Mentorship at social media giant Facebook has exceeded Amanda Moores’ wildest expectations.
The rising senior at San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara said she gained valuable work experience at the company’s San Francisco office while connecting with a mentor to grow her network early on and learning tips on how young women enter the technology workforce.
Moores said she is getting a feel for an industry she wants to join when she graduates from college, and she said the experience will come in handy when pursuing employment opportunities.
While Moores said she wasn’t tasked with any projects, sitting alongside and chatting with a peer at Facebook was time well spent.
“The mentor gave me resources on how to continue my interests in tech and great resources,” Moores said. “The mentor gave me websites to look at to increase my knowledge and great support for pursuing the technology industry or information on a tech-related major in college.”
Her experience is thanks to #BuiltByGirls.
Coming into the program, Moores had some experience with technology, such as coding.
“I was interested in the industry and knew this is a future, and wanted to see what is offered,” Moores said. “I’m interested in the creative side, like the user’s experience and enjoy being able to create wireframe layouts.”
Founded in 2014, #BuiltByGirls helps young women ages 15 to 22 participate in technology, providing them with the training to pursue jobs and offering guidance and mentors to assist them in learning about career opportunities.
The New York-based organization’s Wave program is what Moores took part in, and she said the #BuiltByGirls Wave platform pairs students based on their interests with a mentor at a tech business for three months. The girl visits once a month for an hour to talk with that mentor at their office or in person.
#BuiltByGirls provides information to facilitate conversations between the pair — so there are no awkward silences.
Video sessions are available for those who do not live near the tech company’s headquarters, so instead of meeting in person the advisee and adviser would meet over video chat, according to Moores.
She said she got involved with #BuiltByGirls when she came across it in an article focused on the #BuiltByGirls founder that she read from an entrepreneur magazine. She sought out more information and jumped at the opportunity to join.
“I thought, ‘Wow, this is an amazing article,’” Moores said.
To help power the program, Moores is raising awareness about #BuiltByGirls and the programs available to help girls build a network of professional advisers and to advocate for the possibilities for girls having a career in technology.
“The program is wonderful for girls who even have the slightest interest in tech,” Moores said. “It’s supportive, and there are like-minded girls with a common interest.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
