Sign up and contact: Michelle Ahn (msa2228@columbia.edu)
The Women in Energy Mentoring Scheme has been established in recognition of the numerous challenges that relate to being a woman in the energy and environmental industry. These range from building a profile to knowing how to succeed in what can be a male-dominated industry. The Mentoring Scheme aims to pragmatically deconstruct some of these challenges through mentorship. Successful mentee applicants will be paired with a like-minded mentor for a five-to-six month period and follow a unique programme designed for the mentee to get the most out of the Mentoring Scheme.
This Scheme is designed specifically for current SIPA women interested in a career in energy and the environment. If you are a previous SIPA woman working in Energy or the Environment then please let us know – we would love to have you as a mentor!
We ask that Mentors provide five hours of their time over a five-to-six month period. We suggest that mentors and mentees meet once-a-month over this period starting this November. Mentees will work with their mentor's schedule and are responsible for organising meetings, and communicating with their mentor. We want to take up as little of your time as possible and so we will provide any and all resources that you may need to mentor effectively.
The Mentoring Scheme is designed for maximum flexibility and will be conducted virtually – although we hope there will be opportunities for in person meetings (circumstances and preferences permitting). We say it is a five-to-six-month program as we understand that life events happen and sometimes you (or your mentee) will need to skip a month.
If you would like to sign up, please email msa2228@columbia.edu. Please send a link to your LinkedIn profile, or a short blurb about what you are doing post-SIPA, so that we can match you with a like-minded mentee.
Five to Six Month Program – Starting November 2023
| Session One - Introduction: | The first session aims to help the mentor/mentee get to know each other and establish a rapport. One element of this is the identification of a focus point for the mentoring scheme (e.g., confidence building; applications to internships; interview skills). |
| Session Two - Resume: | This session focusses on resume review and development. The aim is to review and revise the mentee's resume to assist them with their internship, or job applications. |
| Session Three – Focus Point: | A session where mentors discuss with the mentee their focus point and the strategies for overcoming related challenges. This is essentially a session to brainstorm and provide a road map for the focus points. The exact content will vary from mentee-to-mentee. |
| Session Five – Wrap-up: | This is a session where mentors interview their mentee as if they were applying for a permanent role. We will provide some guidance on the types of questions to ask, and mentors will bring their own experience of interviews/interviewing to the session. |
| Session Five – Wrap-up: | The aim of this session is to help the mentee with any next steps, follow-up items, or other items that have emerged from discussions. After this, a short survey will be circulated whereby both mentee and mentor will give feedback on the mentoring programme, so that we can continue to improve it going forward. |
If you have any questions, or would like to discuss the scheme further, then you can contact Michelle Ahn (msa2228@columbia.edu) directly who will seek to resolve these promptly. Michelle will be your main contact at the SIPA Energy Association for the duration of your mentoring experience. We hope you can join us!
