Mid Career Canterbury Tech Mentor Programme 1 – Applications now open!
Launching 20 May 2020, the Mid-Career Canterbury Tech Mentor Programme runs from 8 June – 25 August and is aimed at professionals working in Canterbury’s technology industry. Many successful people credit one or more mentors who made a big impact in helping them achieve early success.
Mentoring isn’t just useful for the mentee, it’s great for mentors too. Mentors will be challenged to stay at the top of their game to provide up-to-date advice.
The 2019 Winter Mentor Programme run by Canterbury Tech was a big success with 36 people taking part and overwhelmingly positive feedback. This was based around Roger Nesbitt’s Winter Mentor Programme software and programme. This year we will build on that success by adding a second mentor programme, this focused on people entering the Canterbury tech workforce for the first time, such as international students.
We are very grateful for the time and effort of our volunteer programme coordinators this year, Ian Wells and Kay Johnson.
ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
Programme 1 – Mid Career Canterbury Tech Mentor Programme
- Applications open 20 May – 7 June 2020
- The programme runs from 8 June – 25 August 2020
The first programme, and back by popular demand, is the same as last year. This programme is aimed at people who are working and are midway through their tech career and looking for support to improve their current skills or make some changes to their career.
To apply as a mentee you must already have embarked on your career in tech. You might be a developer, an IT infrastructure specialist, a business analyst, project manager or one of many other tech sector roles. Often the mentees applying for this programme wish to develop their technical proficiency in some area or move from a purely technical role into some form of leadership, but anyone in tech can apply as long as you have some idea of what you’re trying to achieve!
To apply as a mentor you will need to have an empathetic approach in order to understand your mentee and their specific objectives, plus a genuine desire to share your knowledge, experience and perhaps industry connections with your mentee.
Applications for the Programme 1 – Mid Career Canterbury Tech Mentor Programme are now open. A small refundable fee does apply to Mentee applicants. For more information go to our website or to apply click here or you can email us on MentorProgramme@canterburytech.nz
SIX SIMPLE STEPS
This programme has six steps and is similar for both mentors or mentees:
- Complete your application here. You need to apply by 9am on 7 June 2020 for the Mid Career Programme. Applications for the Career Start Programme 2 are not yet open – we will be sending a notice out on June 10 for applications to Programme 2.
- You will be emailed profiles for mentors/mentee and you can select people that you think might be a match for you.
- Attend the kick-off meeting on 8 June where we will describe the process and expectations. You will get an opportunity to meet your potential matches.
- The following day we will ask you to rank your preferred matches in the system.
- The system will then magically match you up and send you an email.
- Mentor and mentee will then arrange six mentoring sessions at times that best suit them. We recommend meeting once a fortnight.
FIRST TIME AT MENTORING?
Mentors get plenty of support. Before each session, we provide some tips and guidelines by email, on topics you may want to discuss.
KEY 2020 DATES – MID CAREER CANTERBURY TECH MENTOR PROGRAMME 1
- Wednesday 20 May – First sign-up date, marketing launch.
- Sunday 7 June – Final application date. The approval process starts.
- Monday 8 June – Kick-off meeting. Meet potential mentors or mentees.
- Friday 12 June through to Friday 21 August – Mentoring sessions begin. Fortnightly meetings – 6 in total – an email with hints and tips sent to mentors every two weeks.
- Tuesday 25 August – End of Programme get-together, Retrospective online survey.
