MBA Mentorship Program Student Guidelines 2016

Objectives 1.Give you an opportunity to meet someone who’s “been there” and can relate to your life journey. 2.Allow you the opportunity to ask questions about your mentor’s career path, how they got there, and advice on directing your career path, WITHOUT ASKING FOR A JOB! 3.Give you a chance to hone your networking skills, i.e. making a strong impression with Mentors without blatant job search questions. 4.Give you a chance to use the Mentor as a sounding board for assignments / projects being worked on in class or for the Career Management Centre 5.Give you a chance to grow your network through introductions by Mentors 3

Timing ActivityTiming Students will be provided a brief profile of all mentors including: Name, degree and year, company, industry, key experiences and skills, areas of interest and anything else that would be of interest. This is your chance to “shortlist” who might be a good fit for you. January 8 th, 2016 At the kick-off event, mentors and students will have an opportunity to meet. The intent is to give you an opportunity to meet face-to-face opportunity with a potential mentor. January 14, 2016 Students will submit Application Form. Matching of mentors and students is completed by MBA Alumni and Corporate Relations office and MBA Career Management Centre, based on student’s requests. By January 29, 2016 Initiate contact and meet with Mentor within 3 weeks of match. Up to the students to initiate and book meetings February December 2016, and beyond… 4

Commitment 1 year commitment from January to December 2016 Recommended minimum activity: – Attend Mentorship program kick-off event – Organize 3 mentor-student meetings per quarter – Attend Mentorship program Fall Reconnect Mixer (~September) Maximum commitment is unlimited, some mentorship relationships last for years! 5

Responsibilities Mentors are volunteers and students need to be respectful of mentors schedule. Student’s are responsible to initiate contact with mentor and book meetings Student’s are responsible to initiate contact with mentor and book meetings Students are informed that this is not a job placement program and are precluded from directly asking for a job from their mentor. The Mentors will be sent tips and questions on a monthly basis on activities they can use with their mentee If there are difficulties that arise, student and mentor must first discuss what the challenges are and attempt to resolve them. If unsuccessful both parties should contact the Alumni & Corporate Relations Director for further resolution at his discretion. 6

Actions for Success Meet on a regular basis, set regular schedule for meetings Attend events together – Eric Geddes, CBLA, etc. Meet with other mentor-student pairs to share experiences Actively get feedback on the relationship 7

Preparing for Role as Mentee Plan to share with your Mentor your: – Past work experiences – Why you took the MBA program – Three – five specific goals while in the MBA program – Goals post-MBA Consider asking your Mentor: – Their strategies in re-entering the workplace – Important career decisions they made and why – Asking what skills and qualifications they think you will need to be successful 8

Mentor Mixer What to expect You will be meeting approximately MBA alumni who have consented to act as mentors. This is your opportunity to – Engage those alumni about their career backgrounds and what they like about being a mentor – Take initiative in introducing yourself to them, rather than waiting for them to initiate conversation – Dress for success and make a positive first impression From this meeting you will have an opportunity to request 3 potential matches for your Mentor 9

Checklist for First Meeting In preparation for your first meeting, it may help to review some information about each other: – You initiate the meeting – Plan for 30 – 45 minutes for the first meeting. – Use this time to get to know each other. Share information about your hobbies, interests, family background, cultural background, etc. – We suggest this first meeting be away from the Mentor’s office. You, as mentee, own this responsibility. – Set up a regular time to meet or set the next meeting at the conclusion of this meeting. You, as mentee, own this responsibility. 10

Possible Questions you may be asked 1.You recently did a mock interview as part of your Orientation. What did you take away from that experience and what will you do differently next time? 2.How would you describe your personal brand? 3.You have been working in Career Teams. What have you learned about working in teams? How has that prepared you for working in the “real” world? 4.One of your sessions was on business etiquette. Tell me what you learned from that. What mistakes did you make in the past that you’ve now corrected? 5.Diversity and inclusion are common in today’s workforce. From addressing this issue in your Orientation, how are you going to manifest diversity and inclusion in your next career?

Other “asks” and tips 1.We have asked Mentors NOT to review your cover letters and resumes. We have asked them to direct you back to the MBA Career Management Centre to avoid conflicting information or confusion on best practices. 2.We have asked Mentors to offer critical feedback on grammar and spelling in your correspondence. 3.We have asked Mentors to encourage you to meet with the MBA Career Management Centre a minimum of monthly throughout the duration of your degree. We have also asked them if there is a reluctance to do so to find out why and provide feedback back to us. 4.We have asked Mentors to consider taking you to a networking event they would be attending. 5.We have asked Mentors to consider taking you for a ½ day job shadow at their office so you can learn more about their industry and role. 6.We have asked Mentors to call me if they are having difficulty with the relationship – communication, job expectation, inappropriate behaviour, etc.

QUESTIONS? 13