Career Mentorship is a one-to-one relationship between an experienced professional (mentor) who shares their knowledge, skills and experience with a less experienced professional (mentee) to assist in their career progression.
Mentoring partnerships breathe life into the future of the industry, combining generational strengths, discovering talent, and building strong networks of support.
For more information about our Business & Technology Career Mentorship Program, please email bustechmentorship@bowvalleycollege.ca
Frequently Asked Questions
Career Mentorship helps build industry connections, provides networking opportunities and improves employment outlook through:
- Exposing students to current and accurate industry information
- Introducing students to industry professionals
- Giving students the opportunity to set attainable goals and practical action plans
- Coaching students to improve communication and networking skills
- Helping students develop effective job-searching and self-marketing strategies
- Assisting students with establishing professional networks and understanding workplace culture
- Providing students with a realistic view of the industry they are entering
- Mentors provide guidance, support, encouragement and inspiration to mentees through sharing life experiences and discussing options in career and life.
- Mentees are given a unique opportunity to build a trusting relationship with a leading professional from whom they can both learn and aspire.
- Career Mentorship is not intended as a job placement service for students.
- A Career Mentor is not a coach. What is the difference?
|
|
Mentoring |
Coaching |
|
Focus |
Career and personal development |
Performance and/or skills development |
|
Agenda |
Set by the mentee with mentor providing support, guidance and experience sharing |
Set by individual with coach assisting in achieving specific goals |
|
Initiative |
Mentee is in charge of learning |
Coach directs learning |
- Develop and practice leadership and interpersonal skills such as communication, giving and receiving feedback, and active listening
- Opportunity to share knowledge and wisdom based on your own experience
- Learn from mentee – new perspectives, technologies and developments
- Help shape the future of your industry
- Gain personal satisfaction in sharing expertise and building self-worth of a new professional
- Gain a better understanding of the Canadian workplace and industry trends
Information, advice and guidance from someone with professional experience - Realistic, first-hand information about career paths, jobs, industries and work settings
- Develop and practice interpersonal skills such as communication, giving and receiving feedback, and active listening
- Provides a broader perspective of career options and opportunities
- Build confidence
- Build your local professional network
- Mentors (alumni, industry professionals) and mentees (students) are paired for a period of time and given the opportunity to work together (via emails, phone calls, skype, coffee meetings, tour of mentor’s workplace, industry conferences, networking events).
- Mentorship length can be anywhere from a single session to a period of weeks to accommodate programs of all lengths within Chiu School of Business and School of Technology.
