#OneSmallThing: How to share your Social Mobility Story

Some tips from Cath Brown, Professional Coach and member of the pro-manchester Social Mobility Committee

Cath went from a working class background to a career as a barrister, although she no longer practises and can’t fully exclude a link to her background there.

This month, the Social Mobility Committee’s “One Small Thing” invites you to share your social mobility story on social media and in real life and here, Cath shares some tips to get you started if that feels a bit daunting.

1. Recognise the value your story can provide to others

If you are the kind of person who is reluctant to share too much information it might help to realise that the aspiring lawyer, accountant, business leader without role models in their immediate community could benefit hugely from seeing a story they can identify with.

It can motivate and provide reassurance to them that their goals are achievable.

Also, remember that you retain control of how and what you share – some small nuggets of experience or wisdom could make all the difference.

Awareness can also bring about change at an institutional level. If more firms realised that they are missing out on immense talent because a whole pool of applicants feel excluded by their language or their processes, there would surely be a greater incentive to do things differently.

2. Think about what makes you different and what myths you could bust

Nobody’s story is identical to someone else’s and the thing that makes you different could be the thing that really speaks to somebody out there.

Perhaps it is something that no one else could share but you can.

For example, people regularly say to me that they doubt that they can get into the law in today’s market because they don’t have any lawyers in their family. There certainly was some truth in this in the past and I am not going to claim that things are perfect now but there has been real improvement.

So when I share that I succeeded in my application and practised for 15 years, that provides encouragement. When I talk about the people I have mentored from similar backgrounds and who have succeeded in being taken on by Chambers or a law firm, somebody contemplating that future can then see it is a potential reality rather than a pipe dream.

3. If you would rather be constructive and forward-looking, share your strategies and solutions
Perhaps you found a mentor or a scheme that supports people from similar backgrounds? Or maybe that wasn’t there for you but you have since connected with such a scheme and act as a mentor yourself?
Did you find that your experience in your Saturday or holiday job provided you with transferrable skills even if it didn’t feel like that at the time?
Or perhaps your story is one of sheer persistence – sticking with it when the next step seemed out of reach.
Sharing practical tips and advice is a simple, direct way to construct a social media post or structure a talk. And seeing the successes that follow in those who follow your tips is immensely rewarding.

4. Others can also learn from your mistakes
If sharing your successes on LinkedIn still feels a bit cringe to you, you can be humorous or self-deprecating and still support others.
If you are able to laugh at yourself for an incident which left you feeling like a square peg in a round hole, particularly if it shines a light on a silly rule such as which fork you should use at a fancy dinner, this can help people from different backgrounds know that they are not alone.
And until workplaces are welcoming to all backgrounds, this could be a small step in the right direction.

5. Find a way that works for you

You can share your story on social media, remain authentic and keep it brief. And once you start, you might be surprised by the positive impact you see.

But you can also:
– Join mentoring schemes
– Speak at your old school or college
– Support a relevant charity
– Speak up in your workplace about out-dated or exclusionary practices.

You will see more ideas and events throughout the year through our One Small Thing campaign. We look forward to your posts and your actions!