Being a Mentor

This was a lightning talk I did at Coding Black Females, about being a mentor: the challenges, the why we can and should do it, the perks and opportunities to mentor out there.

Transcript

1. Being a mentor @isabelcmdcosta
2. Community
3. Source: https://giphy.com/gifs/cute-feminist-girlpower-3o7abBphHJngINCHio
4. Why, Who, When and Where Why • Share knowledge • Being supported is crucial to STAY in tech and thrive • Level up the playing field • Give back to community Who & When • ANYONE • Any point of your career • Someone w/ less knowledge about a topic you know about Where • Mentorship programs • People who reach out for help • People who work with you • Friends?
5. My opinions on being a mentor
6. Being a mentor • Make sure you build trust • Understand the needs of the mentee • Provide insights on what you know • Logistics of mentoring • Be aware of the similarities and differences • Champion & Support them!
7. Challenges & Perks of mentoring • When you are not a good fit • Understand your strengths and your weaknesses • Bandwidth → Overcommit can be a problem • Redirect your mentees to other opportunities • Networking effortlessly • Meeting new people • Give back to the community
8. Opportunities to mentor & be mentored
9. Volunteer Opportunities • Black Codher Bootcamp ◦ blackcodher.com/mentors • Meet A Mentor ◦ meetamentor.co.uk • WWCode London Mentorship Program ◦ wwcl.carrd.co • Check in your communities ◦ Coding Black Females, TLA Black Women in Tech, Ladies of Code London, Black Devs UK, etc
10. ASK: Mentor at least 1 person in tech!
11. Thank you! #open-source #public-speaking DMs on Coding Black Females Slack Twitter: @isabelcmdcosta GitHub: @isabelcosta Website: isabelcosta.github.io