Carleton has started a new program this year to help students connect with alumni that are “movers and shakers” who work in their desired field of employment.
The Alumni Mentorship program aims to “enhance the professional development” of students and provide them with practical knowledge and insight into life at work post-graduation, said mentorship co-ordinator Yvonne Langen.
Langen said the university’s goal is to recruit 100 mentors to start, adding they are close to achieving that number.
She said the mentors they want are alumni who are “established professionals . . . people who are on a track toward success, who’ve already achieved success in their fields, are innovators, entrepreneurs, or leaders within their particular industry.”
Langen said they are primarily recruiting people who live in Ottawa in order to facilitate as many face-to-face interactions between mentors and mentees as possible. She added they are also open to having a small group of mentors who live outside Ottawa.
The program is only open to third and fourth-year students with a GPA of at least 7.0, and to graduates who completed their studies at Carleton within the last three years.
Mark Masters, a 2008 graduate from Carleton’s journalism program and reporter at TSN, has joined the program as a mentor.
“One of the reasons I was able to get this job at TSN was that I was mentored by a Carleton alum who I met when I was a Carleton student,” he said.
Once he got his “dream job” at TSN, Masters said he realized how tough establishing a career could be.
“When you’re first starting out, you’re like ‘Am I doing the right things to get this job and be on this path?’ It can be such a tricky thing. So I just remember how helpless you feel,” he said. “So I kind of vowed when I got the job that I would help anybody else who is kind of in my shoes starting out, especially at Carleton.”
Masters said each student in the program will probably get different experiences out of it, but that they shouldn’t hesitate to ask their mentor about anything that comes to their mind.
“I think it’s going to be a lot of Q and A, and letting the person getting mentored to pick your brain, and try and calm them down,” he said. “Don’t over think it, just ask away and get the most out of it and see where it goes.”
Amit Maneyapanda, a Carleton student studying economics and international business law, said he joined the program to connect with someone who would help him learn more about financial consulting.
“I’m an international student, but I’m also on track to apply for public relations, so I want to start my career earlier,” he said. “Having someone established in the field that I’m trying to be in, someone’s who’s able to guide me, give me networking options. That’s exactly what I need.”
Langen said mentees need to show that they are curious, enthusiastic, and conscientious.
“So that means being punctual, respecting their relationship, that they show interest in their future and their job prospects, that they be open to feedback, and that they’re committed to their own growth and development, that they’re curious and that they’re ready to learn,” she said.
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