"I have found it rewarding to pass on the knowledge I have gained through my experiences in helping new entrants in the financial markets industry negotiate the minefield of the early years of their careers."
Mentorship Program | Professionals
Sharing Knowledge and Experience to Move Careers Forward.
Applications open October 21st, 2019Sharing Knowledge to Move Careers Forward
WCM’s Mentorship Program has provided more than 800 female capital market professionals with access to formal mentorship relationships.
This program pairs female protégées with mentors from outside of their firm for a 12-month period. With a mentor’s support and guidance, protégées establish career goals, discuss strategies to overcome challenges, benefit from the mentor’s knowledge and experience and extend their network. For mentors, the program is equally rewarding as it is an opportunity to coach, motivate, empower and contribute to diversity and inclusion by setting up future female leaders for success.
The program also includes formal skill-build sessions with executive coaches to help mentors and protégées optimize the relationship and bring new skills back to their organizations.
Program Components
To support Mentors and Protégées throughout the year the program incorporates the following:
Executive Coaching: WCM has partnered with Felix Coaching to expand our suite of resources available to Protégées. A structured framework designed in partnership with Felix keeps participants focused on goals.
Protégée Skills Series: Protégées will complete the Facet5 personality analysis and receive guidance from Felix aimed at helping Protégées to make the most of this invaluable mentorship opportunity.
Joint Events: To show our appreciation for the contribution and time Mentors give, they are invited to attend joint events to be determined during the program. Calendar invites with details are sent in advance of these events.
AdvanceAbility: As part of the WCM Mentorship Program, there is also an opportunity to opt-in as an AdvanceAbility Protégée during the application period. AdvanceAbility is supplemental to the core mentorship program and provides additional resources for women working in the capital markets that identify as having a visible or non-visible disability. If you would like to learn more, please email [email protected] to be connected with one of our AdvanceAbility volunteers.
Thank you to our program sponsor:
The application link will be posted here in mid October 2019.
Criteria for Protégée
- Protégées can be at various levels of seniority, typically we look for candidates with between 1 and 15 years of experience;
- Currently employed full time in capital markets;
- Currently a full member of WCM;
- Clear understanding of career goals, including a prepared 3-year plan, and the reasons for seeking a mentor relationship;
- Full commitment to managing the mentorship relationship including ownership and setup of monthly meetings. Protégées should commit to being available for monthly (one hour) face-to-face meetings.
Note: The mandatory protégée information sessions will not be held this year.
Protégées - please consider applying to be a mentor in our student mentorship program, where we look for professionals employed in the financial services industry with 1 to 5 years of experience.
Criteria for Mentors
Mentors can be at various levels of seniority, typically we look for men and women with between 5 and 25 years of experience;
Commitment to being available for monthly (one hour) face-to-face meetings. We realize that face-to-face monthly meetings are not always possible, and where necessary, conference calls may be substituted.
THE BENEFITS OF MENTORSHIP
- 75% of of private sector executives say mentoring has been critical in their own career development
- 71% of Fortune 500 companies offer mentorship programs;
- 77% of companies with mentoring programs say they improve employee retention and job performance;
- 79% of millenials believe mentorship programs are crucial to their career success.
WHY MENTOR?
Mentors help protégées maximize their potential by giving them advice, sharing their professional insights and years of experience and providing a sounding board to help protégées learn and grow, feel supported and championed.
WHY BE A PROTÉGÉE?
Potégée's receive valuable career advice from mentors outside of their firm, with the goal of advancing their careers and establishing career goals, growing their networks, and discussing career challenges.
“My mentor not only shared her industry insights, but also gave me advice when I tried to make a career move. The guidance is essential to someone new to the industry.”