Collegiate and professional SWE members from around the world can create a mentor or mentee profile on the SWE Mentor Network. Please note that if you’re interested in both roles, you will only need to create a mentor profile, as all mentors are able to book sessions with other mentors. Mentoring opens for two weeks at a time, with the next cohort taking place May 31 – June 11, 2021. Check out our FY22 calendar for more dates and keep an eye out for signup links in weekly SWE emails. You can also reach out to membership@swe.org to request to join the SWE Mentor Network.
When you sign up for the SWE Mentor Network, you will start with 5 session credits to use during the scheduled mentoring cohorts. Each credit can be used to book one 30-minute virtual session that takes place directly on the platform. You may use your credits to book sessions with different mentors – this is a great way to meet with multiple people for a variety of perspectives. You will automatically earn an additional credit each time you receive a 5-star review from a mentor, or you can request more credits by emailing membership@swe.org.
If you’d like to stay in touch with your mentor beyond your session, SWE encourages you to exchange contact information or LinkedIn profiles if each person is comfortable and interested in continuing a relationship outside of the platform.
So once you’ve completed your profile and have your credits, how do you find a mentor? With over 700 mentors in the system, choosing mentors is exciting but can be overwhelming. Are you curious about different engineering disciplines? You can search mentors by industry and schedule sessions with an aerospace engineer, a computer engineer, and an electrical engineer – all during the same cohort! Not sure if you want to continue as a mechanical engineer? You can meet with someone working in the field who can provide insight and guidance on what it’s like to be a working mechanical engineer.
You can also filter mentor profiles by topic. Are you applying for grad school? Over 250 mentors include ‘Applying to Masters or PhD’ as one of their topics of expertise. Interested in getting involved in SWE’s affinity groups? Schedule a session with a mentor from any of SWE’s ten affinity groups, such as the LGBTQ+ & Allies AG and the Asian Connections AG. Other topics include Balancing Family & Career, Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace, Interviewing Tips, and more. Once you come across a mentor who you’re interested in meeting, just click Book Now to check their availability and schedule a session!
Not only does the SWE Mentor Network provide the opportunity to connect with professional women engineers on a variety of topics, you can also utilize the platform to meet SWE members from around the world. Mentor Angela Kimber of the Grand Rapids SWE Section believes “no other platform really allows for such a large geographic reach. I love being a part of the SWE mentorship community and contributing towards a supportive network to encourage growth within engineering!”
With so many ways to customize your mentoring experience, there’s a mentor for everyone. As you prepare for your mentoring sessions, check out our Mentoring Resources page and consider this advice from SWE members:
- Come prepared with questions to help focus the discussion
- Be proactive and intentional about what you want to get out of the experience
- Be open and talk to everyone you can because they all have great insight, even if they are not in your field
- Don’t be scared to be vulnerable and honest
- Don’t forget to have fun!
Thank you to Keysight Foundation for supporting our mentoring platform!
Related content:
- The Mentoring Journey of a SWE Global Affiliate Member
- SWEet Wisdom: How Can a Student Mentor Other Women In STEM?
- SWE Member Gretchen Hein on Why She Mentors
- SWE Members Share Their Experiences on the SWE Mentor Network
- SWE Members: Join the New SWE Mentor Network
- SWEet Wisdom: How do Mentors Make a Difference?
- SWE Stories: Tales from the Archives- Mentoring Pt. 1
- SWE Stories: Tales from the Archives- Mentoring Pt. 2
- Podcast: The Benefits of Mentorship with Cathy Meyn
