Executive Mentorship Program - College of Business

Additional Information for Students

A professional business mentor provides students with insight about building a career in their area of interest.  Mentors can help you keep up to date about changes and advances in their field, show you how the curriculum can benefit your future career, recommend elective courses to take, publications to read, blogs to follow, and select extracurricular activities that will help develop your resume.  You should go in knowing that the mentor/mentee relationship is one of give and take.  The benefit that you gain from your mentor's knowledge and experience depends on the amount of energy and enthusiasm that YOU bring to the relationship.   

Students participating in the NMU College of Business Mentorship Program (mentees) will be expected to follow some simple guidelines to help promote a mutually rewarding experience.

1. Make contact with your new mentor within 1 week of being notified of the pairing.  You should take responsibility for maintaining the relationship by making regular contact with your mentor.  Keep your mentor up to date on your academic progress, employment availability and any shifts in academic or career priorities.
    
2. Be flexible.  Some mentors and mentees will meet regularly, others, more sporadically.  Be up front about your scheduling restrictions and do your best to be accommodating to your mentor.
    
3. Be proactive and honest.  Let your mentor know what you hope to gain from the experience as well as your goals, both personally and professionally.  Come into the process with ideas that can help your mentor give the best advice possible and questions that can help guide conversations.
    
4. Be open to new ideas.  A mentor is a guide, a listener, a coach, and a friend.  They will give you feedback that helps to identify strengths and weaknesses while assisting in the creation of action plans that address areas in need of improvement.
      
5. Be professional and respectful.  Mentors have made a commitment of time, wisdom and expertise.  They are willing to share their hard earned experiences for your benefit.  Although they are professionals who can help you to network, it is not the responsibility of your mentor to take a direct role in job placement.  Do not come into the relationship expecting to find a job at your mentor's firm.

Additional Information for Mentors

Thank you for your interest in the NMU College of Business Mentorship program.  Your willingness to share your time and expertise is a valuable service to NMU, the community, and the mentees that you will work with.

As a mentor, you will choose how you share your experiences and insights with your mentee.  Here are some guidelines that you may wish to follow to ensure that your mentorship experience is mutually rewarding.

1. Set goals and expectations early.  The only guideline that all mentors are expected to follow is that the mentor/mentee relationship stay career and academically focused. In conjunction with the student, decide if you want to have regular meetings or communicate with each other as needed. We highly recommend working with the student to develop goals for the experience. Below are goals commonly held by mentors.

   Increase exposure to your career field and industry.  (What professional associations would you recommend?  Are there conferences that they should attend?)

   Experience successfully with professionals in their industry or area of interest. (What blogs and publications should they be reading?  Are there terms or acronyms that they should know?)

   Develop networking skills to establish professional contacts.

   Improve professional communication skills.

   Resume development. (What elective courses should they take?  What extracurricular activities should they be taking part in?)

2. Build rapport. Active listening, being responsive to contact attempts, and providing a safe, supportive environment where the mentee feels comfortable asking questions. Be honest, but respectful. Highlight your positive academic and career experiences while making them aware of the struggles.


3. Actively engage and recognize mentoring opportunities. Participate in campus-sponsored events with your mentee. If appropriate, invite them to shadow you at work. Help them prepare for upcoming interviews and job fairs. Take note of their communication skills and etiquette and be prepared to work with them on it. A positive mentoring relationship is more about the accumulation of many small pieces of useful advice and support than it is about a single, life-changing experience.