Mentorship Program
In partnership with
SheSharp runs an annual Mentorship Program for community members, enabling professionals from different backgrounds to support people of underrepresented genders in the technology industry. The program provides opportunities to accelerate growth and entry into Tech, and broadens our perspectives by celebrating and connecting to a diverse group of people.
Next Program: April - July 2024
Applications are now closed.
Waitlist only.
Registration for both is possible.
About Our Program
This program provides a platform that directly and indirectly facilitates the career progression of underrepresented genders in the tech industry. We aim to broaden awareness and understanding of different perspectives that can lead a positive impact on inclusion, and therefore diversity, in the workplace.
Mentorship is widely considered to accelerate career progression and have a positive effect on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. Typical mentorship involves two people - both with an interest in an area or skillset, with the more knowledgeable person providing guidance and support to the other. Successful mentorship relationships are built on trust, respect, and vulnerability, and are mutually beneficial. While there are other styles of mentorship which we want to explore, this format is the core of our program - what we offer you is the opportunity to be paired with your BUD (your mentor or mentee) and receive tools and support for your mentorship journey.
We believe that effective mentorship is about you and what you need. In the past we have offered a very light framework, however we have discovered through feedback that more structure and guidance is important for some. Therefore, we make strong recommendations of how to structure this program to set clear initial expectations, and pairs can opt to modify as suits them.
This is the fourth iteration of our program, with each year more popular and successful than the last!
Step 1: Apply
We have two separate application tracks: Mentor and Mentee.
In your application, we'll ask you what you want out of the program, your skills and interests, and your availability. The strongest applications are the most specific: more information means a better match!
We are limiting the number of positions available, to maintain a high level of quality in the program.
Step 2: Match
Based on information that you provide in your application, our team will try to find you a mentor/mentee match based on what you want out of the program, your skills and interests, and your availability.
During the matching period, we may contact potential matches to confirm that there is a skills match.
We'll let you know if we've made a match and introduce you to your BUD, with some resources and suggestions for how to start.
Step 3: Launch
We'll use our (optional) Slack group to provide interactive support along the way, and a mix of Slack and email to contact you. You will be added to the mentor or mentee channel so that you can meet and support one another.
Need more support? SheSharp can provide extra learning opportunities and resources exclusively for our mentorship program participants. Resources are limited; please contact mentorship@shesharp.co for more details.
Eligibility
Please note that SheSharp is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and will prioritise applicants who are within +/-2 hours of Central European Time. However, if you're in our community and/or located elsewhere, you’re still encouraged to apply!
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As a mentor
We welcome mentors from all demographics (including all genders) who are passionate about supporting people of underrepresented genders in our community.
Our mentors have skills and experience that would be beneficial to share with someone from an underrepresented background. Ideally, mentors are working in the tech industry: all technical and non-technical fields are eligible! Common domains of expertise include career guidance, coding, UX/UI design, data usage, product management, and people management.
As a mentor, you will be expected to listen, communicate, and teach with empathy; we ask that you make an effort to understand your mentee's perspective and position. You will also need to give and be open to receiving feedback.
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As a mentee
Our mentee applications are open to individuals in support of our mission looking to grow their skills or career within the tech industry. While we welcome applicants of all genders, acceptance will be based on impact to our program goals.
The strongest mentee applications include specifics about your mentorship goals. Do you want to level up your backend development skills? Gain more insight into feature prioritisation? Explore non-technical careers in the tech industry? The more up-front you are about your goals, the better we can match you to the right mentor.
As a mentee, you will be expected to listen, communicate, and learn with empathy; we ask that you make an effort to understand your mentor's perspective and position. You will also need to give and be open to receiving feedback.
Application timeline
September 2023
Early interest form opens
Interested participants can sign up to be notified of program launch
March 6-20 2024
Application period is open
It's your time to apply to our next mentorship program! In your application, we'll ask you what you want out of the program, your interests, and your availability.
April 2-4 2024
Accepted applicants are notified of their matches
Our quota is TBC; for context there were 20 mentors and 20 mentees in our 2023 cohort. If you're accepted, we'll introduce you to your mentor/mentee. Otherwise, we'll let you know that we were unable to match you this year.
April 8 - July 4
2024
Mentorship period
The program is about 3 months long. We expect you to meet regularly with your mentor/mentee. SheSharp will provide you with resources, as well as coordinate regular check-ins and opportunities to network with other program participants.
If your match is no longer working, please let us know. We'll do our best to re-match you during this period.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I sponsor this program?
SheSharp pledges to support its community by providing resources to help women and non-binary people enter, stay, and grow in Tech. As we are completely volunteer-run, we rely on individual and company donations to fund programs like the Mentorship Program. With your sponsorship, we can offer program participants resources like e-learning licenses, books, and software to aid in their mentorship journey.
If you represent a company or entity that is interested in supporting this initiative, apply on our partners page. We'd love to feature you as a sponsor on this page and elsewhere in our community!
Jump to
About Mentorship
What is mentoring?
Mentoring is the process of influencing, guiding, and advising another person in something that you are more knowledgeable about. While some coaching may be used, it is different to coaching as there is an expectation that a mentor can teach a mentee about a particular topic – any topic!
What are the benefits of having a mentor?
The benefits of having a mentor have been well researched and can lead to accelerated career advancement. Some of the benefits a mentor can provide include:
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Expert knowledge and wisdom
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An alternative point of view
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Encouragement and support
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A sounding board for ideas
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Build your network
What are the benefits of being a mentor?
Being a mentor can be great for personal and career development – not only does helping others increase happiness, you will also get a lot out of the experience. For example:
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Developing leadership skills
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Building interpersonal skills
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Learning new perspectives and building empathy
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Broadening your network
Many of our mentors come away from the program having learned from their mentees!
About Applying
Can I be located anywhere?
Yes, applications are open to everyone around the world! SheSharp is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and will prioritise applicants based in the European region, and others who are within +/-2 hours of Central European Time. However, if you’re outside of Europe, you’re still encouraged to apply!
Who can apply for a mentor?
Anyone who is an underrepresented gender (e.g. woman, non-binary) and is looking to grow their skills or career within the tech industry. We welcome applications from others, however acceptance of candidates will remain based on the value of the program for them and expected impact that their participation will have on our mission.
Who can apply to be a mentor?
Anyone who supports having people from underrepresented demographics in the tech industry and has skills that would be beneficial to anyone within those groups. Ideally working within the tech industry, however not necessarily a limitation with the right experience and skill set. We welcome mentors from all demographics, including all genders, as we are striving for diversity within our mentorship groups, in line with our mission and values.
I have never mentored before but want to - can I apply?
Yes. Mentoring is a skill, that isn't commonly taught, and we would love to help you develop it. What we offer to enable you to be a great mentor are resource materials, peer support via Slack, and an expectation of mentees to provide you with feedback that you can use to grow.
Can I be a mentor and a mentee?
Absolutely! We recognize that we all have growth areas that we can benefit from having a mentor, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have a valuable skill set and could help someone else.
The deadline has passed – can I still apply?
While we can’t guarantee anything, we can add you to a waiting list and notify you if we have an available place.
I know someone else who I think would love to have or be a mentor!
Please ask them to sign up here, or you can connect us by emailing mentorship@shesharp.co! We would love to have more people involved.
About program participation
What is the commitment I need to make?
We ask that you commit to a minimum of 3 months so that you and your mentee are able to get value out of this program, as we believe it will take that amount of time to build a good working relationship and make progress. We understand that circumstances may change however — should that happen, please let us and your mentor/mentee know as soon as possible so that we can try to arrange a new match.
The specific amount of time required depends on the working agreement between you both, and may vary between the mentee and mentor, however expect a baseline minimum of 2 hours bi-weekly, for meetings and preparation.
In general, we expect that you will:
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Take advantage of the resources provided
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Make time to meet regularly (bi-weekly unless otherwise decided together)
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Invest time with your match to establish clear objectives and ways of working together early on
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Communicate feedback to one another along the way about what is working and what is needed to improve
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Ask for help along the way, if you need it!
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Respond to program check-ins, and share your feedback so that we can expand and continuously improve the program
These expectations are designed to help you get the most out of this program.
What are you looking for in a mentor?
Ultimately, we are looking for anyone who cares about helping someone else grow and will make the commitment to do that, as per their mentees needs and the program setup.
Skillsets in-demand (but not exclusive to):
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Software Engineering (back-end and front-end development)
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Data usage (e.g. science and analysis)
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UX specialties (e.g. design, copy, research)
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Project management
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Product management
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Experience in finding a job or getting a promotion
Will I definitely get a mentor or a mentee?
While we will do our best to find you a match, we cannot guarantee that we will find someone for you. It will be dependent on how many people sign up and whether there is a skills match. There is a possibility that we may find someone who is only a partial match for you — in that case we will provide you with their anonymous profile and you can opt in or out based on that.
Will I be matched with someone like me?
Typically, no. We believe in the power of diversity (or differences) to drive better ideas and greater growth, and that gaining understanding and empathy about different perspectives is what helps us create more inclusive environments. We will match on required skills and logistical factors (e.g. timezones, availability) but otherwise we will not match on similarities, unless clearly beneficial, including gender. If you have a strong requirement for matching, please indicate it in your application.
What if I don’t work well with my mentor or mentee?
We don’t expect that every match will feel perfect – either based on schedule, goals, or personalities. This program has been designed to increase empathy in participants through understanding of different perspectives, and therefore we expect that there will not be an initial 'click' or understanding of the value you can bring each other. Therefore we provide resources to navigate the early stages of the relationship and ask you to be open to possibility. However, we understand that there may be a mismatch in skills and abilities - If you find that your match is not compatible, please let us know and we will try to find you an alternative.
Is this online or in-person?
The programme has been designed for online participation, however if meeting up in-person is an option for you and a preference then we encourage it! All of our interaction, communication, and networking opportunities will be online to make it as accessible as possible to everyone.
Is this for software developers only?
No! We know that the tech industry is made up of many, many roles beyond software development and we support our community growing in any of them. However, this program is focused on people who are in the tech industry and so expect our mentors and mentees to have (or want to) worked in it.
We recognise that people outside of Tech have valuable skillsets that would be helpful to our community (e.g. coaching, recruitment), so while we are unlikely to match them with our mentees for this 3 month program, we would be interested in having you support the program and cohort in other ways!
How much does this cost?
Nothing, we currently offer this program for free. SheSharp is volunteer-led and run, and we put all funds into resources for our community. If you, or someone that you know, would like to support our mission further, you can do so through sponsorship of our program or other initiatives.