This article was produced in collaboration with Autotrader.

I'm a Somali-Dominican woman working as a Community Engagement Advisor at Autotrader, and this is my first role in a tech business. I am excited to have been invited to learn from three of my colleagues as they share their unique journeys into the field. 

I first spoke to Matilda Olagunju, a National Account Manager within our sales team, where she manages our large customer accounts. Matilda moved from Nigeria four years ago to continue her education and career journey in the UK, starting off in finance before moving to tech.

"Moving from Nigeria to the UK was a massive transition for me. The way I navigated it was by asking questions – especially about the workplace. I gave myself more grace to learn," Matilda explains.

We also talked through how a positive, and proactive work environment has helped her to get used to the difference types of nuances.

Moyosola is Matilda’s first name. In previous workplaces, her name has been turned into a nickname without prior consent, which is something a lot of us experience. Reduction in microaggressions in the workplace can be sparked by a cultural change from the company we work for.

"It's not just about blending in, but bringing yourself to work," Matilda continues. "And that has given me the permission to be Moyosola from Nigeria and also Matilda in the UK as well. That balance has been quite massive for me."

Matilda joined as a graduate in our Early Careers intake in 2022, which Autotrader recruits for every year. Two years on, she is now a National Account Manager.    

"Growth is not just about climbing the ladder. If I'm being completely honest – you want to bloom where you are planted and [be given] the soil, the sunlight and everything that I need to literally grow on my own and be comfortable. 

"I wasn't just learning my job, I was developing other skills like resilience, communication skills and that commercial awareness as well."

As well as her promotion, like a lot of us, Matilda also has business ventures outside of her role – as a braider and owning a bridal shop – valuable skills which have transferred into her role now, working with Autotrader’s customers. 

"I hope my journey encourages every young black professional to believe that they can carve out space for themselves. They can grow and they can lead not by erasing their identity, but by embracing it."

Next up is Abigail Brown, a People Administrator who is originally from Tutbury and moved to Manchester in 2015. Switching roles, especially into a tech company, can come with great opportunities, benefits, and valuable learning moments. When I was speaking with her, I could tell there had been a shift from when she first started at Autotrader to now – an increase in confidence, purpose, and personal branding.  

"Being adaptable has definitely been a key source and has heavily contributed to my way of working. When reflecting on this there’s contrast between the two roles, but I think what’s definitely helped is mindset and embracing change," Abigail says.

"Also, not being weary of it – being adaptable has made my approach to work smoother and given me enough challenge to have confidence in my decisions and approach when problem solving."

By making decisions with the right guidance from your colleagues and tools, there’s always room to have visibility within the workplace, and take on new, growth-nourishing challenges.  

"Taking opportunities to share your current projects and progress is encouraged, whether this is catching up around desks, or using weekly stand-ups to highlight key moments from your week. Also, using LinkedIn – which is a great tool to share with colleagues within the wider business and connections," Abigail shares.

Bringing your true, authentic self at work can feel like a vulnerable but important step in building your network and towards your future role, if you are provided with a trusted environment to do so. An inclusive workplace cultivates a space for you to begin that journey on lessening the code switching, self-policing and ‘toning yourself down’. 

"Let me start with this, my dry humour makes it’s appearance with me! So my authentic self is most certainly there," Abigail says. "In terms of advice to others, I’d just say being honest and transparent not only with yourself, but your peers and colleagues just makes you feel lighter at work and knowing you’re accepted and proudly different. Seeing others being their authentic self lights up the workplace and makes the office environment feel varied due to seeing/hearing lots of character."

Wellness and the way we practice it looks different to everyone. For some, it might mean regular mindfulness, delving into a new hobby, or perhaps meeting up with friends. Abigail states on how prioritising wellness helps her in day-to-day life. 

"I have less self-doubt and more confidence, I feel I’m more decisive in work when making choices and having discussions with colleagues. My days feel stronger, so whether that’s taking a walk during lunch, or finding time to do a class/run before or after work. I also tend to feel more positive as a result of prioritising my wellness and it’s added more structure into my weeks. Completing a marathon has taught me that my resilience has no bounds! And I think seeing what I can accomplish has boosted my ambitions for the hopes I have for myself in the future."

I last spoke to Shannon, a Senior Business Improvement Specialist. Shannon has had a really fulfilling career so far and, as you’ll see from our chat, she's only just getting started. From beginning in Customer Service at 17, to now in our customer experience improvement team, this was an opportunity to reflect on the last decade. For a lot of people, the journey into motherhood and being a parent, can be a beautiful, life changing moment. There’s also some rational reason why, sometimes, it can bring worry. 

A 2023 study researching the bias within motherhood, said: "Those who do return to work are often viewed as less committed by their employer, are passed by for promotion and often receive harassment or negative comments from colleagues."

"Coming back from maternity leave, it was a bit of a strange time for me because I was excited to come back because I enjoy my job. But there was also that feeling of like – I've been with my baby for a year," Shannon admits. "I'd carried her for nine months and now all of a sudden, like I'm leaving her and I'm going back to work, so it was mixed emotions. But Autotrader were really supportive. I used my holidays to phase myself back in and have brilliant managers who supported me through my return."

When she returned from maternity leave, Shannon was promoted within the first year back. 

"How I approached the promotion was that I was realistic with myself, allowing myself the space to get back up to speed when I returned to work after maternity leave. Then I got stuck in, I looked for opportunities to challenge myself and grow in my role with the support of my manager and regularly reflected on my progress. 

"I just really drove at it – I think it was within maybe ten months of being back I was promoted to Senior Business Improvement Specialist."

Many of us may have heard about and may have been affected by the growing trend of companies pulling back from D&I initiatives, and the ripple effect on smaller businesses and charities across under-represented communities. Whilst Autotrader are proud and committed to driving forward diversity and inclusion across the organisation, throughout these conversations with Matilda, Abigail, and Shannon we recognise more than ever, the importance of this work, and providing space for black women in tech. With Black History Month’s theme ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride’ coming up next month, this feels more pertinent than ever.

If you're interested in what working at Autotrader is all about, and to hear what our colleagues have to say, check out our Careers page. 

Connect with us on LinkedIn: Abigail, Matilda, Shannon, Fauziya