Contents Page 3 Structured Mentorship Partners About Us 4 What is Mentorship? 5 Testimonials 6 Mentor and Mentee Schedule 7 Skills Sessions for Mentees 8-9 Questions and Answers 10-11 Activities 12 Benefits to Mentees 13-14 Mentee Roles & Responsibilities 15 Benefits to Mentors 16 Mentor Roles & Responsibilities 1
Programme Contacts DCU Alumni Office Celine Nic Oireachtaigh, Alumni Relations Officer Tel: 01 700 8689 Email: celine.nicoireachtaigh@dcu.ie DCU Careers Service Muireann Ni Dhuigneáin, Head of DCU Careers Service Tel : 01 700 5163 Email : muireann.nidhuigneain@dcu.ie careers@dcu.ie 2
About Us DCU Alumni is the Graduate Association that helps our 37,000 Alumni re-connect with DCU and with each other, both socially and professionally. The DCU Alumni Office is committed to giving graduates an opportunity to learn, develop, share and collaborate, as well as providing our Alumni Association with information on learning, job updates, social and networking events and volunteering opportunities. www.dcu.ie/alumni alumni@dcu.ie DCU Careers Service aims to help students make informed career decisions, set realistic goals and develop the necessary skills to accomplish their goals. The Careers Service provides a wide range of services to help meet the career planning and job search needs of DCU Students and new graduates. www.dcu.ie/careers careers@dcu.ie DCUCareerServic @DCU_Careers 3
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
Testimonials Throughout the programme I learnt about the art of networking and got to put this into practice when I attended events in the Helix 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, 2009 2010 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 Kathleen Holland, Mentee 2009-2010 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
Mentor & Mentee Schedule Mentors are asked to attend a minimum of three events in DCU and organise a work-shadowing day Mentees are asked to attend all sessions. Launch of Programme - 25 th October 2011 7pm Inspirational Speaker - 22 nd November 2011 7pm February 2012 - Work Shadowing Days Mentee Presentations - 13 th March 2012 7pm Closing Event - 3 rd April 2012 7pm 6
Additional Skills Sessions for Mentees Only: Developing Good Communication Skills & Rapport Date: Tuesday 18 th October Time: 6.30-7.30pm Location: QG13 Networking & Reflective Practice Date: Tuesday 6 th December Time: 6.30-7.30pm Location: C104 Oral Presentation Skills Date: Time: Location: Tuesday 7 th February 6.30-7.30pm C104 Leadership Date: Time: Location: Tuesday 28 th February 6.30-7.30pm C104 7
Questions and Answers 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 your expense Will transportation to events be provided? All events will take place on DCU Campus. Students and mentors should coordinate transportation for their work shadowing day Will I receive a certificate for the Programme? On completion of the programme, both mentors and mentees will receive a certificate of participation 8
Who should I contact if I cannot attend an event? Alumni should contact Celine Nic Oireachtaigh at DCU Alumni Office. Students should contact Muireann Ni Dhuigneáin 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 also be evaluated on their work shadowing presentations 9
Activities Together, we 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. Both mentors and mentees should plan to attend all of these events to gain full benefit from the programme. Please see the schedule of events for dates and further details. In addition to the campus events, each mentor/mentee pair 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. 10
Activities 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 11
Benefits to Mentees Work with an experienced role model from the business community Gain an insight into the workplace and link your academic 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! 12
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. Meeting your Mentor Initiate regular contact with your mentor Arrive prepared with questions Professional Approach Act professional at all times and return calls and emails 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 13
Mentee Roles and Responsibilities continued Contact Details: Watch your email 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. Muireann Ni Dhuigneain: Ph. 7005163: Email: careers@dcu.ie 14
Benefits to Mentors Participate in a unique programme connected to both DCU and DCU Alumni Association Share your experiences with young people interested in your area of business Establish / re-establish a link with the university and the Alumni Association Network with other mentors and colleagues from your industry sector Keep up to date with academic developments in your area of business 15
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 programme events in DCU to allow your student to get the full benefit of the programme Establish the needs and expectations of your mentee Work with the mentee to help them develop and establish realistic career goals Where appropriate, promote your mentee s accomplishments to others in your department and institution Give constructive criticism as well as praise Teach your mentee how to seek career help Be willing to provide support for people different from yourself. Avoid the temptation to assist only those who are most similar to yourself Encourage your mentee to explore new areas Follow up on commitments made to mentees 16
Student and Mentor Goals Use these pages to map out your personal Mentorship goals and expectations: 17
Student and Mentor Goals 18
Student and Mentor Goals 19
Student and Mentor Goals 20