Why Mentorship in Tech Is Crucial, Especially for Women in the Industry
You Should Be a Mentor. Here’s Why.
Think back to the beginning of your career. Who helped you navigate the questions you were too nervous to ask? Who gave you advice before an important interview, encouraged you to go for a promotion, introduced you to someone who could help, or simply reminded you that you belonged in the room?
Maybe there was a person who gave you a leg up when you needed it most. Someone who shared what they’d learned so you didn’t have to learn it the hard way. Now, consider this: You could be that person for someone else.
You don’t have to have everything figured out and you definitely don’t have to be the most senior person in your organization. You don’t even have to consider yourself a “mentor” yet. If you’ve learned something along the way, you have something to share. And someone else could benefit from hearing it.
You Don’t Have to Have All the Answers to Be a Great Mentor
One of the biggest misconceptions about mentorship is that mentors need to have all the answers. They don’t.
Being a mentor is less about having a perfect career story and more about sharing your experience, perspective, and lessons learned. It might mean helping someone navigate a career transition, preparing for a difficult conversation, building confidence, or figuring out what comes next.
The things you know today may feel obvious because you’ve lived them. But for someone earlier in their career, your perspective could save them time, help them avoid a roadblock, or give them the confidence to take their next step. And you don’t have to be at the end of your career to make a difference. You just have to be a few steps ahead of someone else.
The Mentorship Gap Is Real, and You Can Help Close It.
For women in tech, access to mentorship can be especially meaningful, and it’s still not as common as it should be.
According to Mentorloop, only 37% of women have career mentors, while 63% report never having had a formal mentor. Just 24% of women leaders have had a formal mentor, compared with 30% of men. At senior levels, that gap grows to 27% of women compared with 38% of men.
And yet, the demand is there: 83% to 86% of women actively seek or want workplace mentorship.
In other words, people want mentors. They just don’t always have access to them. If you’ve ever wished you had more women in your corner, there’s a good chance someone else is wishing for the same thing. Becoming a mentor is one way to help change that.
Mentorship Is a Two-Way Street
Mentorship might sound like something you do for someone else, but the benefits don’t stop with the mentee. Being a mentor can be one of the best ways to grow your own skills, confidence, and perspective. You strengthen your leadership skills.
Good mentorship requires many of the same skills as good leadership: listening, asking thoughtful questions, giving feedback, communicating clearly, and helping someone see possibilities they may not see for themselves. It’s an opportunity to practice those skills in a different setting, and to become a more intentional leader in every part of your career. You gain new perspectives.
Your mentee may approach a problem differently than you would. They may have skills you don’t. They may introduce you to a new technology, idea, or way of thinking. That exchange matters, especially in a field that changes as quickly as tech does. Learning doesn’t stop when you become a senior professional!
Mentorship creates relationships grounded in growth, curiosity, and mutual support. It can expand your network while giving you the opportunity to invest in someone else’s future. And yes, it can be another valuable part of your professional story, too. Coaching, leadership, communication, and community-building are skills that matter at every level of your career.
Women in Tech Need Each Other
There are some career experiences that are easier to explain to someone who has lived them, too. What does it feel like to be underestimated in a meeting? To be the only woman on a team? To wonder whether you’re ready for the next level when everyone else seems so confident? To advocate for yourself while worrying about how that advocacy will be perceived?
Women in techunderstand that the path isn’t always straightforward. That’s part of what makes mentorship so powerful. Sometimes what someone needs isn’t a solution. They need someone to say, “I’ve been there.” They need someone who can help them put a challenge into perspective, recognize their own strengths, or see a possibility they hadn’t considered.
Your Impact Could Last Longer Than You Think
According to Fearless, 71% of businesswomen with a mentor say that person was influential in their career advancement. Among women in tech, 77% of those with mentors remain in the field after three years. And mentored employees are 21% to 23% more likely to report high job satisfaction.
Think about what that means. One conversation could influence a career decision. One introduction could lead to an opportunity. One person saying, “I think you’re ready,” could change the way someone sees their own potential.
You may never know exactly how far your influence travels, but you can still choose to share it.
Ready to Become a Mentor?
Maybe you’ve been thinking about mentoring for a while. Maybe you’ve told yourself you’ll do it when you have more time, more experience, or a better idea of what you could offer.
You have more to offer than you think. You can share the lessons you learned the hard way. You can listen. You can ask questions. You can offer perspective. You can help someone prepare for their next big step.
And you don’t have to do it alone. AnitaB.org offers opportunities for Members to connect through mentorship, including opportunities to become a mentor and participate in both 1:1 and mentoring circles.
You Could Be Someone’s “I Needed That” Person
Think again about the person who helped you early in your career. Now imagine being that person for someone else. You don’t need a perfect career story. You don’t need all the answers. You simply need a willingness to share what you’ve learned and make space for someone else to grow.
Someone out there could use what you know. Become a Mentor with AnitaB.org.Join AnitaB.org and become part of a community committed to helping people in tech get skilled, hired, promoted, paid, and funded.