MENTORME PROGRAM INSPIRING THE FEMALE LEADERS OF TOMORROW WHAT IS MENTORME? MentorMe is an innovative program at Cisco with a primary focus on undergraduate women studying engineering, information technology, business, finance, economics, accounting and law. The Program aims to inspire, motivate and educate women about the opportunities and personal development available in the IT industry. Every year Cisco opens our doors to share the breadth of opportunity that exists in the industry, to prepare students for entering the workforce, and to build their personal brand. Students are paired with a mentor and will be required to attend weekly two-hour virtual sessions via Cisco Webex. By Graduation, students will have a new network of industry professionals, a developed understanding of suitable career paths based on job shadowing experience, an improved resume and LinkedIn profile, and a higher degree of self-confidence to stand out from the crowd. Cisco MentorMe Program 3 KEY DATES & TIMELINES You will be expected to commit to and meet your assigned mentor every week for a minimum of 30 minutes. You will also be required to attend mandatory 2-hour Group Sessions each Thursday from 12pm to 2pm AEST. All meetings will be held virtually through our video collaboration tool Webex Meetings and Training. PRACTICE RUN Tuesday, 25 August (TIME TBC) All sessions will be held virtually via Webex. To help best prepare for the program, mentees will receive a Starter Pack. We will also be holding a practice run using our systems from home. ON-BOARDING Thursday, 27 August (12PM - 2PM AEST) This session will include a mentee briefing and Cisco Overview. This is a great opportunity to network with other mentees as well as arrange to meet their mentor before or after the session. WEEKLY SESSIONS Every Thursday (12PM - 2PM AEST) The first weekly session commences on 3 September. The duration of the mandatory weekly sessions is two hours each week. Topics range from An Insight into a Day in the Life, personal/ professional development, and industry or Cisco product knowledge sharing sessions. GRAD CEREMONY Thursday, 22 October (12PM - 2PM AEST) At the end of the program, Mentees will have the opportunity to attend a virtual Graduation ceremony. They will be emailed a Certificate of Completion and enjoy a virtual celebration with their mentor and other mentees. This will be their time to reflect on their experience during the 9 weeks and share via social media. We look forward to welcoming you to the Cisco MentorMe Program. 4 Cisco MentorMe Program THE VALUE OF MENTORING Despite many complex factors contributing to the under-representation of women in leadership roles and positions of power, mentoring was recognised as a strategy for supporting women and reducing isolation in male dominated fields. In particular, the absence of appropriate role models, networks and mentoring were identified as key factors that work against women’s retention, progression and success. For these reasons, every year Cisco opens our doors to share the breadth of opportunity that exists in the industry, to prepare students for entering the workforce, and to build their personal brand. Students are paired with a mentor and attend weekly sessions in their local Cisco office. By the end of the Program, students will have a new network of industry professionals, a developed understanding of suitable career paths based on job shadowing experience, an improved resume and LinkedIn profile, and a higher degree of self-confidence to stand out from the crowd. Cisco believes the talents and capabilities of women are under-utilised in technology fields and therefore are missing from key areas of decision making and problem solving for the future. Increasing participation, retention and prospects for success of women in the fields of engineering and IT will contribute to transforming organisational cultures and their preparedness for change and innovation. Cisco MentorMe Program 5 WHO IS ELIGIBLE? You must be a female student studying a Bachelor or Post Graduate Degree in any year that is not your first or last, who can commit two hours to attend virtual sessions every Thursday from August to October. WHY CISCO? Regardless of what you study or what career you choose, you will rely on IT to be successful. Imagine the possibilities! Plus, careers in technology are exciting: in fact, it is hair-standing-on-end exhilarating. Why not get started? Cisco is the worldwide leader in IT and 85% of global Internet traffic travel across our systems. We design and sell products, provide services, and deliver integrated solutions to connect the unconnected. For over 30 years, we have helped our customers build networks and automate, orchestrate, integrate, and digitise IT-based products and services. We apply our technology and expertise to accelerate global problem-solving and innovation to positively affect people, society, and the planet. A career in technology means you get to work around extraordinary people to make amazing things happen. You can change the world by using technology and realise your passion for helping people or the planet with IT. You can work from anywhere, so get those passports validated as tech talent is in demand in every country. Finally, being technology illiterate does not cut it anymore: IT is no longer for a geeky few. It is the future, for all of us. THE ROLE OF UNIVERSITY PARTNER The university partner role includes: • Recruiting students and promoting the Program • Providing input to ongoing program development • Optionally attending the weekly sessions and Graduation SUCCESS STORIES Kaizel Banicevic After studying Engineering & IT at UTS, Kaizel was reluctant to participate in MentorMe as she was not interested in pursuring a career at an IT company. Through participating in Cisco’s MentorMe Program with MentorMe’s Founder, Veronica Marriott, as her mentor, Kaizel’s perception of IT changed. She was inspired by Veronica’s work across the Asia Pacific region and saw a different side of the IT industry. She felt “the mentoring sessions could not have come at a better time. The one-on-one sessions were like having a sounding board for my aspirations and fears.” Kaizel is an Account Development Representative for Cisco Meraki at North Sydney, New South Wales. Lisa Ta From an early age Lisa was inspired to transform lives with IT in areas of education, health care, retail, entertainment and more by her uncle who worked in networking. After high school, Lisa enrolled at the University of Technology Sydney, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. Although she enjoyed the coursework, she struggled to find acceptance among her peers. Cisco’s MentorMe reassured that there are women out there who have successful careers in IT and that to be in IT, you don’t have to learn how to program, or create a script – rather, you can drive projects and lead changes in non-technical roles. Lisa also learned resume and interview skills in the program that she used during her interview with Cisco, which helped her start a career she has grown to love. Lisa is an Account Manager with Cisco working at North Sydney, New South Wales. Seema Hyne Holly O’Toole MentorMe Team Program Lead Operations Lead ANZ Site Leaders [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] MENTORME CONTACTS To learn more about Cisco’s investments in STEM education visit csr.cisco.com. Cisco MentorMe Program 7 The MentorMe Journey 2020 Who knows the possibilities? 2019 186 Students | 18 Universities 2018 96 Students | 12 Universities 2017 60 Students | 8 Universities 2016 24 Students | 5 Universities 2015 12 Students | 2 University 2014 8 Students | 1 University 2013 8 Students | 1 University MENTORME PROGRAM INSPIRING THE FEMALE LEADERS OF TOMORROW
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