FOR WOMEN ENGINEERS, MENTORING HELPS

During Estefania Ortiz's first internship as a freshman computer science major, the Stanford University student felt frustrated, insecure, and unsuccessful. But when she sought a mentor's advice three-quarters of the way through her internship, she received valuable guidance on what to expect and how to salvage the experience. Managers are not like teachers, her mentor taught her, and she shouldn't expect encouragement and regular feedback. This mentor was saying, 'Pick your battles. Focus on networking.' Basically, she gave me a strategy to end on a good note, says Ortiz, who begins her senior year this fall. That conversation with my mentor changed my whole course. © 2015 IEEE.