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Women in IT - Mentoring/networking

  • 09-07-2015 11:41pm
    #1
    Stheno
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 51,690 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    On my linkedin today (Yes I'm a fan and use it every day) there was an article launching a mentoring service for women in IT, who are starting out in IT and can build up their careers with the support of a mentor.

    https://elizabethlenihan.wordpress.com/2015/07/07/supporting-women-in-technology-the-mint-intiative/

    Now I imagine a few posters here work in IT and am wondering what you think?

    From my personal experience, and as someone who now has almost twenty years experience in IT, I'd 100% participate in being a mentor.

    I started out on a support desk for PC users, and had a few male mentors at key points in my career and they have been invaluable to me in helping me develop and move on, looking back they were instrumental in helping me to identify what I needed to do to develop and move on.

    I currently mentor a couple of women and a couple of guys, by giving them some guidance in what they are doing, and if I know of vacancies that may suit them, passing that information on.

    Some are more intensive than others

    For those of you in IT and especially at the more starting out positions, is it something you'd invest in?

    On the networking side, do any of you get involved in industry groups/forums?

    I use linkedin heavily to network, and go to Girl Geeks regularly


Comments

  • #2
    rainbow kirby
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,928 ✭✭✭✭rainbow kirby


    I've been meaning to do more networking - haven't done much at all since I moved to London and I reckon I'm missing out! I've been in junior developer roles for around three years now so next move will be to something more mid-level.

    Been to the odd Ladies Who Code and Silicon Roundabout meetup but not much else. I loved going to the Python Ireland meetups when I was in Dublin, I knew a few of the speakers from before and have had great drinking sessions after the meetups too.

    I think mentoring is a great idea - I was lucky, my best friend from college is a nerd with very similar interests but due to the fact that I took a roundabout route through college and did a masters I graduated 4 years after him. He was always really helpful with advice and giving me a kick up the arse to apply for interesting roles.


  • #3
    LenaClaire
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,129 ✭✭✭LenaClaire


    I think mentoring is a great idea. I was lucky enough to attend the Grace Hopper event last year. It is already sold out this year, so I will miss it, but I am planning on attending next year.

    It was really amazing spending 3 days with 7000 IT women. They had a good mix of topics from very technical to the soft skills that are needed to succeed, they also had mentoring sessions you could sign up for that were quite good.

    I want to do more things like that, but struggle to find the time given the hours I tend to work.


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