Help disadvantaged students find a job to change their lives
Donation protected
Hi there! My name is Marfa, and I'm a data analyst at Lumen Research and a proud member of the British Computer Society, The Chartered Institute for IT (BCS).
The reason I can call myself a data professional now — which has been my dream for the past 4 years — is largely due to my mentor's tremendous support provided free of charge. Now that I have achieved my first step of getting the job I so longed for, I aim to give back to BCS and help another young person to get their dream job, regardless of their background.
Despite having the luxury of higher education relevant to my desired career path (MSc in Business Analytics), I struggled to get a stable job for 2 years after graduation. I turned a blind eye to things that gave me a competitive disadvantage against other candidates, like immigration status, gender, accent and political tensions it caused in interviews. I naively thought it was programming skills I lacked to get my first step through the door - before I met my career mentor through BCS.
Obviously, a lack of confidence and sketchy contracts exploiting the vulnerable position of my visa status were only the tip of the iceberg. I had to think of money, on top of the general safety of my family split between Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
All that to say: getting a job in general was life-changing enough. But getting a job I LOVE is life-changing for people around me too. Now that I have enough to live on myself, I regularly donate to UK Outreach, Camden Foodbank, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and the homeless when they need a tenner to get to the nearest shelter to sleep in. The multiplier effect wouldn't be possible without BCS's guidance, industry connections, and timely nudges to do what I can through the weeds of declining mental health.
That is why this year, instead of gifts for my 25th birthday, I would love you to gift me an opportunity to change someone's life through education and mentoring, much like BCS changed mine. I already volunteer my time to a few mentees regarding their CVs, interview prep, summer internships and portfolios, but it is not enough. With your help, "My Digital Future" would be able to provide even broader spectrum of opportunities to disadvantaged young people. You can donate here and change other people's lives, or to help them get their dream jobs and fulfil their potential.
The funds will be used for:
- Getting tech kits for Sixth Formers who wish to take Computer Science A-Levels or equivalent, and do not have Internet access through school or library – tech poverty is a thing!
- Sponsoring certified coding programmes for young people with no technical degree;
- Providing support for university students with their assignments;
- Paying for students' seats at tech networking events;
- Covering transport and setting up costs for students' meetings with their career mentors.
- To learn more about the charity, see My Digital Future website.
My friend and I have benefitted from all of the above firsthand (hi Sumi if you are reading this)! To prove the transfer into BCS's account, I will post the receipt on my LinkedIn shortly after the having my birthday cake on November 28th - so make sure to donate till the end of the month!
Thank you so much if you read all this. I've never done anything like this before, so it means a lot to me! The power to change people's lives is in your hands and wallets. Even if your donation equals the price of coffee, the aftertaste of knowing you've made the world a little bit better and changed someone's life is as good ☕️
Organizer
Marfa Popova
Organizer
England