Celebrate Career Month by Connecting with a Mentor
November is national Career Month and now is a great time to consider mentorship.
November is national Career Month and now is a great time to consider mentorship. There are many great mentorship programs on campus and also in the community, often hosted by professional and industry associations. Your UM Career Services office offers the following informational interviewing programs to connect you with a mentor: Career Mentor Program, a new Indigenous Career Mentor Program and UM Café: Ten Thousand Coffees. By meeting with a someone in an occupation or industry of interest for just one hour you can begin to:
- Make informed career decisions – Learning more about an occupation or field of interest can support your long-term and short-term career goals. Gathering accurate information and greater insight can help you to learn if a certain career pathway is right for you. Mentors can also help you build a plan for success and provide advice on work, volunteer, courses, and other opportunities to build competencies and exposure to a field.
- Build confidence – Meeting someone in your field of interest can help that career option to feel more real and feasible. Mentors can provide reassurance and guidance to help you determine if you’re on the right path. They can also highlight additional opportunities for engagement, to help you further your confidence and increase motivation.
- Build your network – It can be daunting to connect with busy working professionals. Mentoring programs connect you with those individuals who are volunteering their time and keen to provide guidance and support. Mentors become part of your professional network and help you to learn about industry resources and opportunities.
Students who wish to learn more about UM and off-campus mentorship opportunities can attend a Discover Mentoring workshop on Nov 16, 9 to 10:30am (Distance Delivery) or Nov 29, 1 to 2:30pm (474 University Centre). Students can also register online for the CMP or ICMP or contact Career Services throughout the year for mentoring, career planning or networking support.
To learn more about the new Indigenous Career Mentor Program, you may wish to review this feature article.
If you are a working professional or UM alumnus who’d like to volunteer as a mentor with the Career Mentor Program or Indigenous Career Mentor Program, please connect with program staff or complete the mentor registration form. To sign-up or learn more about UM Café: Ten Thousand Coffees visit the program website.