1. To have a one-on-one mentoring relationship, a student must complete an interview with a staff member in the Office of Alumni Relations. Only serious candidates are given an alumni mentor. You will be notified of your mentor's name and contact information via e-mail or phone. Contact your mentor as soon as possible to introduce yourself and schedule a meeting. An alumni or career services staff member can set up the first orientation for the alumnus or alumna and student if necessary. Students who do not wish to participate in a one-on-one relationship can still attend panel and guest speaking events on- and off-campus throughout the year, as well as attend sponsored trips to different sites where alumni are employed.
2. Respect the time and availability of your mentor. Reply to his/her phone calls and/or e-mails promptly. It is the quality of the relationship, not the quantity of time spent that determines its success. Give your mentor 24 hours notice if you need to cancel an appointment. Failure to do so will result in the termination of the privilege to have an alumni mentor.
3. Keep your questions appropriate in the terms of your mentor’s guidelines. The mentor's role is to give the student a realistic view of a profession. Appropriate topics for discussion are a profession's current issues, the job market, the mentor's approaches to an ethical and professional dilemma, career goals, career tracks, types of businesses, management issues and quality of life issues in the profession.
4. The Alumni Mentoring Program is not meant to serve as a recruitment device or job placement program. Do not ask for a job. You may ask your mentor for a letter of reference if you’ve spent an ample amount of time together and you feel comfortable. Make a good impression on him/her and their colleagues so they remember you if you apply for a job at their place of employment.
5. Depending on respective schedules, mentors and students may meet informally (i.e. for breakfast or lunch, at the mentor’s place of business or at any other mutually agreed upon time and place). If your mentor agrees, you may attend hearings, meetings, lectures or any special career-related event. In some cases, the primary means of communication between students and mentors may be by telephone or e-mail. Telephone and e-mail contacts can provide the basis for a rewarding exchange.
6. Conversations between students and mentors are confidential
unless a situation arises that requires a resolution with the support
of the alumni or counseling offices.
If at any time a question arises, please contact the Office of Counseling, Wellness and Disability Services in Brooklyn at 718.940.5852 or on Long Island at 631.687.1246.
