Code for America’s Jennifer Pahlka is giving the closing keynote at SXSW Interactive 2012. Here, she shares with the TXSW blog the role mentorship has played in her life – encouraging us all to seek mentors who share our values.
Jennifer Pahlka on how to find a Mentor
Don’t miss what will surely be an inspiring keynote from Jennifer – 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 13.
I’ve been lucky to have amazing mentors, both male and female, throughout my career. If there’s a pattern to those relationships it’s that we’ve connected first over ideas — their ideas that resonated with me in some way and that I could reflect back, add to, amplify, or show in some new light, or my ideas that did the same for them.
The mentorship and interest in personal and professional development arose from a shared value in certain ideas that were important to both of us, and I believe these relationships are stronger having grown from that basis.
I would encourage all women (and men) seeking mentors to start by really knowing what you care about — what’s important to you and what is the change you’re trying to create in the world — and vocalize those ideas whenever you have the chance.
Not everyone will care about your vision enough to help you, and that’s fine. Eventually, you will find the couple of people for whom your story really resonates, and you’ll have great people in your corner.
Don’t miss what will surely be an inspiring keynote from Jennifer – 2p.m., Tuesday, March 13. If you are in Austin for SXSW Interactive, we’d love to have you at the Tech Superwomen panel on March 10!