1. Please describe what benefits a student would get from using StudentMentor.org.
Benefits from using StudentMentor.org:
- Enhances confidence and offers challenges to set higher goals, take risks and achieve at higher levels.
- Individual recognition and encouragement.
- Psychosocial support.
- Advice on balancing range of academic and professional responsibilities.
- Provides role modeling for professional leadership and facilitates the development of increased competencies and stronger interpersonal skills.
- Access to a support system during critical stages of your academic and career development.
- An insider’s perspective on navigating your career.
- Exposure to diverse perspectives and experiences.
- Direct access to powerful resources within your major or profession.
- The foundation of a lasting professional and personal network.
For example, Steven, a college junior interested in law school could connect with an attorney to get insight into what law school and the legal profession is all about. Or Susie, a sophomore biology and psychology double major is beginning her internship search but unsure of which field she wants to pursue. She could seek out a mentor from both fields and learn about the day-to-day life to help her with her decision. Ultimately, mentoring is an extension of networking, which is now needed more than ever in today’s competitive and complex workforce.
2. What resources does StudentMentor.org have to offer students?
For the first time ever, any college student, at any school in any major, can receive academic and career mentorship from professionals currently working in a large variety of career fields.
Here’s how it works:
College students sign up as mentees and professionals sign up as mentors. Next, each is presented with a list of possible matches in real time. This means that you’ll see your list of matches instantly. Mentees and mentors choose their ideal mentorship match and decide when and where it takes place (either in-person or virtually). The result? Mentees go on their way towards achieving their goals and aspirations while mentors receive great personal satisfaction and growth from assisting students in learning more about career options and their specific area of expertise.
3. How can a student best utilize what StudentMentor.org has to offer?
Students should try to set clear goals of what they want to accomplish with their mentors, and work diligently towards them. Also, our organization understands that a student might have questions on work-life balance and at the same time need some help practicing their interviewing skills. The student can create multiple mentorship requests to draw from the knowledge and expertise of multiple mentors.
4. What background do mentors typically have in order to be able to work with students?
The vast majority of our mentors tend to be working professionals that want to give back to the next generation by imparting and sharing their life-long learning. We have a Harvard law student, and multiple doctors, business executives, and authors, to name just a few.
5. Is StudentMentor.org a totally free resource for students?
Yes, and we are a nonprofit organization.
6. What can a student get from StudentMentor.org that they can’t get elsewhere?
Most students are unable to access professionals in the very areas that they are majoring and pursuing careers in. Even if students can access these professionals, the professionals might not be in the mindset of mentoring. If your a student in Chicago interested in the entertainment industry, you could match with a mentor in that industry based in Los Angeles or anywhere else where we have a mentor signed up; or say you’re a student in Texas interested in Wall Street, we can match you up with a mentor there as well.