Leading the Way: Our 15 Most Influential Women Mentors

IWD 2023: Here are the mentors who stand for DigitALL, equity, access to career guidance & growth for all. Read through their mentorship journey & achievements.

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Happy International Women's Day!

Today is an extraordinary day at Preplaced. Because today, we celebrate our 15 extraordinary mentors for International Women's Day and beyond. 🙌

As the IWD 2023 theme suggests, we’re all excited to go ‘DigitALL’ which stands for innovation and technology for gender equality. 

The gender gap has spread to a new level and a new universe -  the digital gender gap. And it creates significant barriers and affects various aspects of women’s lives including access to job opportunities, online safety and guidance that ensures women's empowerment. 

Womenkind has never had it easy when it comes to occupying spaces, whether it’s in the physical or digital world. Going slowly but steadily, women are on their way to becoming powerful forces in technology and other industries. 👩🏻💼

These 15 remarkable mentors we honour today are a living testimony of that.

They’re real boss ladies who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to their mentoring. They have not only shared their wealth of knowledge and expertise but have also been vocal advocates for inclusivity and equity for all 🌈digital learners and aspirants

Let me take you through their achievements in their chosen career paths. See the impact they are creating by mentoring hundreds of mentees at Preplaced. 

In conversation with 15 most influential Preplaced women mentors. 👉🏼

Ready to feel inspired? 

Here we go! 🚀

Soudamini 

📍 A Data Science wizard with 20+ years of experience in the Data Science field who’s currently working as the Principal Data Scientist at MUST Research.

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Currently, only about 20% of the total data scientists in the world are women. Even though women’s contribution to STEM has been amazing, the number of women working in tech is shocking. We need more women writing codes, crunching numbers and blazing this trail for the generations to come.”

For young professionals today, it has become extremely crucial to understand the data concepts to the depth - mathematically and practically. Mentees often come to me thinking that they’re ready for their interviews. After one mock interview, they understand the breadth and depth of the expected preparation. Application-based mock interviews, augmented with optimal resources are the key.”

Stuti

📍 A passionate Full-stack Developer with 12+ years of experience, currently working as a Project Lead at Oracle.

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With the Preplaced mentorship program I am reminded of how when I started my career in engineering, I struggled to reconcile whether I fit in the engineering industry. There was this popular image presented by the Indian mindset of what an engineer looks like and at the time, I believed that I did not fit the image. Based on my personal observations, it is the lack of mentorship opportunities for young women in engineering which holds them back."

"My mentoring has taken lots of different forms over the years—everything from technical help to emotional support and in between. I believe learning from people’s experience and stories are one of the best shortcuts to absorbing good lessons for work and life. I often encourage mentees to take a step back and think about their careers and the short and long-term goals they wanted to achieve. In my mentorship experience, I have realised that there really isn’t a one-size-fits-all ‘Mentor Script’ to follow – that the needs of each mentee are different. Mentoring provides me with an opportunity to pay it forward and inspire others to be involved to be more effective and become more confident in what they do.”

Mahima

📍 An expert Full-stack Developer with 12+ years of experience who’s currently working as a Senior Consultant at Capgemini.

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“Mentorship has always been full of fulfilling and nurturing experiences for me. I absolutely love tech and I love to help those who are genuinely interested in learning and exploring tech the way I have and still continue to. I feel for the freshers because the problems faced by them are real.

What is taught in most educational institutes and what is asked in a tech interview - there’s a lot of gap between these two dimensions. I encourage my mentees to be an explorer in this field, be ever-curious and understand it enough to be able to love it. And every once in a while, I don’t mind grilling my mentees by simulating a real-life interview scenario if that’s what it takes to prepare them well for those tough interviews.”

Poulami

📍 An accomplished and dynamic Full-stack Developer with 12+ years of experience who’s currently working as a Lead Software Engineer at HubSpot.

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“I personally never had a mentor early in my career and this resulted in a lot of trial and error. Having navigated the industry for well over a decade, I love to help others in the journey by creating a supportive environment, sharing my experiences and providing feedback."

I believe through a structured mentoring platform I can help mentees succeed and thrive through learning opportunities, settings realistic goals and advocating for their career growth. Having done this several times in a professional setting, I am always looking forward to reaching out to new mentees and passing on my knowledge to them."

Priyanka 

📍 An expert Business Analyst with over 9 years of experience who’s currently working as a Senior Manager - Consulting (Global Transformation) at Mercer.

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“Today I can’t help but look back at where I started and feel so fortunate to have got the opportunity to mentor people. I started my mentorship journey 4 years ago, and so far I have mentored 500+ candidates from various colleges and working employees."

"My vision is to genuinely help and support mentees who need guidance and assistance to achieve their goals. I remember 10 years ago when I was pursuing MBA and was a fresher, I really needed mentorship. I REALLY needed someone to show me the way. I don’t want today’s freshers to feel as helpless and directionless as I, along with many other freshers, felt at that time. The need for mentorship is real and dire.” 

Arishma

📍 A brilliant Business Analyst professional with over 9 years of experience who’s currently working as a Business Strategy Consultant at Accenture.

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“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction”. - John C. Crosby

“This is what mentorship with me feels like. I started my mentorship journey a few years ago and to date, I have successfully mentored 100+ aspirants, and I am proud of the impact I have made on their lives. Some of those aspirants have also got placed in their target companies and it makes me feel so proud of them for following their dreams and not giving up. It has been a rewarding journey, and I look forward to continuing to help others achieve their goals through mentorship.”

Apoorva

📍 A talented and astute Finance professional with 7+ years of experience, currently working as a Credit Risk & Governance Associate at Apollo Agriculture.

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You cannot teach a man anything.  You can only help him discover it within himself.” – Galileo Galilei

“This is the line I swear by when it comes to mentorship as it is not a shortcut to your success instead it is a journey which puts you on success. People often confuse building a network or helping someone get work done with ‘good mentorship’. But my experience says that along with these aspects, we want an unbiased advisor who can show us options and different paths that we can choose for ourselves.”

“I have been lucky to find mentors at my life turning points who have stood behind me and directed me to find my own light and potential. With the long-term mentorship program at Preplaced, I want to cascade their preaching to a larger mentee base and ensure they get what they seek.”

Swasti 

📍 An adept Product Management professional who’s currently working as a Product Manager, Cards at Goldman Sachs.

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“I am a big proponent of learning from experiences. As a mentor, my aim is to provide reliable support to young professionals who are starting their careers or switching to the product management domain. I make sure to provide consistent feedback and guidance that can help mentees tune out the noise and focus on questions that matter for their careers. There can be nothing better and more satisfying than watching a mentee go all the way from preparation to an offer and that's exactly what I wish to achieve!”

Shriya 

📍 An expert Data Analyst professional with over 7 years of experience, currently working as an Associate Consultant at Systems Plus Solutions.

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“Being a mentor results in someone’s success and that’s what made me a mentor. The joy of spreading the moment of achievement and fulfilment in the life of a mentee is unlike any other. 

"It is my passion to provide guidance on interview preparation by conducting mock interviews and skill-building sessions. This truly helps boost confidence for a lot of mentees. Many of them actually end up cracking their dream job interviews because they practise with me so well and real interviews seem like a cakewalk.”

Ekta

📍 A gifted and passionate Data Science and Machine Learning professional with over 7 years of experience who’s currently working as a Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Quantiphi.

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"The right guidance can help new entrants achieve their goals faster. When I entered the field of data science and AI, I saw there was a lot of ambiguity. This is what motivated me to engage in mentorship programs because I felt it was my responsibility to make this path clearly visible to those who need to see it clearly. I have an innate passion for educating younger minds and conversing with their curious minds to bring their innovative ideas to life." 

"Mentorship helps me serve this purpose effectively. I have been involved with actively mentoring students for the past two years and it has been super-exciting being a part of their growth journey. A lot of my mentees have been able to achieve their dream roles in a quick span which keeps my motivation high. One quote that resonates best with me is - "Hard work + focus is the perfect duo to bring life to your goals."

Anarghya 

📍 An insightful and inventive Software Development professional with over 6 years of experience who’s currently working as a Senior SDET at Visa Inc.

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"A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you." - Bob Proctor

"Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a mentor by their side. But everybody NEEDS a mentor. I want to encourage the young minds of today to find someone who nurtures their talent. A mentor is like a lighthouse that guides the ships away from danger and navigates them in the right and safe direction."

Suhani

📍 A visionary and creative Marketing and Communications professional with over 6 years of experience, currently working as a Manager - Marketing and Communications at actyv.ai®.

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“I believe that effective long-term mentorship requires both a commitment to the mentee's growth and a willingness to adapt to their changing needs. It's important to establish clear goals and expectations from the outset and to check in regularly to ensure progress is being made. Good mentors not only offer guidance, but also provide a safe space for their mentees to share their fears and doubts, and explore new ideas and ways of thinking.”

“As Maya Angelou once said, "In order to be a mentor, and an effective one, one must care. You must care…” This quote reminds me that at the heart of mentorship is a genuine concern for the well-being and development of the person being mentored. When we approach mentorship with this mindset, we can make a real and lasting impact on someone's career and maybe even their life.”

Pragya 

📍 An exceptionally talented Software Development professional with 5+ years of experience, currently working as a Software Engineer at Microsoft.

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“As a mentor, what I like to share with my mentees is information about my career path and the diverse experiences I’ve had till now working with different people and companies. I believe that second-hand experience stories teach a lot."

"I trust in not just providing guidance related to SDE and SDET interview preparation, but also pairing it with a good amount of motivation and emotional support. I motivate my mentees to seek out various career paths, set goals and develop their own professional networks.”

Rutika 

📍 A passionate HR and Public Relations professional with over 5 years of experience who’s currently working as a Public Relations Specialist at engineerHub.

“I began mentoring 5 years ago and up until now, I have mentored 400+ people from various platforms and colleges. My vision has always been to spread the feeling of accomplishment and success to others. I recall 6 years ago when I was unsure about pursuing an engineering career and, as a newcomer, I desperately needed mentorship. Now I think, so what if I didn’t get a mentor? Now I get to be a mentor to hundreds of knowledge-seekers out there who need my guidance.”

Vineeta 

📍 An expert Software Development professional with 4+ years of experience who’s currently working as a Software Engineer at Tekion Corp.

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“For me, a mentorship program is a way of helping my junior fellow SDEs in their career path. Through my mentorship, I make sure that I’m enabling them to see potential mistakes and avoid them. I show them the mistakes I have made in my career which helps them keep away from making the same mistakes."

"Freshers are completely new to the corporate ecosystem. If they get themselves a good mentor right after stepping out of college, it becomes a huge stepping stone which shapes those college graduates into fine corporate leaders.”

Through mentorship, these amazing 15 mentors have helped countless young minds to achieve their goals, develop their skills, and build successful careers in technology, finance, product, marketing and other prominent domains. They have shared their knowledge and expertise, provided guidance and feedback, and offered a listening ear and a supportive voice. 

To all these mentors, I say THANK YOU

You are our role models. You are revolutionising the concept of mentorship, one mentee at a time.

You are a powerful reminder of the strength and resilience of women and their ability to inspire and uplift others.

Please keep highlighting the importance of empowering and supporting others. 

Your achievements represent the strength, courage, and potential of every woman. So celebrate yourselves. 

And here’s a message to all the mentees reading this - Steal this opportunity to bask in the wisdom and knowledge of these remarkable women mentors

And when you’re ready to pass the baton, guide the next generation by becoming the finest mentor they’ve ever met. The world needs more humans like these 15 mentors.