NYWICI Relaunches Mentorship Program
The NYWICI Mentorship Program is coming back! Applications to be a mentor or a mentee open on National Mentoring Day (October 27, 2023) and mentor/mentee pairings will be announced on International Mentoring Day (January 17, 2024). In the latest NYWICI WomenHeard podcast episode, NYWICI President, Georgia Galanoudis, Co-Chair of the NYWICI Mentorship Program, Melissa Weisstuch, and NYWICI Treasurer, Linda Descano, shared more exciting details. Listen at https://nywici.org/podcast/ and read on for more information!
The Importance of the Mentorship Program
Mentoring empowers individuals, leading to both professional and personal development.
“No matter where we are in our career, there’s always room to be mentored,” said Linda.
Throughout this episode of WomenHeard, these influential women of NYWICI discussed the impact of having a mentor. Descano shared that her grandmother was her mentor in many different ways, encouraging her to learn and practice how to speak up for herself when there was discrimination, inequality, or disrespect at a workplace and helping her become the professional she is today.
Linda described that one of the most crucial challenges that women face in the workplace today is not being afraid to use your voice and share vulnerability. This can be relatable and inspiring to others who may also be facing similar difficulties, changes, competitiveness and obstacles in a professional setting.
“Mentorship is [about] someone who can really guide, inspire and motivate you to push through those self-imposed doubts or sometimes the boundaries that other people imposed on you,” added Linda. “A good mentor will assist you to see your full potential.”
“The more that we are brave enough to share, the better we are making it for those around us,” Georgia said. “NYWICI’s mission is to ensure that there are more diverse voices present in the world of communications and media today… so we can continue to push forward against all stereotypes and discrimination,” added Georgia.
Why is NYWICI bringing back the Mentorship Program?
Georgia described how the hybrid work environment has shifted the way we communicate.
“We have 4-5 generations in the workplace right now and we all need mentorship even more today because of how rapidly everything is changing,” said Georgia.
Melissa described how the hybrid workplace can be challenging to young professionals where there’s an increase of imposter syndrome, having difficulty with figuring out career goals and not being empowered to speak up about their fears in their jobs.
Practice Makes Progress
The Mentorship Program will help anyone who wants to build vital professional relationships, learn how to network, find and use their voice, discover their strengths, prepare for interviews, and more!
“Stay open-minded, be curious and be honest with your mentor,” Melissa said. “Think about your short-term and long-term goals and stay organized to achieve the best results together.”
A mentee should recognize their mentor’s role as someone who is not there to tell them how to do their job or make decisions for them – it’s a relationship based on counsel and guidance.
“It’s about helping the mentee think for themselves and find their path forward,” Linda said. “It’s also about being willing to be vulnerable because you won’t be hearing only the positive feedback, but also what [may] need improvement.”
We All Need a Human Connection
The NYWICI Mentorship Program is flexible to suit your schedule. It is full of opportunities to support you learn, grow and evolve in your career interests and goals. It will assist you in navigating the politics of an organization, how to think through a critical situation and most importantly, it will open doors – introductions to people, experiences and stories that can guide you to think strategically.
“We’re all exploring high levels of stress in the workplace at times and we all really need human connection and a community more than ever… the Mentorship Program is a fantastic way of ensuring that there’s someone who is there to listen – someone who gets you and exchanges ideas with you,” said Georgia.
For more information on how to apply to NYWICI’s Mentorship Program, visit https://nywici.org, and listen to the WomenHeard podcast episode at https://nywici.org/podcast/.
Written by Hande Erkan, 2022 Scholarship Winner
