The time commitment varies slightly depending on your role.

Mentors:

• 6-month commitment
• Meet with your cohort (3-5 mentees) once a month for ~1.5–2 hours
• Prepare for meetings by reviewing supporting materials and discussion topics
• Average total estimated time: 4–5 hours per month

Mentees:

• 6-month commitment
• Attend one cohort meeting per month for ~1.5–2 hours
• Review materials and come prepared with questions or reflections
• Average total estimated time: 3 hours per month

*Please note: Inactive participants and those with expired memberships will be removed from the program.

We understand that unexpected situations may arise. If you are unable to attend a scheduled meeting, we ask that you notify your cohort (at a minimum, your mentor) at least 48 hours in advance. Clear communication is key to maintaining a strong mentoring relationship.

If you need to step away from the program entirely, please email the Program Coordinator as soon as possible.

Please Note: Participants who miss two or more sessions without notifying their mentor may be removed from the program.

The matching process is carried out through the Chronus platform using an automated algorithm to consider selected profile information, availability, and program goals. While technical background is one of many inputs, the program is designed to prioritize professional development, skill-building, and empowerment across all stages of a participant’s career.

Matching assignments are final and intended to foster diverse and impactful cohort experiences.

No, the mentorship program is fully virtual and open to members worldwide! During the application, participants select their preferred meeting times using our WiCyS Mentorship UTC Meeting Timetable. We highly encourage selecting as many time slots as you are available to increase your chances of a successful match. We use these selections to try to group cohorts with overlapping availability. While we use these preferences as a baseline, your cohort will still work together to confirm the final meeting time that suits everyone.

Chronus is the centralized mentorship platform used to manage the WiCyS Mentorship Program. It supports your journey by providing:

• The ability to host and attend virtual cohort meetings directly within the platform

• Dedicated discussion boards for seamless communication

• Access to guided monthly topics, session guides, and resources

• Goal-setting and progress tracking tools

• Scheduling and calendar synchronization (optional)

Upon acceptance, all participants will gain full access to the program.

Prior mentoring experience is welcome but not required! What matters most is a willingness to support and guide others.

As a mentor, we make it easy for you to lead your cohort by providing:

• In-platform video meetings (no need to set up or pay for external meeting platforms!).

• Curated monthly discussion guides and resources to help steer your conversations.

• A dedicated mentor toolkit and optional office hours with WiCyS staff.

We selected a mentoring cohort strategically so that the learning experience can be shared amongst peers. This increases the interaction during the mentor/mentee meeting and develops deeper relationships with those in the cohort so that a community can be formed (within the already WiCyS community). If a mentor/mentee chooses to have 1:1 mentoring, that is completely fine, but the WiCyS requirement is to have the one meeting in a cohort setting once a month.

Any professional woman, man, ally, and advocate is an asset to this program’s success. No matter where we are at in our careers, we have experiences and stories to share that will help others on their journey. The resources/discussion points that WiCyS provides are not specific to a cybersecurity skillset. They are beneficial for any individual in their career!

Yes, the goal is for WiCyS to provide the mentor with what they need to host their cohort meetings (resources/discussion topics). They are to share that information with their cohort and use that information for their guiding point. This takes the stress off the mentor by making the information already available and accessible.