I Became A ‘Corporate Catfish’ & Proved Job Discrimination Is Real

Seven months ago, Aliyah Jones, a 26-year-old creative from Washington, DC, published a documentary on LinkedIn titled “Corporate Catfish” and rocked the professional networking platform. Here, Jones, a young African American woman, created a fake LinkedIn account of a white woman for eight months and found the catfish account had more recruiter enquiries than her real profile. “I was tired of not getting hired and being overlooked,” she explained to Unbothered. “I studied for interviews religiously, showed up on time, got stood up, traveled across cities, made it to the final round, and still got nothing. After a while, it stopped feeling like a coincidence and started feeling like a pattern. That’s when I decided to run an experiment.”

In Corporate Catfish, Jones claimed someone told her she ‘‘wasn’t corporate enough. Expanding on this experience, she says: “Someone on LinkedIn popped into my DMs and sent me a voice memo. They policed my tone and told me I’m ‘not corporate enough’ and should present myself that way if I want to be taken seriously. That moment said a lot. Because what does ‘corporate enough’ even mean? Sounding less Black, real or more robotic? I was showing up as myself, and that made some people uncomfortable. Being corporate should mean being competent, communicative, and respectful; not silencing your personality, culture, or humanity. Corporate culture is still rooted in this outdated blueprint that prioritizes assimilation over authenticity. It’s time we built something better.”

Jones says the response to her documentary has been “mostly positive,” but she still gets “harassed daily via email, LinkedIn DMs, etc”. “But what keeps me going is realising that this wasn’t just my story, as many people have felt unseen, unheard, or undervalued in corporate spaces.”

Sadly, whilst racial discrimination against Black people at the workplace is nothing new (and more at risk in the age of Trump’s DEI policies), AI technology seems to be exacerbating the issue.

As well as being discriminated against via LinkedIn, Aliyah noticed AI-powered résumé scanners on sites like Indeed and ZipRecruiter were “bumping my applications to the abyss,” She explained further that it is “likely because [AI] is trained on a narrow set of keywords and experiences that don’t always line up with the diverse ways Black folks describe our skills. Recruiters also ghosted me after automated video-screening tools flagged my tone or facial expressions as “too informal”, as there are tools that score your smile and eye contact. There were also weird quirks on niche platforms, side-channel recruiter hubs, and even Slack communities where I was tagged as an “outlier” before they even spoke to me. The system isn’t built for all of us yet, and it’s more subtle than “name bias.”

The documentary has also given Jones an epiphany: “I haven’t even looked at a job since releasing the documentary. I was exhausted, so instead, I created my lane. I’m focused on content creation and working as a contractor, helping businesses with video editing and social media strategy. What I learned through all of this is that sometimes the most radical thing you can do is stop begging to be let in and start carving out space where you’re seen.” 

Aliyah Jones is still trying to tackle tech discrimination within the job market. “I’m currently raising funds for an extended version of Corporate Catfish. This time, I’m tapping into the stories of other Black professionals across industries who’ve faced bias, erasure, and double standards at work. It’s not just about LinkedIn; it’s about how systemic racism shows up across platforms, hiring tools, “diversity” pipelines that lead nowhere, and everyday microaggressions.” Aliyah is also open to donations to help fund the documentary. 

Dr. Adeshola Cole is CEO and Founder of Tritek Academy, a global tech training company that empowers individuals, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds, to break into the tech industry.

Sharing what partly inspired her to enter the tech world over eight years ago, she explains: “The lack of visible support and mentorship, especially for Black professionals in the industry. I wanted to create a space that trains people in technology and surrounds them with a community of encouragement.” 

“It often reflects the biases of its creators, which can have real-world consequences for minority communities,” Cole expands, explaining her major concern regarding tech discrimination.“We've seen facial recognition systems that misidentify Black faces at a significantly higher rate than white faces. [For example], the case of Joy Buolamwini, a Black computer scientist at MIT, whose research exposed the racial bias in commercial facial recognition software, which couldn’t accurately detect her face until she wore a white mask.”

“Similarly, algorithms used in hiring or healthcare have shown racial bias because the data sets they are trained on are not inclusive. For Black women, that can mean being overlooked, misdiagnosed, or outright excluded in systems meant to serve everyone. This is why diversity and representation in tech development are so critical, not just in users, but in the teams who design and train these systems.”

Speaking on how Tritek Academy considers diversity in training tech experts, Adeshola says: “Our programs are designed with non-tech professionals in mind, and we place a strong emphasis on accessibility, cultural relevance, and real-world readiness. Everyone is supported, regardless of their background, and we have systems to ensure no one is left behind.”

Advising recruiters using online job application platforms, Dr Cole says: “Review your hiring tools and processes through the lens of equity. That means asking whether your job descriptions, screening algorithms, and interview processes are inclusive and free from bias. Avoid language that leans heavily toward one demographic or assumes access to certain opportunities. Use blind screening where possible to minimise unconscious bias, and train your teams to recognise how systemic inequality might appear in a CV, gaps in employment, foreign qualifications, etc. Most importantly, diversify your recruiting teams and challenge traditional notions of "fit.”

Given the prevalence of tech discrimination, how should Black women navigate job application platforms? “Know your worth and don’t shrink yourself to fit into spaces that were never built with you in mind,” Cole advises.“Be strategic, tailor your CV and profile to match each opportunity, showcase measurable achievements, and use keywords that align with the roles you're applying for. Build your network, as often opportunities come from relationships. If you suspect discrimination, document it. Take screenshots, keep a record of your applications and responses, and raise concerns with the platform’s support or inclusion team. You can also connect with advocacy groups and legal bodies that support fair hiring practices.”

We also reached out to LinkedIn enquiring about their discrimination policy. They pointed me towards ⁠Responsible AI Principles, which reads: “We work to ensure that our use of AI benefits all members fairly, without causing or amplifying unfair bias.” The ⁠Job Policies page includes a clause on discrimination: “LinkedIn prohibits discrimination in job posts based on protected characteristics, including age, gender, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, race, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, and any other basis protected under law. In a jurisdiction where it is legally permissible to do so, LinkedIn may permit language in posts expressing preference for members of certain groups historically disadvantaged in hiring in that location.”