Overqualified & Underemployed: How Black Women Are Building Our Own

“We regret to inform you that we have decided to pursue other candidates for the position at this time.” ~ Hiring Manager

If I had a dollar for every time I read that line, or a variation of it, over the past three years, I wouldn’t need to apply for any more jobs, because I’d have more than enough money to pay my bills. As a creative who has both degrees- a bachelor’s and two master's, currently working on a PhD – (side note: I may be addicted to academia. LOL) and experience to support that academic knowledge, it’s beyond frustrating that I can’t even get an interview.

This truth is only exacerbated by the reality that I’m a single mother and the sole provider for my household. Terrifying doesn’t even begin to describe how much anxiety I feel knowing I may not be able to sustain my and my son’s lifestyle because no one will even give me a chance to do the work I excel at and love.  

I know I’m not the only person in this current loop, but it begs the question of what we should actually be doing differently as a society. How is it that someone who went about things the “right way” and has the experience to perform the duties listed for the position can’t even get a foot in the door for an interview? This reality is disheartening because it leaves you feeling hopeless and useless.

As someone who has been an overachiever with a plan my entire life, not being able to work or even be given a chance to show I can do the work has been a mental fuck like no other. Fun fact: I’ve always felt like I wasn’t enough in most aspects of my life (i.e., not smart enough, not thin enough, not pretty enough, etc.), so this season of life is reinforcing those narratives in ways I don’t often fully articulate.

Many other Black women hold this same truth and are living a parallel experience to mine right now, and no matter how much therapy we do or how much our friends and families tell us we’re amazing, it still doesn’t erase the fact that we’re overqualified and underemployed or unemployed.

This truth has led to a forced surge in entrepreneurship for Black women. We’re forging ahead on our own, because we aren’t being given any other choice. In light of that, I have started my own digital media agency and production company, teaching other Black women entrepreneurs how to manage their own narrative as they build their companies and create a lane all their own.

At Janine & Co Creative, we believe that storytelling is power, and that every Black woman-owned business deserves to lead with clarity, confidence, and cultural authenticity. We’re on a mission to amplify voices, produce powerful media, and educate teams to carry their narrative forward. With backgrounds in brand strategy, creative direction, media production, and education, our team brings strategy and soul to every partnership.

During the month of October, I’m offering a free 30-min brand audit to review messaging and social presence and provide 2–3 actionable adjustments that can be implemented immediately.

Though this season of life is ineffably daunting, I know there will be a pendulum swing back in the opposite direction eventually. Right now I’m working on staying positive, focused, and supportive of others I know are experiencing the same struggles as I am.

Journal prompt for the week: Where in my life am I being asked to stop waiting for the “right” opportunity and start creating my own?