International MBA Students Applaud Women in Tech Mentoring Program

As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic and companies navigate remote teams and tele-commuting, IE Business School’s Women in Tech Mentoring Program finished its second edition to much applause from students.

“I have had the fortune of consistent communication and mentoring sessions with my mentor. I am so grateful to have been afforded the opportunity to learn from a woman who has been ever so generous with imparting her knowledge,” said student Sinenjabulo Zungu. “More than ever, such a privilege has become so meaningful.”

The program-- offered exclusively to female International MBA students interested in developing a career in technology-- focuses on clear business goals, interviewing techniques, career guidance and networking.

“Women in tech can particularly benefit from mentoring as a source of inspiration, encouragement and a means to build confidence, and set achievable career goals,” said IMBA Associate Dean José Esteves, who launched the program last year.

The second edition of the program, which finished in April, paired 15 students with mentors from Amazon, Telefonica, VmWare, Mastercard, Microsoft, Google, CISCO, SAP, BBVA, IBM and the Fundacion Coleccion Thyssen-Bornemisza.

“Establishing a mentoring relation with a successful female leader helps students to navigate career options in tech companies and build confidence in their career decisions. On the other side, there are also tangible benefits for companies when they increase the percentage of women at their executive level,” states Alessandra Aloisio, Director of Recruiter Relations and Partnerships.

The four-month program allowed this batch of students to benefit from the real-time professional challenges their mentors faced during the switch to remote working caused by confinement measures adopted worldwide. Some of the mentees extended their engagement with their mentors beyond the once-a-month online mentoring sessions.

For students, the mentors inspired them to become self-advocates and shared business acumen.

“A vital milestone in my rebranding journey during IMBA wouldn't have been complete without Women in Tech Mentorship program,” said IMBA student Sakshi Sharma. “From mapping roles to keeping sane while searching for jobs and from building the network to strategizing career path ahead.”

Female students are already applying for the next edition of the Women in Tech Mentoring Program, set to launch in June.

“For an institution to realize that it falls upon them to empower women and propel them to spaces historically dominated by the opposite gender is commendable,” Zungu said. “IE has graciously taken ownership of this position.”