First Gen Everything: The Rules No One Teaches You at Work w/ Fadjanie Cadet

When no one has done it before you, youre not just doing the jobyoure figuring out the rules in real time.

You rent your job title, but you own your narrative.

Summary:

What if the reason you feel behind at work isnt you? Most first-generation professionals enter corporate spaces without a roadmapnavigating unwritten rules, hidden expectations, and systems that were never designed to be transparent. In this episode of BLKGirl Ambition, I sit down with Fadjanie CadetChief Change Experience Officer and organizational strategistto break down the rules no one teaches you at work. We talk about:

The influence of her first gen Haitian American backgroundWhy merit alone isnt enoughThe power of visibility, relationships, and self-advocacyThe mindset shift from what am I missing? to what is the system failing to make clear?How to own your narrative and move with intentionFadjanie shares how her first-generation experience shaped the way she leads, builds, and navigates corporate spacesand why community is more than support, its infrastructure. If youve ever felt like you were learning the rules too late or questioning whether you belong, this episode will shift how you see yourselfand the system. Because you were never behind. You were building without a blueprint.

Keywords:

First-Generation, Workplace Politics, Unwritten Rules, Black Women in Corporate, Corporate, Career Pivot, Layoff, Networking, Immigrant, Self-Advocacy, Career Growth, Visibility, Community

Takeaways:

First-generation professionals often navigate workplaces without access to unwritten rules and insider knowledge

Corporate success is not purely merit-basedvisibility, relationships, and perception matter

Many early career gaps are structural, not personal

Self-advocacy and storytelling are critical to career growth