Career Accelerator Program
Career Accelerator Program
Get tailored support and accountability towards your career goals through six months of 1:1 mentorship with an industry leader + cohort learning.
““This is a supportive and encouraging environment for women to learn and grow professionally. It was great to meet and feel a strong sense of community while empowering women with a collective goal of becoming successful in our chosen roles in tech. I’m grateful I got to be part of it.””
Get 1:1 mentorship and group-based career coaching to gain clarity and grow your confidence at work.
The Career Accelerator is a six month program which combines group based career coaching with 1:1 mentorship to help you fast track towards your goals.
Gain clarity and confidence through partnering with your mentor and deepen your network of women technologists through our cohort. We are here to help you save time and create a path towards a career you love.
Program Overview
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Onboarding & Kick Off Call
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Mentees are matched with mentors, 1:1 sessions begin. Career workshop: Personal Brand
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1:1 session with mentor. Career workshop: Career Planning
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1:1 session with mentor, Career workshop: Glue Work
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1:1 session with mentor, Career workshop: Sponsorship
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Program Celebration + Next Steps
*As a program participant, you also have access to our bi-weekly Leadership Talks hosted by industry leaders.
Meet our mentors
Connecting with an inspiring mentor has never been easier. Our community of 400+ mentors range from senior individual contributors and people managers to CTOs from across the industry in engineering, product, design, and UX research.
Supported Mentoring Topics
Mentor matches are made based on the participant's development goals and areas of expertise. Match satisfaction is very important to us. We offer advice on how to make the most of your 1:1 sessions or can help rematch you if needed.
☐ Career Planning
☐ Communications
☐ Influence
☐ Strategic Thinking
☐ Team development
☐ Executive presence
☐ Personal Brand
☐ Managing conflict
☐ Political Savvy
☐ Cross-functional experience
☐ Time management/ delegation
☐ Change management
☐ Business Acumen
☐ Tactical to Strategic Thinking
☐ Shift from tech to business role
☐ Risk-taking
☐ Process Management
☐ Managing up
☐ Project Management
☐ External Networking
☐ Emotional Intelligence
☐ Global Team Experience
☐ Financial Acumen
☐ Entrepreneurial thinking
☐ Setting vision and direction
☐ Diversity & Inclusion
☐ Creative/Innovative Thinking
Many companies have a professional development budget available for employees. We encourage you to ask your manager to support your career development through WEST and reimburse you for the program cost. We have created an email template that may be helpful in discussing WEST with your manager. Scholarships are available for women facing financial barriers for the program.
FAQs:
How do we source WEST mentors?
Our mentors come recommended by WEST sponsors as well as the broader network of the WEST team and advisory board. They are industry leaders in technical roles who are mid- to late-career. Generally these mentors are excited to partner with us because they have benefitted from mentorship themselves and want to give back, or wish they had access to mentorship earlier in their careers.
How does the match process work?
Mentees are matched based on a multi point process taking into consideration their development needs, goals, and areas of expertise. If for some reason the mentee is unhappy with the match, we are happy to rematch them with a new mentor.
What kind of ROI have we seen through the Career Accelerator?
Of the 450+ women who have gone through this program:
80% learned new skills and knowledge relevant to their jobs
83% feel more motivated to take on more responsibilities in their organization
80% feel their quality of work has improved
94% feel more confident in handling work challenges
Why should I partner with WEST for professional development?
WEST offers a number of options when it comes to mentorship for women in tech. Our Career Accelerator is best for individuals who are intentional on making real progress on specific goals or development areas within a year’s time. Through the program, participants receive 360 support on defining their goals, getting matched with a mentor who can best support them through this journey, and tools to help them stay accountable and make the most of their experience. As a result of the program, we have seen individuals earn promotions, gain confidence as a first time tech lead, have a seamless return from maternity leave, build their brand as a subject matter expert, and more.
My professional development budget does not cover the full registration amount. What should I do?
No problem! We can discuss different payment plan options that works best for you. Please schedule a time for us to chat.
I have more questions about the program. Who can I speak to?
We would be happy to schedule some time to answer questions and make sure the Accelerator program is right for your team. Please schedule a time that works for you here.