Culture

CareerVillage: Mentoring students virtually

By
Elastic Cares

With schools closed and plans disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, many children and parents are unsure what graduation will bring (if it happens), and what the educational workforce will look like in the coming months, and into the future.

With summer internships and other work opportunities in limbo, now, more than ever, we need to provide our youth the guidance they need to excel in the careers they want to pursue after the world returns to normalcy.

To do our part, Elastic Cares has set up a volunteering opportunity with CareerVillage on April 1, 2020, to encourage Elasticians to share their knowledge of the tech industry and help train the next generation in the workplace.

CareerVillage’s mission is to democratize access to career information and to provide advice for underrepresented youth. CareerVillage does this through an online forum where students can ask questions about the careers they want to pursue and receive free, personalized advice from working professionals in a variety of careers. Students range from middle school to high school age, so volunteers have an opportunity to provide guidance to kids just starting to understand their career path to those ready to pursue studies at university, or jump right into the workforce. In just a few years all young people in America will be able to go to CareerVillage.org to get reliable, high-quality advice about how to become successful in their desired profession.

Elastic Cares has set up a one-hour, live Q&A session on April 1 that’s free for students to access. Actually, it’s more than one session — advice will be given in several time zones including North and South America, the EU, and the Asia Pacific regions. CareerVillage will give our Elasticians the opportunity to connect with students and give them a sense of stability and reassurance in these volatile times.

But more help is needed! Your contributions are also welcome, and it’s easy to set up a profile with CareerVillage. Simply go to the CareerVillage website, click sign up, and select five career-related topics to set up your profile. When a student asks a question within your interests, you’ll receive a message and the chance to answer.

Together, we can contribute to a massive, open-access reference that every online learner can access anytime, anywhere.

CareerVillage is just one organization where you can do your part. This blog from Ashley Savageau outlines some great online volunteering initiatives you can be a part of. At Elastic, we are keeping a running list of virtual volunteering opportunities as well as organizations close by Elasticians where they can do their part both through donations and in-person volunteering. We've also set up a series of fundraising opportunities that you can contribute to, both globally and regionally. Here's the list:

Your donations are greatly appreciated.

Interested in joining a company with a Source Code to live by? We’re hiring. Check out our teams and find your fit! Want to read more about life at Elastic? Read more on our blog!