C2.2 Finding Your Community and Asking Questions

Image of girls and women using technology.

Level 2 Prompts - Reflect & Write: Reflect on the following prompts and write out your responses. You will use them later on in the lesson.
 
Pursue Tech Careers and Uncover Hidden Possibilities Prompts
Finding Your Community and Asking Questions

1. Networking: Describe any communities you are currently a part of (professional, personal, or online) where people share similar interests. How could you leverage these communities to learn about tech? Enter any ideas for reaching out and asking questions.
2. Connection: If you were to organize a meet-up or join one for people transitioning into tech, what kind of support or resources would you hope to find? Enter the specific areas where you feel you need the most guidance or support.
3. Mentorship: Who would you ideally want as a mentor in the tech industry, and why? Enter the qualities you value in a mentor and the kinds of questions you would ask them to help you grow.
4. Outreach: List a few platforms (X, LinkedIn, Reddit, Discord, etc.) where you could start engaging with tech communities. How could you use these to ask questions and share your learning journey? Enter a plan for your first steps in reaching out.

​Non-Tech Related Prompts
Finding Your Community and Asking Questions

1. Support Network: Think about a time when you leaned on friends, family, or a non-professional community for support. How did they help you grow or feel less alone? Enter details about how you could apply the same approach to building tech-related connections.
2. Community Engagement: Outside of tech, are there clubs, organizations, or volunteer groups you enjoy being a part of? Enter how the experiences and relationships in these communities have shaped your ability to work with and learn from others.
3. Non-Tech Role Models: Who is someone you admire in a non-tech field? What qualities do they have that inspire you, and how could you emulate those qualities when seeking out or building a tech community? Enter your reflections.
4. Comfort Zone: Write about a time you stepped out of your comfort zone to connect with new people. How did that experience help you grow personally, and how might it inspire you to engage more with tech communities? Enter what you learned from that experience.

Lesson 2: Finding Your Community and Asking Questions
Objective: Help individuals realize the importance of community and find ways to engage with tech professionals for support and guidance.
Instructions:

1. Step 1: Reflect and Respond
   Using the prompts under Finding Your Community and Asking Questions:
   • Think about any non-tech communities you are part of and how they provide support.
   • Describe the qualities you admire in a mentor, and consider how a supportive community could help you in tech.
   • Write about a time you stepped out of your comfort zone to meet new people and what you learned from that experience.
2. Step 2: Generate ChatGPT Prompts
   Use your reflections to create prompts for ChatGPT, such as:
   • “What online communities should I join to learn about software engineering?”
   • “How can I find a mentor who understands my transition from marketing to tech?”
3. Step 3: Find and Engage with Tech Communities
   • Use platforms like LinkedIn, X, or Meetup to find tech communities. Search for groups like “Women in Tech” or “Latinas in Tech.”
   • Write down three tech communities or organizations and any upcoming events you could attend (virtually or in-person).
   • Connect with women in these communities and ask questions about their experiences transitioning to tech or growing within their fields.