Lexie Delgado shares how her career journey led her from business development and operations to talent sourcing at Uber. She discusses creating more inclusive workplaces, navigating career changes through transferable skills, strengthening your LinkedIn presence, and staying true to your values throughout your professional journey.
What does it take to successfully change industries, stand out to recruiters, and build a career that reflects your values?
In this episode of Business Edge, Lexie Delgado shares lessons from a career that has taken her across industries, roles, and cities. She discusses her work in talent sourcing at Uber and offers practical perspectives on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, including how professionals can advocate for others and help create environments where people feel they belong.
Lexie also shares how transferable skills helped her move into the technology industry, what recruiters look for on LinkedIn, and why job seekers should be intentional about the skills and experiences they highlight. She also discusses the inspiration behind Causa y Cultura, her cultural and social awareness project, and reflects on the importance of staying grounded in your values when navigating workplace challenges.
In This Episode
00:20 — Meet Lexie Delgado and hear about her professional background
01:30 — Talent sourcing at Uber and incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion
02:49 — Making recruiter outreach more personal and effective
03:36 — How professionals can take greater responsibility for inclusion in the workplace
06:09 — Learning about cultures and perspectives different from your own
07:08 — Lexie’s career journey and transition across industries
10:40 — Career resilience and developing multiple sources of income
12:40 — What recruiters look for on LinkedIn profiles
14:06 — Using skills, keywords, and job descriptions to improve your visibility
15:02 — The story and purpose behind Causa y Cultura
17:18 — Navigating workplace challenges while staying true to your values
20:37 — Final reflections on using your values as a professional guide
Lexie Delgado [00:00:00] A lot of us are wearing statement shirts or shirts with words, so why not words that matter?
Intro/Outro [00:00:05] You're listening to Business Edge, the podcast for professionals looking to excel in the workforce. In each episode, our guests take a deep dive into their personal and professional experiences to give you an edge in the marketplace. This podcast is brought to you by the Commonwealth Leadership Alliance.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:00:20] Hi, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of Business Edge Podcast. Thank you for joining us. With me today is Nicole Klemp. Hi, Nicole. How are you?
Nicole Klemp [00:00:27] I'm doing pretty good today, Chrissy. How're you doing?
Chrissy Vasquez [00:00:29] I'm doing wonderful. Thank you. I'm excited. Today we are talking with Lexie Delgado. Do you want to share a little bit about Lexie?
Nicole Klemp [00:00:36] Yeah, I'd love to. We're so excited to have Lexie with us today. She is a first-generation Nicaraguan American. She was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles and has since lived in Miami, New York City, and she now resides in Dallas. Lexie's love for culture, community, and diversity has driven her desire to learn and experience different spaces to gain a broader perspective and insight. As an outlet to showcase her passions, Lexie founded and created Causa y Cultura. A cultural and social awareness project that aims to spread awareness through online social media content and statement apparel. Lexie attended Florida International University, where she was a member of Alpha Kappa Psi and earned her Bachelor of Business Administration and an MBA. She is currently a core business operations and analytics talent sourcer at Uber with a focus on diverse, equitable, and inclusive sourcing. Lexiee, thanks so much for joining us today.
Lexie Delgado [00:01:26] Thanks so much, Chrissy and Nicole for having me on the show. It's a pleasure.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:01:30] Absolutely. We're going to jump right in, because I think you have a lot of great things that our listeners are going to want to hear about. So can you tell us a little bit about your role, more specifically at Uber? And can you give some specific examples about how you incorporate DE&I into your sourcing?
Lexie Delgado [00:01:45] Sure, absolutely. So I am a talent sourcer. For those that don't know what a sourcer is, it's kind of like a headhunter. So I'm pretty much trying to get talent from everywhere. Sometimes I steal them from other companies. So I work at Uber and what I'm focused on is business strategy operations for the most part. So I'm always looking for talent to fill those types of roles. And I also focus on D&I talent. So what I mostly source for is a non-tech side of the house. So I'm looking for people in operations, finance, accounting, legal marketing, pretty much everything that's not software engineer. So I pretty much live on LinkedIn, to be honest with you. I'm seeking talent using queries and Boolean strings. But I also think outside the box and focus in tapping into talent communities and organizations whose members are part of underrepresented groups in tech. So in tech underrepresented groups are like Latinx, Black, Native American folks, and women. So that's really the target groups that I focus on when I'm sourcing. Of course, if we have a great talent that is not underrepresented, I definitely don't pass them by, but of course that's the focus for the most part.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:02:49] And since you are on LinkedIn a lot, do you find that there's anything that gets users' attention to kind of reply? I mean, I know I get tons of things from recruiters. I'm sure you do, Nicole, all the time. And they all start sounding very generic. And so just curious if there's anything that's been helpful or successful for you when you do that kind of cold reach out.
Lexie Delgado [00:03:08] Yeah, that's a really great question. I hate canned emails or canned anything. So I try to be very intentional. I actually try to read people's profiles to kind of see what their background is and just try to connect with them in a very personable way. After all, we are humans. Human to human connection is very important to me. So that's really where my success lies because I really kind of do my research per se.
Nicole Klemp [00:03:36] Nice. Yeah, that's great. Thinking about, you know, some of the young professionals and people further on in their career who, you know, whether at work or in, you know, volunteer roles, they want to focus more on DE&I in their own organizations. Any, any tips for how people can take more responsibility in that area? And I know it can be a little overwhelming on where to start. Any any tips from your perspective on that?
Lexie Delgado [00:04:00] Absolutely. I actually love this question. I thank you so much for asking it. So the first thing I think is important to understand is what DE&I is. It's definitely beyond looking for talent that is diverse and hiring different talent. DE&I is also about making sure that the workplace is inclusive and people feel like they belong and can show up there as their true authentic selves. So folks need to feel like they can come into the office, feel like there not gonna be judged or acts to be adjust their norms to whatever the majority of the office is. So sometimes by simply accepting the person and not treating them differently because they're wearing a hijab or wearing their hair in an afro or have an accent when they speak English is a great way to contribute. Just think about it as a human to human connection is the best thing you could do. The second thing I would say is acknowledge your privilege. A lot of us need to understand that in a societal perspective there are some things that you have the upper hand in such as being a male, being white, being cisgender, growing up in a financially stable home, having access to opportunities and education because you or your parents have the hookup or networks. So understanding this privilege really makes you also understand that not everyone's path is as easy as yours. So it makes you understand, too, that some people are working harder than you, in a sense, to be seen just as equally as you are the people that have the privilege. So. With that said, the last thing I would suggest is to advocate. Whenever you have the opportunity, if you notice that someone is being treated unequally or not giving the opportunities that you think that they deserve, make sure you advocate for them. A lot of time is amplifying voices, especially the ones that are not really heard or are often interrupted. Sometimes you see in meetings, sometimes women are interrupted, sometimes people of color are interrupted. So if you are a person that have privilege in that setting, definitely support the idea or just say, hey, I think that's a great idea or maybe speak about them when they're not in the room. So that way they can have opportunities and things like that. So those are three ways that I feel will be great, that we could do our job in contributing to D&I.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:06:09] Those are great examples. Yeah, really good. Thank you. I have a question kind of in that vein. So if I don't know something about a culture or any perspective, I've heard varying things. I've heard, well, it's my job to go research that and learn, or it's okay to ask that person, I would like to learn more. What do you think is the best way to approach that?
Lexie Delgado [00:06:31] I think the best way to approach it is definitely the research part is just kind of at least having a base ground on like, what is the question that you're asking? The best way is to start with the knowledge that you know, and then seem to understand the knowledge, that you don't know or can't really understand on a book. A lot of the things that you want to understand, I'm sure are more personal type of experiences, which sometimes you can't research. But if you have an understanding of like, well, I read in X and Y about this and that, and I wanted to just kind get your take on it, or see if you can elaborate a little bit more. I think the person will be more welcome to like speaking about it or teaching you because at least they see that you've done your part.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:07:07] Perfect. Thank you.
Nicole Klemp [00:07:08] I love that. So switching gears a little bit to more of your career path, prior to Uber, you had some experiences in some other industries. Can you tell us a little about your journey and the different fields that you've been in and what made you make some of those changes?
Lexie Delgado [00:07:25] Yeah, it's been a heck of a journey, I would say. So I did graduate from FIU, then I moved to New York, ended up doing business development at a credit union. Great job, except that I realized I do not like sales. So it really wasn't a great fit for me. So it was one of those things like, okay, do I want to go back to Miami and try to pursue something that was more fitting for me or do I just stick with it? And I kind of took the risk. So I moved back to my Miami and I got into the import-export industry, which was something that I wanted to do. So I started working with an export company in Latin America, I loved it. But then there were some issues internally, organizationally that I didn't agree with. So me and my values always come first. So I ended up switching to another company, an import company where we imported, where they imported wine and spirits and definitely grew up in the corporate ladder. I started as an account manager, ended up as a director of operations for that wine and spirit company. So definitely. Went through that whole ride and then COVID happened. So COVID changed a lot of our lives and it definitely affected me. Wine and Spirits kind of took a dive, especially the startup type of world, which is where I was in, and I got laid off. So never in my life I thought, you know, hey, I've been in this company for six years, they wouldn't lay me off, you know, like I bring a lot to value. And that's where I learned that, you know, it's great to have company loyalty, but at the end of the day, when things, you know, get rockin', there's no loyalty to a person. They have to do what they have to to protect their bottom line in their business. So yeah, as a director, thought I was good, but I definitely wasn't. And that kind of took me on a whole journey to kind of find myself and really where I wanted to be. That's where I kind of started Causa y Cultura, and I also started blogging, traveling, because I love to travel. And then also I started to explore different industries. I really always wanted to go into tech. Tech was safe. Apparently they were thriving COVID. So that's where I started tapping into talent communities and just kind of seeing what opportunities were out there. And then I saw a talent acquisition program where they pretty much take people from all over like different type of backgrounds and kind of train them on how to like source and stuff like that. So I applied for the program. It was like 500 applicants and I got in and I was very grateful. Relocated me to Dallas. So I was, you know, it was Uber knocking on like, of course I'm gonna say yes to Uber. So I had to learn a new trade in a sense, but it was really like those transferable skills that I was able to gain from my past career that really helped me out. So never underestimate those transferrable skills that you have. You can always switch, you always can switch industries. It's all about what you could bring to the company. So using those skills, leadership, organizational communication, stakeholder management, all of that stuff is how I've been able to thrive in tech. And now I'm in my Uber journey. So I'm starting off as a talent sourcer, but really D&I is where my heart is. So. Looking to expand my journey here at Uber in the D&I space for sure.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:10:21] Oh, that's awesome. Thank you for sharing about your journey. Somebody else we spoke to mentioned that you want to be loyal to your company, but at the end of the day, you know, something happens to you, they'll post your job tomorrow. And so I think that's, you there's a good reinforcement of be loyal, absolutely. But be eyes wide open to that nobody is safe.
Lexie Delgado [00:10:40] Exactly other opportunities just in case and also one other thing I learned is always have various streams of income because sometimes when one goes dry you want to make sure you can sustain yourself so you know side hustles are definitely the new thing and I'm for it you know I can't say as a side hustle you know that's extra money pay the credit cards.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:10:58] Mm-hmm. Nope, absolutely pays a vacation for sure. So, you know, you talked about transferable skills, which I think is important when you're moving industries. But talk to us and give some advice or some suggestions you have on how if somebody is looking to change industries, how can they best position themselves to compete with people that are already in that industry when they go to apply? And how do they really highlight those transferable schools?
Lexie Delgado [00:11:26] Yeah, that's a beautiful question. And believe it or not, most of the people that I source are people in the consulting world. They're not even in tech. And what I look for are the skills. So I think that understanding what role you wanna be in and kind of having more of a, the more you can zero in on what you want to do, the better you have the chance because that way you could target the way you sell yourself on LinkedIn or your resume to the skills that that role is calling for. And the more you could align yourself to the role and to the skills that they need, the better. Tech is just an industry. I think when it comes to really knowing tech tech, I guess if you're a software engineer or you're really dealing with that, it might be like, okay, if you came from another company, you have an understanding, but it's still like, what can you bring as an individual? What's your edge that I feel like is really important? I would say definitely brush up on your LinkedIn if you have it because our sources and recruiters we live on there. So if your skills are not sharpened or updated, we're not gonna find you. So definitely just make sure you're selling yourself there and you're putting your skills because sometimes I might be looking for someone with your skills and I don't really care if you came from tech. I just wanna make sure that you could do the job.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:12:40] So following up on that, what's your advice to somebody for their LinkedIn profile? I've heard it's not supposed to mirror your resume, but it's also not to be so dramatically different that it, you know, so where do you find that middle ground of what to put on LinkedIn?
Lexie Delgado [00:12:53] LinkedIn is a great platform for you to show who you are so it's like you don't want to be so like yeah it's important to show your skills but also show who you are as an individual because a lot of the times like when somebody reads something about you that is like wow that's she that person is really passionate about climate change and I'm in looking for a position in the eco and in the eco side of uber I'm gonna want to talk to that person because that person's really passionate about climate change. So it was really putting like those transferable skills how you feel will be good for the role that you're looking for. In LinkedIn, I think they let you do 50 skills. So you have 50 skills that you can add on LinkedIn to really just show who you are and target those skills to the role you want to have. So if you're looking, for example, for a marketing role, make sure the skills that you put are marketing based. Not like, you're not gonna want to talk about, I don't know, your legal type of skills and you want a marketing roles. So it's just really be intentional about where you're trying to go. And then be real about who you are and like really where your passion lies and where your interest lies because sometimes when we read that summary, which I personally do, I get to know the person and I'm like, Oh, I like this person. They're real. So let me reach out to them.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:14:05] Great advice. Thank you.
Nicole Klemp [00:14:06] Yeah, that's really good. And I think too, and let me know what you think, Lexie, is the algorithms that you're using when you're searching a certain skill, people have to have those selected, right? If you're, if you're searching like I need somebody with Java, whatever, like they have that has to be selected right in their profile.
Lexie Delgado [00:14:25] Absolutely. Always put your tech toolkit. I would say that because sometimes that is what a sourcer or recruiters use to find people you're looking for. We have SQL, Excel, Java, C++. We're putting that in our search, but we're also putting soft skills like leadership, stakeholder management, business acumen, teamwork. Those are things as well that we are looking for. The best kind of trick that you could do is look at the job description. I feel like the job the description is very underestimated. It has all the words essentially that we're looking for. You just have to really study it.
Nicole Klemp [00:15:02] Yeah, that's great advice So you mentioned the side hustle earlier. Tell our listeners a little bit about Causa y Cultura and what inspired you to start this business and where do you see it going in the future?
[00:15:14] Yeah, thanks for asking. Yeah, so Causa y Cultura really started during COVID, you know, I was like, you know what, I want to do something and more about like, what I could do to contribute to advocacy and things that were going on. So it really, that's really what inspired me to start it, you know. Everything happening and just, it's just my way of showcasing it, my way of advocating it, and also my way supporting those that are also advocating. A lot of us are wearing statement shirts or shirts with words, so why not words that matter? So that's kind of where the inspiration came. Right now I am starting out with just content that I do on my Instagram page and also creating those statement type of wares. I create shirts, but I also have drawstring bags, mugs. And I'm also trying to focus on more eco-friendly type of products to make it even more intentional because I feel like everything that I do should mirror the message that I'm trying to put out. I also want to feature cultural artists in the future as well. So a lot of times when you travel and you get like that artist that is sitting down, you know, creating something and they probably live in the village, probably five miles away, and they just come there to sell to tourists, is that you start thinking about those people. And I'm just like, wow, they're out here selling their stuff. And this is their livelihood. You know, what if I could get them what they're asking for, and then you know able and I'm able to offer it to people here, because it's beautiful artistry that people create. And, and sometimes you need to be honest with you, they are underpaid because a lot of people haggle them or like, you know, they sell it to people so they can sell it in a bigger perspective and then you see it in the souvenir shop for like so much more. So also trying to help people in that way. So just in every way I can also partnering up with community organizations as well to really just again be intentional with the project.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:17:00] Where can our listeners find you on social media?
Lexie Delgado [00:17:02] Yeah, so I do have an Instagram page is at Causa y Cultura, C-A-U-S-A Y, which is the Y C-U L-T-U R-A. And then I also have a website which is www.causaycultura.com.
Nicole Klemp [00:17:18] Thank you very much. Well, this has been an awesome conversation, but we can't let you off the hook without asking you the signature question that we ask all of our Business Edge guests. So Lexie, tell us about a time when your personal values were challenged. What happened and how did you handle it?
Lexie Delgado [00:17:34] Yeah, that's a very interesting question. So I could definitely speak to that, and I guess the experience I had when I was at the import company, it was a challenge being Latina, first of all, and kind of climbing up that corporate ladder. Although I was in Miami, it was predominantly white company. So it was just very interesting because I feel like a lot of the times I would have ideas or perspectives, and I felt like... They weren't accepted because it came from me or because they felt like I didn't really understand what they were trying to do or stuff like that. And then for me, it was the way that they treated certain employees. And that's kind of where I drew the line. And I'm just like, this goes against my values of just the way I treat people. So that's where I have to really make a decision. How am I going to handle the situation? I still want to be employed, but I still want to help my team and make sure that they're equally paid. And they're treated well. So I just kind of used my platform and used kind of whatever I could. I found allies wherever I could, so in those meetings, you know, I was like, okay, this is the person that they listen to, even though he doesn't have really good ideas, but he's, you now, he's a white presenting Latinos or Hispanic person and he's the dude. You know, the boys club, cause there is a boys club in a lot of companies. I just became an ally with him, you know, cause he did support my ideas. Um, and sometimes he will be the one to back me up. So that's how I was able to like, kind of, you know, still keep true to myself and, you know treat my, the people that were under me with, you know, dignity and give them opportunities for growth and be able to like, you don't have a budget for their growth and, you know, for little things for them, just stuff like that. Um, just really understanding how to play the field, I guess. Um, And yeah, that's pretty much how I handled it. And you know until the day I wasn't the whole time I was there. Lots of gratitude from my team because I did definitely help a lot of them grow and get better titles in the company and even outside the company. And so it was totally worth it. I guess it's just finding a way. I think that's the best thing to do. And just don't give up on being yourself, but just figuring out how you can be yourself and play the corporate game at the same time.
Nicole Klemp [00:19:49] Yeah, good advice. I'm sure that experience really shapes your passion for inclusivity in the workplace.
Lexie Delgado [00:19:55] Absolutely, because I didn't fold. I was like, okay, you want me to act a certain way, but it's not who I am. And just little things too, little microaggressions, they will complain about like, oh, you speak too fast. But then there will be a man that was there that he had a really thick accent and you could barely understand what he was saying, but they wouldn't tell him anything. Just little stuff like that, that I was like, wow, okay. I see where this is going. But it's just standing firm and just literally trying to find the way is the best way you can. Just stay true to yourself for sure.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:20:29] Yep. Always a good message. Stay true to yourself.
Nicole Klemp [00:20:32] Yeah.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:20:33] Know your values like you said.
Lexie Delgado [00:20:34] Don't sell your soul. That's what I say. It's not worth it.
Chrissy Vasquez [00:20:37] Yep. Like you said, your values are kind of the North Star and helps direct you and guide you when it's time to go, when it is time to stay. So thank you very much. It's been awesome to talk to you. Thank you so much for your time.
Nicole Klemp [00:20:49] Thank you so much, Lexie.
Lexie Delgado [00:20:50] Thank you for having me here, it was definitely a pleasure.
Intro/Outro [00:20:55] Thanks for listening to Business Edge. If you have questions, comments, or topic suggestions for us, contact us at mail at businessedge.org.