Women in Design Mentorship

The Mentorship Sub-Committee is focused on creating programming to support women within the mid-point of their professional careers, supplementing the mentorship programming of our allied BSA Committees. This year we are running the program in parallel with the BosNOMA mentoring group.

For early career support, we encourage you to check out the Emerging Professionals Network and for senior leadership support, please check out the Women Principals Group.

BSA WiD Mid-Career/ BosNOMA Mentorship Program:
Women in Design in collaboration with the Women’s Principal’s Group and BosNOMA is facilitating and a nine-month long mentorship program for designers and architects in the Boston area. This is a great opportunity to connect people with different experiences and backgrounds to learn from each other.

BosNOMA (the Boston Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects) holds a critical responsibility in Boston’s larger design community in helping to foster the advancement of equitable practice and minority leadership. Career Development Committee's Mentorship program aligned with BosNOMA's mission - Invest in the next generation through mentorship and support and focus on architects, designers, and those that share a vital role in the growth of professionalism.

This mentorship program focuses on connecting mentees to a larger network, getting meaningful time with a mentor to get individualized attention, learning through a role model, and access to new career perspectives. Mentoring helps people successfully navigate career decisions and find balance to create fulfilling and lasting career paths. This program provides a platform for mid-career women and BosNOMA participates to advance and gain support from leaders in the design field.

After the completion of the application period, mentees and mentors will be paired based on their shared interests and needs. The committee notifies the participants of their matches and provides a kick-off and closing event. The success of the program lies in the frequency and quality of meetings established by the pairs. Pairs are encouraged to join BSA, WiD, and BosNOMA events.

Every career path is different. If you are wondering whether this program is for you as a mid-career mentee, ask yourself if these questions are relevant to you. Am I at an intersection in my career? What should be my next step to emerge as a leader, break through the 'ceiling'? How can I achieve balance between my personal and professional life? Where should I spend my time and effort professionally given where I am in my career? How do other women navigate through professional decision-making? How can I change my current paradigm and shift my career with clarity?

Mentors: Pay it forward:
Help inspire mid-career women or BosNOMA participate by providing support and career guidance and sharing your unique experience and skills. Providing mentorship to another professional is a great way to give back to the design community.

Mentees:
Gain insights and connections that can help expand your perspectives and navigate your career path. Being open to other’s experiences will allow you to reflect on your own career path.

Common focus topics:

- Self-advocacy
- Time management
- Leadership skills
- Communication
- Networking
- Performance reviews
- Career trajectory

From past participants:

My mentor helped me step out of my comfort zone and encouraged me start discussions about salary and project responsibility, which have already been paying off.

My mentor worked with me to develop more effective tactics for project management, empowered me to take on a leadership role on sustainability in my office, and provided valuable perspective on how to manage my energy in and out of the office.

My mentor has been so generous with her time and experience and has connected me with experts in my area of interest. My mentor understands the big questions I have about 'what do I want to do with my career?'. She has been encouraging and grounding when I have had self-doubt. She has shared from her experience and given me a nudge and 'reality check' when I needed it to move forward.

Having perspective from a tenured firm leader outside my own office was invaluable.

Mentors Application

Mentees Application

2022-2023 Mid-Career/ BosNOMA Mentorship Program Schedule

August 29, 2022 - Applications Due
Early October, 2022 - Program Kick-off
January 2023 – Mid Year Check in
June 2023 - Program wrap-up

* 1:1 meetings are the core of the program and are established individually by each mentor/mentee pair (typically every 4-6 weeks).