Alumni Mentor Program

Welcome! We are excited this Online Alumni Mentor Program is an available resource for all students! Over 100 Alumni signed up to participate It is accessible through Symplicity You will have access to alumni from many different areas of practice and regions- all willing to help in your job search and career planning!

How the program works Use the search tools available to find alumni that can best benefit you. – You can search by practice area, geographical area, familiar names, etc.

How the program works Once you’ve discovered a mentor that you would like to start with, you can contact them directly through the Symplicity- Alumni Community system

Note! We recommend you contact a maximum of 10 mentor per month. Alumni volunteers had the opportunity to limit how many contacts they will accept per month. Check back periodically for new mentor names that may have fallen off of the list due to reaching their limit in a given month. It’s important to stay active, you never know what you can miss!

Do’s & Don’ts Do: Be proactive! – Don’t: Bombard or be overly aggressive Do: Be mindful of your time and the alumni’s time and generosity – Don’t: Approach alumni with a sense of entitlement. Do: Be aware this is circumstantial and could or could not lead to a job (right now or in the future) – Don’t: Be disappointed if you don’t get a job from them today! As they say, “Your network is your net worth” Do: Be kind, appreciative and show some Valpo spirit! It is the place that connects you afterall. – Don’t: Force kindness, be fake or only go to someone to get something out of them. A genuine willingness to connect will be better received.

Done Reading this document? Fill out and sign this Mentee Agreement form.Mentee Agreement form a copy of the completed form to Vanessa Verner to gain access to the Alumni Mentor DatabaseVanessa Verner – Please note, you will not get access without completing this step! Your Symplicity account has to be updated to make the information accessible. Continue to the next slide to get “Tips, Tricks, and Starting Points” to get you started on the right track.

Tips, Tricks & Starting Points Take Mentoring Seriously* Be curious and eager to learn* Expect guidance, not rescue* Before speaking with a mentor, take personal inventory. Know your best skills, desires and needs and shape your starting questions around those. * Learn about your mentor prior to speaking with them, do your research.* Set goals for your self and some that you and your mentor can articulate and agree upon together.* Let your mentor know the kind of help you would like* * These tips and more are available in the NALP (Association For Legal Career Professionals) Working With A Mentor- 50 Practical Strategies For Success brochure.

Sample introductory letter/ /phone conversation script Dear Mr./Ms/Mrs./Judge ___________________: I am __name____ and I am a ____ 1L/2L/3L____ and am very interested in _____area of practice/ practicing law in (geographical area) __________. Thank you for volunteering your time to be accessible through the Alumni Mentor Program. Having a resource such as this from Valparaiso Law alumni is encouraging. I realize that networking is essential to my professional development and look forward to communicating with you. _______if you have a specific question (or questions), place it (them) here______? Are you willing to set up a time to _____talk by phone/meet for coffee_______? If so, may I suggest ____give times when you know YOU are available (and make adjustments based on response) _________. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Pick It Up! Stop by the Career Planning Center today to pick up your copy of NALP’s Mentoring Brochure “Working with a Mentor- 50 Practical Strategies For Success.” This brochure lends some great advice on how to get the best results out of a mentoring program!