Sherpa
BECOME A SHERPA
Lead a STEM student near you in the right direction: spot talent and gain so much more.
DO YOU HAVE THE TIME?
This is a four month time commitment of 8 hours – so you’ll need to be sure that you can commit to your Sherpee. We will be running a number of cohorts over the coming year; have a look to see which 4 month stretch suits you best.
ANY QUESTIONS?
We realise that you might have some extra questions after reading this page. Before reaching out to us, see if they’ve already been answered.
MORE THAN A MENTOR
If mentors help define the dream, sponsors are the dream-enablers. Sponsors deliver: They make you visible to leaders within the company — and to top people outside as well. They connect you to career opportunities and provide air cover when you encounter trouble. When it comes to opening doors, they don’t stop with one promotion: They’ll see you to the threshold of power. [Forbes]
We’re looking to equip the next generation of females in STEM with a great toolkit for building their career – a crucial part of which is fostering powerful relationships with mentors and sponsors. You’ll be acting as a sponsor a.k.a Sherpa for one young woman over the course of 4 months – opening doors for her and exposing her to new opportunities, ways of thinking and career paths. Using our MeetGuides at each month’s meeting, you’ll help her to see her career from an alternative perspective, apply for schemes and meet the right kind of people.
OPENING YOUR BLACK BOOK
In this journey of discovery you’ll find that certain people in your network are exactly who your Sherpee needs to meet and get some input from. We’re asking you to open your own little black book of colleagues, former colleagues and professional contacts to allow your Sherpee to see how the (STEM) world works and appreciate what it is to meet people from different walks of life with different perspectives. We’re also asking you to take your Sherpee to at least one networking event for them to meet new people and practice their new skills.
WORK PLACE SHADOWING & EXPERIENCE
One great way to understand the industry is to experience it and see it from inside. We’re encouraging you to have your Sherpee shadow you for at least one day – or spend some time doing work experience with a colleague, your team or someone relevant in your network. This will give them the chance to see the STEM workplace up close, ask great questions and meet real people in industry.
APPLY FOR LONDON COHORT
You can now apply to be a part of a London cohort and be matched with a Sherpee at one of our London matching events.
APPLY FOR BIRMINGHAM COHORT
You can now apply to be a part of a Birmingham cohort and be matched with a Sherpee at our Birmingham matching events.
SHORT ON TIME?
You can give some directions on a one-off basis as an agony aunt, to host a shadowing session or do a live chat. Let Sherpa Stemette know and she’ll work around your schedule.