NPower's Words of Wisdom

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About NPower

NPower provides pathways to economic prosperity for young adults between the ages of 18-26 and military veterans of any age and their spouses from under-resourced communities. NPower envisions a future where our domestic technology workforce is diverse, and clear pathways exist for all people regardless of ethnicity, gender, or socio-economic background to succeed in our digital economy.

It’s important to note that most of the trainees at NPower do not have a college background or degree, and a large number begin the program unemployed. Recipients are a part of our 20-week technical training program. The training consists of 20-weeks of technical virtual classroom training, followed by either a paid internship, full-time placement, or apprenticeship placement. At the conclusion of the program, trainees will go on to full-time positions like Desktop Analyst, Business Analyst, Helpdesk Level 1, AV Technician and more.

About the Words of Wisdom Volunteer Opportunity

Our incredibly talented trainees come from non-traditional backgrounds and may be the only one in their circle of family and friends to have a job in tech or in a corporate environment. Historically, those from under-resourced communities may not have the same access to traditional means of social support; this includes family, friends, neighbors, college networking associations, and more.

Volunteers will provide written advice, encouragement and lived experiences for the women in NPower’s program as they transition from trainee to full time employee.

Please provide your name, email, and company for volunteering credit with NPower. If applicable, please use the same email in which you registered for this activity. Your contact information will not be shared with NPower trainees.

You will receive a copy of your responses at the email address provided.

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Engagement Directions & Prompts

1. Introduce yourself to the group: Name, Role, Company, Where Are You Located?

- Pick one (1) additional question:

* What inspired you to participate today?

* How have you engaged with NPower in the past?

* Fill in the Blanks: If you want to know more about [your area of expertise], reach out to me at [best way to reach you].

2. [REQUIRED] Take ≈45 minutes to discuss how you’d respond to any three (3) of the five (5) prompts provided on the form. Discussion can be done in any order or manner your group sees fit.

3. [REQUIRED] As individuals, each volunteer completes and submits a form.

- One form submission per volunteer.
- Forms are due 24 hours from end of event. You have the option to save and return to your form later.

4. Upon successful submission, you will receive a copy of your responses at the email address provided.

-- We will bring you back from the Breakout Room 10 minutes to closing. --

Choose at least 3 of the 5 following prompts to complete:

1) What is your advice for standing in your power and handling microaggressions or unconscious bias?

Question to Consider:

* How have you handled a situation when an idea that you shared is not heard but when restated by a colleague the idea is recognized? How can you be ally to a colleague if you see this happen to them?

* How can you build a relationship with your manager and peers when your colleagues regularly connect about extracurricular activities you don’t engage in. How can you develop or create other pathways to connecting?

* How do you operate in environments that are still on the journey to being diverse and inclusive?

2) How do I own my accomplishments and get recognized in my company?

Questions to Consider:

* How can you articulate your value and hard work in an objective way that is hard for your boss to dispute? 

* How do you develop an executive presence?

* When is the time to consider moving to another organization to advance your career?

3) What is the importance of having a mentor? How has a mentor advanced your career or benefited you? How have you been able to support someone that you have mentored?

Questions to Consider:

* What are key attributes to look for in a mentor or sponsor?

* How do you ask someone to be your mentor or sponsor?

* What does a healthy mentorship relationship look like?

4) How do I achieve work-life balance, and advocate for the boundaries and balance at work?

Questions to Consider:

* How do you balance your obligations (self, home, family, etc.)?

* How can you explain other obligations you have to your employer? Could include obligations to yourself, home, parents, children, etc.

5) How do I determine if what I am feeling is imposter syndrome? How can I overcome imposter syndrome and build confidence in myself?

Question to Consider:

* What is something you can do or say to yourself (perhaps a mantra) to catch imposter syndrome when it comes up?

Bonus: What are traits you have seen in leaders that we should all work to build in ourselves?

You will have the opportunity to review your Words of Wisdom before final submission.

Please be sure to follow the instructions upon clicking Submit below, you will be asked to click Confirm to finalize your response.

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