Thanks to the Ment♀ring, get the head start. Discover mentoring in the IT environment and benefit from the experience and counselling of professionals, either women working in IT or men who are advocates for girls and women in IT.
“Taking part in the Mentoring program helped me evolve personally and professionally. My mentor's sharing of personal experiences provided me with more confidence and valuable insights into what to expect from my professional career development, and how to better handle various situations. For this, I am truly grateful. Having someone reliable to support you whenever you need it is amazing.” - Janine Weber, Mentee 2023/24
Our Ment♀ring is first and foremost a relationship between two people: you, the mentee, and your mentor from our partner company Lenovo (Stuttgart). Lenovo is striving to contribute to make the IT segment more attractive for women and offer a contribution to support female students.
A mentor is a person who can inspire you, encourage you, connect you, open up new possibilities and show a different point of view on life and the situations it brings. Having a mentor is a great way to absorb wisdom from those ahead of you who have embarked on a similar path as you.
What you can expect from the Ment♀ring:
1. New knowledge and experience from the labour market
The mentor will share knowledge and experience from their area of expertise, plus about entering the workforce fresh after university or looking and applying to a job. This is precious information which you will be able to leverage in your student life and future professional life.
2. Increase your confidence
Obtaining feedback is not easy. Your mentor will help you discover your strengths and reveal your potential. They might also play an important role in your further professional development and directions as they share insightful elements of the working world.
3. Expand your network
Life, even professional life, is about creating and nurturing contacts. With a mentor from a professional environment, you will gain the opportunity to expand your network and list of contacts. It can be a network of contacts that might play an important role in your future professional life.
4. Encouragement and help with difficult decisions
Do you need advice? Turn to your mentor. They will counsel and advise you, guiding you to the best solution. They are here for you, so you can contact them any time. The mentor will be your support even in moments when you will have to take a risk. This will help you build your self-confidence and overcome challenges.
5. You will learn from the mentor’s mistakes
Mistakes in school, business, life or professional career are inevitable and part of the learning curve. You can learn from past experience and stories of your mentor and be ready and well equipped when you might face similar tough situations in the future.
Our Ment♀ring focuses on the relationship between the mentee and the mentor, soft skills and working orientation. We provide the framework for a successful relationship and share best practices along the way. In general, the method and form of mentoring is up to the agreement and mutual possibilities of you and your mentor.
Procedure:
The kick off-meeting will take place on January 14, 2025, where the mentoring pairs will be matched. In-person attendance and participation is mandatory at the kick off-meeting. After that, private mentoring sessions, in person or online, will take place during the following 6 months. Our recommendation is to meet at least once per month. The ideal length of such a meeting is at around 90 minutes.
Please, fill in the application form carefully as there will be a selection process for the mentees based on the motivations expressed to join this mentoring program.
Here are important elements for a successful mentoring:
- Be open, honest and direct during meetings.
- Clearly define your goals and objectives - think about what you would like to get from your mentor.
- There is no such thing as a bad question! Be active and ask about everything you are interested in.
After the mentoring official period of 6 months, we will be regrouping during a face-to-face feedback closing meeting in order to share learnings, feedback and experience gained.
The kick off and feedback meetings will be held in English. Most mentors are bilingual (German/English), so the mentoring language can be agreed on.
Registration: until December 15, 2024
Kickoff meeting (mandatory): January 14, 2025
Feedback meeting (mandatory): June 10, 2025
"What I truly valued about the mentoring program were the kick-off and closing events at the Stuttgart HQ, as well as the professional moderation of the workshops. I felt really well taken care of. Everyone put in a lot of effort to ensure it was a unique and valuable experience for us mentees. In the final stage before starting my career, life became quite turbulent with completing my master’s thesis, moving, and job applications – some big life decisions. The insights and experience of my mentor were incredibly beneficial. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly my mentor and I formed a close bond, how open I felt sharing everything with her, and how much I gained from her extensive experience in the business world. This program not only strengthened me personally but also connected me with a new mentor and friend." - Johanna Gräser, Mentee 2023/24
Applications are currently not possible. Dates for the next round will be announced in fall 2025.
This program is a cooperation between the School of Business and Economics and Lenovo.
