Mentor at Eskwelabs

What is this role?

A mentor is an assistant to the instructor with existing knowledge of data tools and techniques, who is assigned to work with a specific group of learners to help them carry out their classroom activities. Mentors do not need to teach or prepare lessons, but they should be ready to help coach 4-6 students through the activities prepared by the instructor.

Why is this role important at Eskwelabs?

You may be familiar with education and training experiences where the primary form of learning is through the interaction between the instructor and the student. That’s not how it works at Eskwelabs.

In Eskwelabs, we believe in learning data primarily through hands-on project work with coaching, which is where you can make a difference as a mentor. Our learners are organized in groups of 4-6 learners, introduced to concepts and tools in a Zoom classroom lecture by an instructor, and then released to breakout rooms to work on assigned activities that build towards a final project. Inside the breakout rooms, each group of learners works with their own mentor to carry out the assignment and clarify topics from the lecture. In this format, the mentor plays a crucial role as a coach and guide during the breakout room activities - many Eskwelabs learners have very fond memories of their mentor. 

Mentors have repeatedly been described as one of the best aspects of learning with Eskwelabs :)

Why join the Mentor Pool?

We are building a community of talented mentors in the field of business analytics to support, coach, and help our students to prepare them for the future of work. As we envision ourselves to equip our learners in data skills, Eskwelabs Mentors play a vital role in the learning journey of our students as they acquire new skills that they may use in the future of work.

Being part of the mentor pool provides you with access to the monthly updates on mentorship opportunities in Eskwelabs’ recurring and upcoming projects. Shortlisted candidates will be informed about upcoming projects depending on their skills and availability.

What will you do?

• Coach one group of 4-6 learners through an entire data project, based on the activities assigned by the instructor. 
• Support your learners to build the best data project they can.
• Build a supportive and empathetic learning environment for your group, where everyone feels comfortable working together, tackling challenges, and making mistakes in a non-judgmental setting.
• Address student questions or share them to the instructor for class review.
• Provide feedback to program managers and instructors about your group’s learning progress.

Mentors work with the same group of students over the course of each learning project, allowing you to get familiar with your learners.

What will you learn?

We don’t expect only the learners to grow as professionals! We hope mentorship will also be an exciting experience for you to develop your own leadership skills. In particular:

• Inspiring & Leading Others: Grow your leadership skills in your role as a guide and inspirational figure for the learners. Draw on your own experience with data to prepare learners for the real world, excite them to keep learning, and encourage them to participate in the sprint.
• Project Management: Build project management skills as you help learners to scope their learning projects, identify and mitigate project risks, and support your team to 
• Coaching & Mentoring: Act as the senior analyst and help coach your juniors in the tools and techniques that the instructors introduced to the class.
• Stakeholder Management: Liaise between Eskwelabs and learners to surface concerns, flag project or learning risks, and provide feedback to all involved. Manage your team to ensure that all team members are able to participate and noone is left out.
• Data Storytelling: Coach your team to finish their project with a fantastic presentation that adds narrative and storytelling to their analytical work.
• Data Skills: Hone your own data fundamentals as you sit in with students on the class and enhance the instructor’s lessons with your own student coaching.

Who is the ideal candidate?

You are a current professional in a role that uses data (e.g. BI Analyst, Data Analyst, Data Scientist, Data Visualization Analyst, Data Engine) and who is passionate about helping others to learn. You have spent at least six months in a role that utilizes data skills and data tools (e.g. Excel, SQL, PowerBI, Tableau, Python, R).

You are open-minded, patient, approachable, and are a great communicator. You find data itself to be an interesting domain, and are looking forward to sharing your passion for data to others.

Do I need previous mentorship experience?

You do not need previous mentorship experience, although that will help. Preference is given to those with prior Eskwelabs experience.

Can I do this while working a full-time job?

Yes, the mentor position at Eskwelabs is designed for working professionals, and the commitment in terms of hours is limited (6-15 hours per week) and time-bound (usually 2 weeks long).

Compensation, perks, and hours:

This is a part-time position, that is usually 6-15 hours per week for 2 weeks. Durations may vary based on program. Individual sessions are usually 3 hours long. The schedule of mentor hours depends on the program. Some examples are provided here:

This is a remote position that requires reliable Internet access. There is no expectation of in-person attendance.

Eskwelabs pays a market-competitive hourly rate for mentors, including class-time and pre-class preparation. Rates may differ based on program and skills being taught. Returning mentors may have higher rates.

Mentor compensation typically includes a bonus based on student satisfaction with their mentor.

Mentors with a strong mastery of the content and good facilitation skills may also move into instructor roles.