Mentoring a student who is seeking an internship and/or nearing graduation is a great way to be able to engage with the individual to see if they fit with your organization. Mentoring a student from your alma mater already gives the two of you some common ground to get the relationship started.
Of the many benefits to the mentor and the mentor’s organization: by establishing a mentoring relationship with the student, you offer the student a perspective of your organization that may equate to a certain amount of loyalty that you may not find with other new employees. You also have a chance to “try out” a potential new employee before hiring him/her and get a good feel for their work ethic, goals, and personality.
From the mentoree’s prospective, having an alumni mentor allows you to tap into the mentor’s network for potential job openings or recommendations, whether within the mentor’s organization or within their network. It also gives you a chance to learn the organization and find someone who you may be able to establish a long-lasting relationship with. Having a mentor while starting your career can be an invaluable resource in many ways.
It’s a win-win for both individuals and it doesn’t take a lot of time.
If you are a student or graduate looking for a mentoring program, talk with your university’s Alumni Relations Department about organizations with Alumni Mentoring Programs. If your University doesn’t offer an Alumni Mentoring Program, dig deeper. Use the alumni directly and try to make contact to find yourself a mentor.
If you feel you may be interested in becoming a mentor, give your alma mater’s Alumni Relations office a call. Volunteer through their mentoring program or a job placement program. Recruiting talent may never have been so easy!
We offer many resources for mentors and mentorees including this FREE resource, Creating A Successful Mentoring Relationship. Here we offer guidelines which are appropriate for a mentoring relationship to thrive and will help you make the most of your experience.
If your organization or your university is serious about creating an alumni mentoring program, you may also be interested in learning more about our e-mentoring software, Mentoring Complete. The skills of a companyís executives and employees are among the most valuable assets of any organization. Corporate and executive mentoring programs provide a means of cultivating those skills throughout the organization. This translates into talent retention instead of turnover, happier employees, more productive management, and a healthier bottom line.