The Cyber Women Ireland team is launching a mentoring scheme to encourage more women into the industry and create opportunities for those wishing to progress their careers.
This is a pilot program that will run for 3 months with 10 Mentors from within the industry matched to 10 Mentees. Mentee application is open to students, graduates, career changers, and those already in cybersecurity roles seeking professional development.
Mentoring is a voluntary developmental partnership, through which a person with relevant experience (the mentor) shares skills and experience to support someone else (the mentee) in achieving career objectives.
Mentoring is not “training”, but rather the construction of a trusting relationship that helps you navigate your working life.
Mentoring plays a critical role in the progression of women in the cybersecurity sector. The lack of mentoring, exclusion from networks, and absence of women role models are cited as key barriers to career advancement for women.
In the CWI Cyber Inspire Mentoring Program, the emphasis is on professional development. Mentors are matched with mentees to support specific career or business-related goals. Mentoring relationships are sustained over a period of 3 months. Meetings take place monthly and will likely take place remotely.
Who will benefit?
Mentoring provides a huge benefit to the Mentee, the person who is being mentored, by obtaining a fresh perspective on their career status, aspirations & goals from their Mentor. But mentoring also provides a significant benefit to the Mentor as well.
Mentors often find that their contribution as a Mentor opens up a positive new way of looking at their own career path, as well as an incentive to reflect on where they themselves were going and how that aligned with their own aspirations & goals.
It’s really a “win-win” exchange between Mentee & Mentor.
CWI committee member Andrea Manning says; “Covid19 is creating job uncertainty for many at the moment, especially students looking for internships and graduate roles. There will be those that are considering re-training and those that will look at this as an opportunity to shift from their current role. Offering mentoring means we can make a real difference in these uncertain times”.
The team behind Cyber Women Ireland represents a diverse group of cybersecurity career paths and is a testament to the fact that roles in cybersecurity range from the technical right through to the very creative.
Cyber Women Ireland is hosting a webinar on the 14th of September where registrants can find out more. Anyone interested in mentoring or being mentored should register for the session which will include an open Q&A.
Key Dates
Monday, 7 September 2020: Applications open
Monday, 14 September, 7pm: Webinar
Monday, 21 September, 9am: Applications close
Tuesday, 6 October: Mentoring Program commences
Mentors and Mentees are invited to apply and are encouraged to follow the Cyber Women Ireland social media channels for updates. The application deadline is 21 September and is limited to 10 partnerships.
Follow Cyber Women Ireland for updates