Contents. Page: 3 Structured Mentorship Partners About Us. 4 What is Mentorship? 5 Testimonials. 6 Mentor and Mentee Schedule

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2 Contents Page: 3 Structured Mentorship Partners About Us 4 What is Mentorship? 5 Testimonials 6 Mentor and Mentee Schedule 7-8 Frequently Asked Questions 9-10 Activities 11 Benefits to Mentees Mentee Roles & Responsibilities 14 Benefits to Mentors 15 Mentor Roles & Responsibilities 16 Student and Mentor Goals 1

3 Programme Contacts DCU Alumni Office Celine Nic Oireachtaigh, Alumni Relations Officer Tel: DCU Careers Service Yvonne McLoughlin, DCU Careers Service Tel : careers@dcu.ie 2

4 About Us There are over 44,000 DCU alumni worldwide, located in all corners of the globe. What unites all DCU alumni besides a degree from DCU is our shared and abiding memories of this place we call our alma mater. All DCU graduates automatically become a member of the DCU Alumni community upon graduation and are called on to support our efforts to establish, engage and sustain all alumni activities and create a stronger alumni and university community. DCU Alumni holds a wide range of activities and events for graduates each year, including social, professional, sports and chapter events. Learn more by visiting our website, or find us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn! alumni@dcu.ie DCU Careers Service enables students to take control of their careers as job seekers, job creators or both. Careers Service aims to support students make informed career decisions, try to set realistic goals, to coach and encourage the student to accomplish their goals. careers@dcu.ie Facebook - DCUCareerService Twitter 3

5 What is Mentorship? Mentoring is an interactive learning and educational experience, provided to students to assist them in their personal and career development. The Mentoring Partnership Each mentoring relationship involves two people to facilitate an exchange of business experience, knowledge, expertise and career advice. A mentorship pair consists of a mentor (graduate) and mentee (student). Your Mentor The mentor acts as a role model for the student and shares his/her personal and business experience and guidance. Benefits Mentorship is designed to help you make contacts in the business community and to provide you with an opportunity to enhance your professional skills outside of the lecture hall. 4

6 Testimonials Throughout the programme I learnt about the art of networking and got to put this into practice when I attended events with my mentor. I thought that the presentation skills seminar was very helpful and we learned how to produce and give a presentation in front of a panel of judges. The feedback session relating to this was very helpful. Mary Healy, Mentee As a DCU Alumnus, it was a great opportunity to reconnect with DCU and meet current students from the course I completed. The mentorship program is a fantastic initiative to have been undertaken by the DCU Careers and Alumni office. It was a rewarding experience to be a mentor. Peter McGeoghegan, Mentor "Taking part in the mentorship programme in 2nd year gave me so much confidence. It improved my presentation and communication skills and it gave students an introduction to working life. Alison Holland, Mentee As a Business Studies graduate I was delighted to be given a second year BBS undergraduate to mentor. It enabled me to give something back to DCU and I am delighted to have re-established a link with the university. James Corcoran, Mentor 5

7 Mentor & Mentee Schedule Mentors are asked to attend a minimum of three events in DCU and organise a work-shadowing day if possible. Mentees are asked to attend all of the following CORE sessions. CORE Launch of Programme - 22nd October pm Inspirational Speaker - 19th November pm February Work Shadowing Days CORE Mentee Presentations - 11th March pm CORE Closing Event - 8 th April pm 6

8 Frequently Asked Questions What is the Structured Mentorship Programme? The programme provides students and mentors with an opportunity to meet, discuss career goals, network and to have fun while assisting students to enhance their professional skills. What is the cost of participation? The cost of all programme events will be covered by DCU Alumni and DCU Careers Service. Additional costs incurred outside the organised events on campus are at the individual s expense. Is transportation to events provided? All program published events will take place on DCU Campus. For their work shadowing day, students and mentors should coordinate transportation. Will I receive a certificate for the Programme? On completion of the programme, mentors will receive a certificate of participation. Mentees need to meet the program requirements of core events plus two elective skill sessions where attendance is recorded. 7

9 Who should I contact if I cannot attend an event? Alumni should contact Celine Nic Oireachtaigh at DCU Alumni Office. Students should contact Yvonne McLoughlin at DCU Careers Service. Who are the Structured Mentorship Partners? DCU Alumni and DCU Careers Service have collaborated to coordinate the Structured Mentorship Programme. Will there be an evaluation of the Programme? There will be an official evaluation on completion of the programme. Students will be evaluated on their work shadowing presentation. DCU Alumni and DCU Careers strive to continually review and improve the format of the Structured programme. Mentors will be asked to complete a feedback survey at the close of the programme. 8

10 Activities Together, DCU Alumni and Careers will provide a diverse programme of campus events to support the mentoring relationship. The events have been selected to provide students with a variety of business experiences outside the classroom, including networking, work shadow day and an inspirational speaker event, to name but a few. In addition to the campus events, each mentor/mentee should work together to set goals for additional contact during the programme. Mentors should let their mentee know where they were willing to help and what kind of information or support they can give, which they feel will be of benefit to their mentee. 9

11 The following is a short list to start you thinking about what your goals and activities might be during the programme: One-to-One Activities Review CV and letters of application Practice interview techniques Conduct interview role-plays Share business experiences and insights Act as a sounding board by providing constructive criticism and honest advice Act as a reference for your mentee Introduce students to other professional colleagues Company Activities Attend professional company events Attend community involvement events or in a volunteer activity or organisation Attend company social events as appropriate Take a tour of the company or customer facilities Shadow your mentor for a day Organise student interviews within the mentor s company for students to interview various colleagues Work on a project at the mentor s company for experience no payment should be sought 10

12 Benefits to Mentees Work with an experienced role model from the business community Gain an insight into the workplace and link your academic skills development programme to the world of work Increase your understanding of the entrepreneurial spirit and the range of business opportunities available Strengthen your confidence and self-awareness and improve your interpersonal and presentation skills Add the programme to your CV and stand out from the crowd! DCU s initiative of Generation 21 is shaping graduates for life and work: Creating and Enterprising Solution-Orientated Effective Communicators Globally Engaged Active Leaders Committed to Continuous Learning 11

13 Mentee Roles and Responsibilities DCU Careers Service and DCU Alumni have collaborated to provide you with an excellent programme of events to support the mentoring relationship. However, the only person who can ensure personal reward from the programme is you. We encourage you to use the guidelines below to make your experience a success. General Commit to attending all programme events Be proactive and willing to meet your mentor Discuss your goals and expectations Contact your mentor. This may require persistence on your part. Leave messages that inform him/her when and how to reach you. Professional Approach - Meeting your Mentor Initiate regular contact with your mentor Arrive prepared with questions Act professional at all times and return calls and s in a timely fashion Ensure you are on-time for all meetings Mentors should not be solicited for job leads Keep a reflective journal of your experiences 12

14 Mentee Roles and Responsibilities Contact Details: Watch your throughout the programme for important Mentorship Programme instructions and updates. If your contact information changes during the programme, please contact DCU Careers Service to update your information so you will receive all the necessary programme information and so we have a way of connecting with you. Contact DCU Careers Service if you have any concerns about the mentor relationship. Yvonne McLoughlin: Ph: : careers@dcu.ie 13

15 Benefits to Mentors Participate in a unique and rewarding programme open only to members of the DCU alumni community Share your experiences with students interested in your area of business Establish / re-establish a link with DCU and the alumni community and give back to your university Connect and network with other DCU graduate mentors from other industry sectors Keep up to date with academic developments in your area of business Use the experience of mentoring a student to develop your own skills Add the DCU Structured Mentorship Programme to your CV The DCU Alumni Office and DCU Careers also co-ordinate the Backpack to Briefcase E-Mentoring Programme for final-year students. If you would like to learn more about this programme, please visit dcu.ie/alumni or contact Emma Flynn, DCU Alumni (emma.flynn@dcu.ie) for more information on how to get involved. 14

16 Mentor Roles and Responsibilities To successfully achieve the goals of the programme, all participants must work together. Thank you for volunteering your time. Without the dedication of mentors, we could not provide this programme. DCU Careers Service and DCU Alumni are committed to providing an excellent programme to events to support the mentoring relationship. Commit to attending three of the following programme events in DCU: Opening Ceremony Inspirational Speaker Mentee Presentation Closing Ceremony Establish the needs and expectations of your mentee Together work with the mentee to help them develop and establish realistic career goals Give constructive criticism as well as praise Teach your mentee how to seek career help Encourage your mentee to explore new areas Follow up on commitments made to mentees If at any point during the course of the programme, you have concerns or queries about being a mentor, please contact Celine Nic Oireachtaigh, DCU Alumni. 15

17 Student and Mentor Goals Refer to DCU s Moodle course: 2013_JMP Use this page to map out your personal Mentorship goals and expectations: 16