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