Mentorship Program
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 a diverse group of people.
SheSharp's 2022 Mentorship Program is sponsored by...
How the program works
We believe that mentorship is not about formal processes and structures. It’s about you and what you need. Therefore we aim to provide a light framework of support and allow our participants to shape it how it suits them best.
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 interests, and your availability. The strongest applications are the most specific: more information means a better match!
Once we have received your application, you'll hear back from us in 2-3 weeks whether we have been able to find you a suitable match.
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 interests, and your availability.
We'll let you know within 2-3 weeks of applying if we've made a match. Then, we'll introduce the two of you (via email), along 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
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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; and management.
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As a mentee
Our mentee applications are open to all women, non-binary, and genderqueer individuals looking to grow their skills or career within the tech industry.
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 prioritization? Explore non-technical careers in the tech industry? Learn more about how to become an engineering manager? The more up front you are about your goals, the better we can match you to the right mentor.
Apply to our next cohort
2021
Closed
2022
Opening September 2022
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2023
Closed
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I sponsor this scholarship?
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 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
About the application
Can I be located anywhere?
Yes, applications are open to everyone around the world! SheSharp is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and will prioritize Dutch and European applicants, and others who are within +/-1 hour 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.
Who can apply to be a mentor?
Anyone who supports 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, striving for diversity within our mentorship groups in line with our mission and values.
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 find you an available match.
I know someone else who I think would love to have or be a mentor!
Please connect us by emailing mentorship@shesharp.co! We would love to have more people involved.
About the program
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 amount of time required depends on the working agreement between you both, and will vary between the mentee and mentor.
In general, we expect that you will:
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Take advantage of the resources provided
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Spend time with your match to establish clear objectives and ways of working together
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Make time to meet
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Communicate clearly and openly along the way about what is working and what needs to change with each other
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Ask for help along the way, if you need it
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Share your feedback so that we can expand and improve the program in the future
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.
What if I don’t work well with my mentor or mentee?
We don’t expect that every match will be perfect – either based on schedule, goals, or personalities. If you find that your match is not compatible, please let us know and we will try to find you an alternative.