Mentoring connects job seekers
nonprofit, JEVS Human Services, in 2018.
Pittsburgh coffee chain Crazy Mocha has been a sponsor since the program’s creation and offers participants coupons for free drinks when they meet at its two dozen locations in the region. PA Women Work estimates 3,000 cups of coffee or other beverages have been consumed since the program started.
Taneshya Williams, program manager for 3 Cups, initially was skeptical a virtual connection would work for mentoring.
“I gave a little pushback,” she admitted.
But with increasing numbers of people working and interviewing remotely through online meeting platforms such as FaceTime and Google’s Hangouts Meet, she realized, “You still can build a relationship” through a virtual conversation.
Online connections also may be more convenient. “Meetings can happen sooner and you can schedule in the evenings and lunch breaks,” Ms. Williams said.
Sarah Minney, 28, a medical student at the University of Pittsburgh, volunteered for 3 Cups in 2014 when she was a mental health worker at UPMC’s Western Psychiatric Hospital. She has since mentored seven individuals.
When Ms. Williams last year asked her to become a virtual mentor for Elizabeth Winter, who wanted to relocate to Pittsburgh from Washington, D.C., Ms. Minney was nervous.
“So much of mentorship is meeting one-on-one,” she recalled thinking.
But she and Ms. Winter clicked during their first Google video chat. They later met in person when Ms. Winter moved to be more accessible for interviews. She now works at Pitt as a research assistant.
Trying to meet needs
Pennsylvania Women Work, with an annual budget of $1.6 million, was founded in 1993 to help displaced female homemakers enter the workforce.
Over the years, it has expanded to assist individuals facing unexpected circumstances like death of a spouse or job loss, immigrants, refugees, people transitioning from incarceration and others with employment challenges.
Though PA Women Work largely focuses on assisting females, the 3 Cups program it launched has 10 male mentors, and since 2014 about 40 of its mentees have been men.
Another initiative where it’s using virtual connections is programming in rural areas including Fayette, Greene and Washington counties.
A new initiative, 3 Cups of Coffee Grad, will pair students at Community College of Allegheny County with faculty and staff mentors.
Based at CCAC’s career development center at its North Side campus, the program will also include career workshops for students preparing to graduate.
The aim is to provide “social capital” for students who have yet to build professional networks, said Julie Marx -Lally, chief executive of PA Women Work.
Connecting to jobs
Jill Campbell, director of human resources operations for the Americas at PPG, mentored three local individuals through the 3 Cups program before she signed on for a virtual match.
The woman she was paired with in October wanted to relocate to Pittsburgh, and was interested in a position at PPG. They met for lunch when the mentee, who asked not to be identified, was in town in November. The woman eventually landed a job at the company.
Because they connected in person early on in the process, Ms. Campbell doesn’t consider herself a true virtual mentor but she said she would try it again.
“Absolutely, and especially for someone interested in coming back to the Pittsburgh area or interested in PPG,” she said.
Ms. Minney said mentors are “an indescribable tool that help people get where they want to go.” In early February, she traveled with her own mentor, a family medicine physician, to Haiti to observe as he delivered instruction to doctors about ultrasound technology.
She considers her opportunities to mentor others through 3 Cups “a very precious gift I’ve been given.”
“When I found an organization that prioritizes those relationships, I felt it was important to sign up.”
For her part, Ms. Willoughby had volunteered through FedEx Ground, which is based in Moon and implemented 3 Cups as part of a leadership development program for employees outside of Pittsburgh.
During virtual chats, Ms. Willoughby conducted mock interviews with Ms. Musco, helped her update her resume and homed in on how Ms. Musco’s skills as a global enterprise adviser managing top Verizon business accounts could transfer to other industries.
The women hit it off and continued to connect beyond 3 Cups’ suggested three meetings over six weeks.
Ms. Musco landed three job interviews in the Pittsburgh area and recently started a position managing accounts for a health care company in the North Hills.
“Julie helped me build confidence,” she said.