Qiskit Advocate Mentorship Program

Purpose

As the quantum industry rapidly grows, nurturing enthusiastic talents from diverse backgrounds is central to Qiskit’s success. As a Qiskit advocate, you have taken the first steps in your quantum journey. Now, through our new mentorship program, you will be able to boost your progress with opportunities to develop your skills in areas ranging from programming, quantum information science, and technical writing. You will also gain first-hand experience through projects completed with the guidance of IBM Quantum and Qiskit experts.

Timeline

Note: dates may be subject to change

1. Application open (Aug 19 - 30, 2021) Applicants submit application form. Tell us why you want to join the mentorship program and show us your level of expertise in quantum computing and Qiskit by providing evidence (for example, pull requests to Qiskit GitHub).
2. Selecting mentees (Aug 31 - Sep 9, 2021) Mentors have the freedom to decide how many mentees and how many projects to take and assign an individual or a group on a project.
3. Defining projects deliverables (Sep 9 - 23, 2021) Mentors and mentees work together to refine the project ideas and define the deliverables based on mentees' commitment and skills level.
4. Mentoring period (Sep 9 - Dec 9, 2021) Mentees work on the project with guidance from mentors. Mentors should meet with mentees regularly (1 hour call every week) to check the progress and provide feedback.
5. Mid-term review (Oct 7, 2021) Mentees will share project ideas and current progress to other mentees in a group call to get feedback.
6. Final showcase (Dec 9, 2021) Mentess will present the final outcome of projects. Projects will be evaluated and highlighted in a series of Qiskit Medium blog post.

Commitment from mentees

During application period (a few hours)

• Read and understand the mentorship program.
• Select preferred projects / mentors.
• Demonstrate level of expertise in quantum computing and coding skills.
  • Examples: pull requests to Qiskit GitHub repos, blogpost style Qiskit tutorials, research papers.
  • If you want to increase your chance of being selected, you can fix an issue on Qiskit GitHub repos during the application period. A good place to start are issues with tag "good first issues".
• Submit the [application form]().

During mentoring period (> 5 hours per week)

• Discuss with your mentor to refine project details and define deliverables. (during the first 2 weeks)
• Work on a project with guidance from your mentor. You should dedicate at least 5 hours per week for a meaningful mentorship experience.
• Meet with your mentor regularly to report progress and get feedbacks. (1 hour call every week).
• Present project ideas and progress in mid-term review (Oct 7, 2021)
• Present final outcome in the final showcase (Dec 9, 2021)

Mentorship projects

Coming soon

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is eligible to apply?

A: The mentorship program is open to all Qiskit advocates around the world, including IBMers and non-IBMers.

Q: Can mentees propose projects?

A: Yes! Mentees can propose project ideas by submitting them as a github issue here during the application period (Aug 19 - 30). If a mentor is interested in your project, you will be matched to work on the project.

Q: I don't have much programming experience, can I still apply?

A: Yes! The mentorship program is meant for developing your skills. Some projects require only minimal programming experience. You will be able to learn and improve your programming skills with guidance of your mentor.

Q: How long is the mentorship program?

A: The official mentoring period is 3 months, from Sep 9th to Dec 9th. The final showcase will take place on Dec 9th.

Q: How does a mentor and a mentee gets matched?

A: You will be matched based on the project preference and interest areas indicated in your application form as well as the evidence you have provided to demonstrate your experience and commitment.

Acknowledgement

Special thanks to Amira Abbas, Diego Emilio Serrano, Julien Gacon and Michał Stęchły for sharing their experiences and insights from qosf mentorship program which were crucial in shaping this mentorship program for Qiskit advocates.