prove yourself constantly, it’s not because you’re not confident. It’s because the system is doing exactly what it was designed to do … make you question your right to be there.
Being “the only” or “one of a few” in tech isn’t just exhausting, it’s strategic isolation and exclusion. And when you internalize that, it chips away at your voice, your agency, and your value.
You don’t owe anyone your silence. You don’t have to earn your seat twice. And you definitely don’t have to settle.
What Reclaiming Power Actually Looks Like
Let’s stop talking theory. Here’s what reclaiming power looks like in practice, not in some distant future, but right now:
1. Speak clearly. Even when it’s uncomfortable.
Silence doesn’t keep you safe,it keeps you small (invisible). Practice saying what you mean, especially when it comes to your value.
Try:
“I want to revisit the conversation about my compensation.”
“Here’s a direct example of the impact I had last quarter.”
2. Stop performing gratitude.
You’re not here because someone did you a favor. You’re here because you earned it.
This isn’t arrogance, it’s accurate.
Start telling yourself:
“I belong here.”
“This company benefits from my skills, my work, and my perspective.”
3. Know your value and back it up.
Your instincts are valid, but the numbers matter. Research salary benchmarks. Track your wins. Come to the table with receipts, not hope.
4. Build real community, not just connections.
You don’t need to network. You need people who will tell you the truth, share information, and hold you accountable. Find women who get it. Share your salary. Share your strategy. Share your wins.
5. Ask for what you need directly.
You don’t have to soften the truth to be taken seriously.
You can say:
“Here’s the raise I’m requesting based on my results.”
“This role no longer reflects the level I’m operating at.”
None of that is rude. It’s leadership.
This Isn’t Just About a Paycheck
Yes, this is about money. But it’s also about something deeper.
It’s about not accepting invisibility as part of the job description.
It’s about refusing to let silence be the cost of stability.
It’s about breaking patterns for yourself and for the next generation who’s watching.
Every time you own your value, you create space for another Latina to do the same. That’s power in action.
FAQs About Career Coaching for Latinas
-
It focuses on salary negotiation, leadership development, cultural mindset shifts, and helping Latinas self-advocate in white-dominant systems.
-
No. It’s for anyone who feels stuck, undervalued, or ready to lead. That includes negotiating raises, setting boundaries, and building visibility in your current role.
Final Thoughts
If you’re done minimizing yourself and ready to speak with clarity, I’ve got your back.
You’re not being aggressive, you’re self-advocating. Choosing yourself in rooms where that choice has never felt easy.
You already have the power. Now it’s time to use it with intention.
If you’ve been trying to figure this out on your own, stop. Career coaching for Latinas isn’t a luxury. It’s how we reclaim our voice, our value, and our damn paycheck.