Skip to main content

Mentors

Being a mentor means being part of a student’s career path.

It’s a win for everyone. Students develop targeted skills under your guidance, and you enhance your own leadership skills and experience.

What is required of a mentor?

  • Mentor time commitment: 1-2 hours/week
  • Student time commitment: 10 hours/week
  • Connect your student with department staff as well as outside departments that would support their professional goals and development
  • Provide professional mentoring in a 1-on-1 setting, helping your student navigate the professional setting and work on a team
  • Provide meaningful project(s) for your student to complete, support and coach them throughout their projects
  • Provide opportunities for your student to learn about and experience the organization’s culture, including attending meetings when appropriate
  • Have conversations about your student’s career goals and connecting them with people and opportunities to help them achieve those goals

What you’ll gain from being a mentor:

  • The opportunity to increase your leadership, management, and mentoring experience
  • A dedicated student who can focus on department needs and unfinished projects
  • A great opportunity to assess future talent for your department or organization
  • A student’s fresh perspective within your department
  • A chance to give and share your expertise

You’ll help students gain:

  • Confidence and clarity on their professional future
  • New skills working on meaningful projects that contribute to the department
  • Real world experience to add to their resume
  • A chance to build their professional network

Project ideas to spark your imagination…

  • Website auditing or design/creating new web content
  • Improve or standardize processes or documents
  • Solve an organizational/department issue through surveys/focus group
  • Develop communication tools or a communication plan
  • Any unfinished or interesting projects you haven’t had time to get to

Projects to Avoid:

  • Making photocopies
  • Filing
  • Writing routine emails
  • Making coffee