Mentoring FAQ
Who runs the Ubuntu-Women Mentoring Program and how do I contact them?
The Mentoring program is a community effort with several volunteers. It was launched by Vidya Ayer and ElizabethBevilacqua, who both continue to coordinate it with help from Lydia Pintscher.
When we say "Contact us" in this document, you may either send an email to our mailing list or email Vidya, Elizabeth AND Lydia directly:
Vidya Ayer: svaksha@gmail.com
Elizabeth Bevilacqua: lyz@ubuntu.com
Lydia Pintscher: current contact information here
How to begin ?
For mentors
Please read our Mentoring page, this entire FAQ document and once comfortable with the framework of our program you may proceed to fill out our MentoringSurvey and send it to our mailing list.
You may also want to check out the MentorRequest page to see what people are actively looking for in mentors - but remember that even if no one is actively requesting your skill set that doesn't mean people won't in the future!
For "mentees"
First you should review our Mentoring page to see if any of our current mentors meet your needs.
If not, feel free to add your request to our MentorRequest page - hopefully someone will come along with the skills you need and sign up for the mentoring program! You may also ask on our mailing list if anyone has the skills you need.
Some tips for selecting a Mentor
Identify a mentor with the appropriate skill/expertise. Each mentor lists their areas of knowledge but if you are unsure what you need help with, do ask us. Someone will be able to guide you in the right direction.
Do some homework. Please take some time to read our website and wiki before asking for help. Choosing your area of interest makes it easier for your mentor to work with you or alternatively guide you to the appropriate person. If in doubt, ASK questions.
English is the primary language of the Ubuntu-Women project, but it may be possible to get a mentor who speaks your native language! Check the location of your potential mentor and ask them to see if this is a possibility.
Remember that Mentors could be located all around the world but may not be available as per your timezone/convenience. Check their availability as you won't get any help on IRC if your mentor has a vastly different schedule. If you need immediate help use IRC, #ubuntu-women on freenode.net.
How to contact a Mentor ?
Potential mentees can proceed in two ways, using the information on the Mentoring page, you can select a mentor with the skill set and contact them directly, or alternatively email us to be matched with a potential mentor. In your email, please include some information on your areas of interest and tasks you wish to be involved in to facilitate the process.
After you have identified the appropriate mentor, please visit that mentor's personal wiki/home page which will list their contact information. You can directly write to them with information about your interests (if related to any project the mentor is working on). The mentor may respond with some basic references and information on how to get started.
What happens next ?
Now it is up to you and your mentor to decide how to accomplish the task at hand. Do remember the following :
Both mentor and mentee will need to devote some time to establish contact, discuss and work out a feasible plan. This is between the two individuals as time commitments may differ a lot.
Read the relevant documentation and/or use Google frequently while trying to follow the mentor's advice as much as possible. If you don't understand, don't hesitate to ask him/her again or rephrase your question. It may take a few more meetings or messages but you will be able to accomplish a great deal together.
Remember that the actual work will have to be done by you usually on your own. A mentor can guide you on how to do new things, but cannot do the task for you.
Please remember that people's lives and workloads can change, and they may vary their level of commitment at anytime.
If you have any problems with the mentoring program or with your mentor or mentee, you can contact us, and we will do our best to sort things out.
Errata
In the Ubuntu community women are not required to identify themselves by gender or provide any personal information on public lists, forums or IRC. However, we encourage you to to be more open with your mentor as it would help them get to know you better and establish a stronger relationship for future reference.
After you accomplish your task you may discuss continuing to maintain contact with your mentor with new questions or initiate new projects as they are available. You could also use your experience and continue volunteering by becoming a mentor here so as to return good-will to the project which helped you learn.
Please blog your experience and tell us about it so we can link that as inspiration for other newcomers!