Out in Tech: Creating Opportunities for the LGBTQ Community to Advance their Careers

Having a mentor is one of the most valuable resources when starting a career. There is nothing like having an experienced person who walked the same path offer you help and guidance. That can be especially true in a field as exclusive and competitive as tech and for people that are members of the LGBTQ+ community.

That’s where Out-in-Tech comes in.

What is Out-in-Tech?

Out in Tech is a nonprofit network of over 40,000 members, and its goal is to help LGBTQ+ people advance in their careers and use technology to advocate for social change.

“We started the program to build the confidence and credentials of queer and trans youth. We know they’re ‘technically amazing’ (get the double entendre?), and we think it’s important that they know it too,” says Gary Goldman, senior program director for Out in Tech.

year, 300 students (ages 17 to 24) from around the country participate in the program.

“There is still severe underrepresentation of LGBTQ+ folks in tech leadership roles, especially queer and trans people of color,” Goldman continues.

Visibility and representation are critical in the workplace. The mentorship program enables queer youth to develop technical skills, grow their professional networks, and learn how to navigate sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace from successful LGBTQ+ techies already doing it.

“Mentors serve as a professional and emotional anchor for their mentees, enabling them to refine the directions of their careers,” Goldman says. “For the duration of the eight-week program, mentors meet with their mentees for two hours weekly to develop functional and career-oriented skills for a future in tech. Half of the time is spent developing technical skills and working on a final project. The rest is spent on career development: nailing your job interview, improving your résumé, discussing how to find a queer-friendly employer.”

And when it comes to employment, Goldman affirms that within the technology space, there are various selections to choose from.

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https://designproject.io/blog/out-in-tech