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1NPower Pennsylvania | Proprietary and Confidential | Not for Distribution

ITWorks Mentorship Program Guide


ITWorks Program Overview

● Program Description: ITWorks offers a free, 16-week immersive IT training program and then places

graduates in full-time employment throughout Philadelphia’s nonprofit, business and public sectors.

ITWorks provides classroom training is on PC hardware, operating systems, networking and security.

Students are prepared for IT help desk or desktop support positions. The program is structed as follows:

− 11 weeks of IT training classes Monday through Thursday, this includes preparation for IT certifications and an opportunity to take 2 exams

− 16 weeks of life skills classes every Friday, the curriculum for these classes was developed by Accenture nd 4 of the 16 classes are taught at Accenture

− 5-week paid service internships for area corporations and nonprofits, including Accenture; the students are required to apply and interview for these internships

See this video for more information: http://itworks.org/video/

● Target Demographic: ITWorks targets urban youth, 18-25, who either have GED’s or high school diplomas

but whom have not completed higher education.

● Outcomes: In times such as these, when nonprofits are cutting back on services in light of

decreased donor revenue and jobs are disappearing from low-income neighborhoods, ITWorks becomes a critical opportunity to keep neighborhoods strong and services intact. The impacts of this program ripple far beyond the youths and nonprofits immediately involved. They are felt in the families and communities from which ITWorks students come and to which they return when the program is over.

http://itworks.org/video/


Mentor Responsibilities

● Work with a student one on one, helping them advance their professionalism and look for a employment (see slide 3 for details)

● Meet with your mentee in person for your first visit (Friday, March 9th)

● Meet with the student (in person or virtually) on at least a monthly basis through the duration of the program

● Be open to answer questions and emails from the student as they arise

● Set expectations that you can meet, including: How often you can realistically respond to email Knowing you are not a recruiter (if you are not) and you likely

will not have the ability to staff them

● Leverage your mentor network for skills you don’t have (i.e. reach out if you need help with reviewing resumes or cover letters)


Mentor Guidelines

● Be a good listener ● Maintain confidentiality ● Give constructive feedback ● Promote mentee creativity and skill development ● Help the mentee to develop goals, access

resources and build a professional network ● Maintain a positive attitude ● Encourage independence; not dependence ● Remember there is most often more than one

way to reach a goal. Support the mentee to the best of your ability, but remember their ultimate success or failure is their responsibility.


Defining your Relationship

● Be prepared to engage and steer conversation for the first meeting. During this meeting you should define your relationship and communication approach.

What are your mentees goals for the mentorship? What would they like to get out of it?

What would they like to discuss (feel free to recommend the suggested topics on the next slide)?

When would you like to meet? In person or on the phone? Who will schedule the meeting?

How long would they like to continue meeting (possibly through their first three months of work, until they find a job, etc.)?

Discuss/ plan the best way to communicate (i.e. Do students prefer phone, email, etc? and What to do in case of trouble with unreturned calls or emails?)


Sample Mentor Discussion Points

Possible Questions

● What are you hoping to get out of the ITWorks program?

● What are you hoping to get out of the mentor/ mentee relationship?

● What is it that you really want to be and do?

● What are you doing really well that is helping you get there?

● What are you not doing well that is preventing you from getting there?

● What could you do differently tomorrow to meet those challenges?

● How can I help / where do you need the most help?


Recommended Topics for Mentors

● PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION: The students received professional communication training but there teacher has notices that they have trouble putting that into their daily practice. It would be helpful for you to practice professional email writing/ etiquette with them. Their teacher is guessing you have seen this from the emails the students sent you.

● COVER LETTERS: The students had support in developing their resumes but they have not had anyone help them write cover letters. It would be helpful if you could advise them on the content of a cover letter and proofread the letters that students want to send with job applications (see appendix for recommendations).

● JOB SEARCH: It would be helpful for you to encourage the students to keep looking for jobs, understand job descriptions (their teacher has heard questions like “what is competitive pay? what is contract work or a 1099?” etc.), ways to address discrepancies, continuing to apply for jobs, and ways to follow up. We recommend you walking them through the steps with one or two specific job postings.

● EMPLOYMENT: Later in the year, it would be helpful for you to debrief on the student’s job, if they are able to find employment. You can help the student look for ways to continue growth, deal with concerns, and track progress.


APPENDIX


Example Cover Letter

It should answer the question - Why should I hire you? It should grab the employers attention and point out why you, above all other applicants, should be contacted for a personal interview.

YOUR ADDRESS (Do not put your name here) TODAY'S DATE

Mr./Ms. EMPLOYER'S NAME (If you don't have one, get one!) TITLECOMPANY'S NAME ADDRESS

DEAR Mr./Ms. EMPLOYER: FIRST PARAGRAPH: This is the "why I'm writing to you" paragraph which immediately tells the employer the position you want to be considered for. This is short - usually 2-3 sentences. Points to cover: Why you are writing and which position you are applying for. How you heard about the position is irrelevant unless it is a mutual contact or recruiting program. Do not write, "I learned of this opportunity through the Career Services Office." Show from your research why you are interested in this position or organization. The goal is to make a connection - do this Briefly and Specifically or leave it out; sweeping statements will not work. SECOND PARAGRAPH: This is the "why I'm qualified" paragraph. Highlight some of your most relevant experiences and qualities as they relate to the position for which you are applying. Choose 2 - 3 points you want to make about Specific experiences/accomplishments or about general qualities you have exhibited, and provide Specific examples to support those points. This paragraph will change according to the job/employer for which you are applying. This is usually the longest paragraph of the letter. You may break this paragraph into two if it looks too lengthy or if your points work best in separate paragraphs. Points to ponder: The first sentence should be a hard-hitting opener. It is a quick introduction, which is accomplishment-oriented and directed at the skills and qualifications needed for the job/industry. The body of the paragraph should provide evidence to back up what you've just claimed. Cite specific jobs/internships/activities/projects and accomplishments associated with those experiences. Use your resume to come up with some specifics, but NEVER reiterate passages from your resume word for word. Discuss why what you did is to the employer- relate the facts to the job. Strong examples are important! The final sentence is a summary of what you've discussed above. It's a good idea to mention the position title and company name to bring the reader back to the specific job in question. FINAL PARAGRAPH: This is a short 2-4 sentences paragraph. You should refer to the enclosed resume, request an interview and let the reader know what will happen next (Contact them within specific period of time unless it is a recruiting program). It is vital that you thank the reader for his/her time and consideration.Sincerely, Your Signature Your Name


Tips to Make Your Cover Letter Professional

● Research the company and the specifics about the position so you can tailor your letter to the needs of the organization. Avoid using too many sentences that start with "I" or writing in the passive voice (ex. "This experience enabled me to..." or "Through my internship, I was responsible for..."); instead, make yourself the subject of each sentence and use active descriptions (ex., "In this internship, I demonstrated sound judgment and problem-solving skills on a daily basis.").

● Do not use contractions (I'd, didn't, it's).

● Spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes are out of the question! Cover letters are a reflection of your writing skills, so make each cover letter an example of your best work.

● Be sure to sign your letters. (Black ink is suggested)

● Keep your letter short and simple. This is not the time to tell your whole life's story.

● Use good quality paper that matches your resume paper and envelopes.


Eight Tips for Better Email Cover Letters

Some tips for creating successful email cover letters are the same as for paper cover letters: Be professional, with correct spelling and grammar, and -- very important -- do use them. Other tips pertain only to the electronic medium, and when disregarded, could ruin your chances before your foot is in the door.

Here's what you should you consider when crafting an email cover letter:

● Don't Waste Your Subject Line What you write in the subject line can determine whether your letter gets read

● Use Standard Cover Letter Protocol Write your letter as the body of the email and include a salutation and a

standard closing. Leave blank lines between paragraphs, and use appropriate signature and closing lines. Include all the information in your signature line you would have on your business card, including mailing address, phone number and email address.

● Keep It Short and Dynamic Managers and recruiters are busy. They want to get the gist of your pitch in 150

words or fewer. The first paragraph is crucial. Hook the reader in the first paragraph by selling him or her on your abilities. Use short paragraphs and short sentences to give a very brief bio on who you are and what you can do for them.


Eight Tips for Better Email Cover Letters, continued…

● Keep It Simple If you write a cover letter in a word-processing program, strip away all

formatting and save the file as plain text. Save emoticons, abbreviations, and

wild colors and fonts for your nonprofessional emails. ● Be Specific

Hiring managers look for specifics in email cover letters, which means skills and abilities. Embellishment and fluff are not necessary. It's not necessary to write, 'I'm a hard worker.' That goes without saying.

● Keywords Are Key Because some companies use applicant tracking systems to find and screen

candidates, skill-oriented keywords will boost your chance at being discovered.

● Play by Their Rules Take the time to learn the company guidelines for submitting resumes, and

follow them.

● Check It Again Thoroughly spell-check and proofread your email letter. And remember, your

email software's spell-checker won't catch grammar mistakes. Send it to a friend first and ask him to check it for content and style. Test your email cover letter by emailing it to yourself, and put yourself in the mind-set of an employer when you read it.

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