Welcome!

Thanks for your interest in the RIT Career Mentor Program. Ever wonder what working in your field will be like? … how you'll get a job and what's needed to make it in your field? … how to make yourself stand out in the competitive marketplace? Find out!

RIT Career Mentor Connect: Your key to free career advice!

RIT's Career Mentor Connect Program pairs students with alumni and Friends of RIT in your field for advice, insight and motivation on your career and job search!

• Communicate by email, phone, or face to face about career goals, course work, strategies for finding a co-op job, and many other topics.
  
• Open to all students, in all majors
  
• Commit to just 2 hours a month for 6 months, and receive advice support from somebody working in your field
  
• A great way to build your professional network!
  
• Past mentors have come from companies including: IBM, Microsoft, FBI, Accenture, Toyota, George Eastman House, Bristol Myers, Scripps Network, and many others!

Interested?
The 2007/08 program will kick off with an information session: Wednesday, November 7 12pm—1pm Bausch & Lomb Building 77, Rm. A-190. Learn how you can team up with one of our esteemed alumni!

The registration deadline will be mid-December, and students will be notified of their mentor matches in January.

Mentor matches last until the end of July.

A Mentor is an RIT Alumni or friend of the Institute who volunteers to provide a current student with career development support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive examples. Mentors are good listeners, and provide constructive feedback about career goals and job search plans. Mentors are dedicated people who want to help students expand on current strengths and to develop new skills necessary to be successful in the world of work. The RIT Career Mentor Connect Program is co-sponsored by RIT’s Alumni Network Board of Directors and the Offices of Cooperative Education and Career Services, and Alumni Relations.

The goals of this program are:

• To offer an opportunity for professional development, networking and an exchange of ideas between experienced professionals and the next generation of leaders.
  
• To offer an opportunity for RIT alumni to reconnect with the Institute and share ideas with current students in a one-to-one mentoring relationship.

FAQ’s ABOUT MENTORING

How are matches made?
When interested students and mentors contact our office, we make every effort to meet both mentor and student areas of interest but exact matches are difficult to find for all pairs.

What is my (student) role?

Your role as a Mentee is to discuss your needs and expectations with your Mentor to develop a mutually beneficial relationship. Your Mentor is volunteering his or her time and experience to help you. Students are expected to initiate and maintain contact with Mentors. You are expected to communicate with your Mentor at least twice a month and respond in a timely manner. Realize that having a Mentor is a privilege and work hard to take advantage of the opportunity.

Your success in working with your Mentor will depend on your attitude about the relationship. Your Mentor should not be expected to find you a job. A Mentor can assist you by providing guidance, feedback, and suggestions to help you meet your career goals. A Mentor will help you to be successful in finding a co-op or full-time position, but should not be expected to hire you or find a co-op or full-time job for you.

Who should initiate contact?
Once your are matched up with a Mentor, students should initiate contact first. At the first contact, we recommend you introduce yourselves and discuss your goals and objectives for this relationship. It is a good idea to determine how you can best maintain contact with each other, whether by phone or e-mail, or both. If you are near each other, you might even arrange a face-to-face meeting.

Students are expected to:

• Discuss your needs and expectations with your Mentor; think about and communicate what you want out of the program.
• Be committed to follow through with agreed upon goals.
• Be receptive to suggestions and feedback.
• Keep your Mentor informed of progress.
• Contact your Mentor if you are unable to attend scheduled meetings in a timely manner.
• Realize that having a Mentor is a privilege and work hard to take advantage of the opportunity.
• Maintain a professional demeanor.
• Contact Assistant Director, Michelle Magee, mamoce@rit.edu, if there are any concerns about your Mentor relationship.
• Notify Assistant Director, Michelle Magee, mamoce@rit.edu, if there is a change in your ability to participate in the program.

Mentors are expected to:

• Listen to the needs and expectations of the student.
• Work with the student to help him/her develop and establish realistic and obtainable goals.
• Keep the student aware of his/her progress.
• Encourage the student to explore new areas.
• Offer suggestions and feedback
• Be committed to serve as a resource to the student.
• Contact the student if you are unable to attend scheduled meetings.
• Be knowledgeable about the services of Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services, http://www.rit.edu/co-op/careers.
• Contact Assistant Director, Michelle Magee, mamoce@rit.edu,
  if you have any concerns about your Mentor relationship.
• Notify Assistant Director, Michelle Magee, mamoce@rit.edu,
  if there is a change in your ability to participate in the program.

For Both Mentors and Students

• Respect confidences and trust each other.
• Discover common ground and respect your differences.
• Be yourself and be flexible.
• Be a good listener.
• Be available to meet or talk one to two times per month.

How Do I Request A Mentor?

The 2007-2008 RIT Career Mentor Connect Program will begin in Winter quarter and the kick off information session will be announced via emails to students directly. The program is currently limited to 50 students. If you are interested, please e-mail Michelle Magee, Assistant Director, Alumni Relations, mamoce@rit.edu The program is extremely popular, and matches are not guaranteed, however, we will do our best to find a mentor matching your interests.

In your subject line, please refer to: 2007-2008 RIT Alumni Mentor Connect Program. Please be sure include your name, major, email and a phone number.

Questions? E-mail Michelle Magee, Assistant Director, Alumni Relations, Office of Co-op & Career Services, mamoce@rit.edu.