Wildcat Alumni Career Mentor Program

The Wildcat Alumni Career Mentor Program connects Penn College students and alumni, providing students with opportunities to interact with industry professionals, grow their knowledge of potential career paths, and develop professional networks.
Wildcat Alumni Career Mentor Program

Mentorship Benefits

Career Services encourages recent graduate mentees to explore employer policies/practices regarding mentorship by professionals employed by industry competitors.

For Mentors

  • Share your talents, real-world experiences, and professional wisdom.
  • Create an opportunity to serve as a role model to someone with similar educational and professional goals.
  • Broaden your leadership and mentoring skills.
  • Add to your resume or CV.
  • Make a critical contribution to your alma mater (even if you live far from Williamsport, PA).
  • Teach and advise the mentee on how to make professional connections and contacts.
  • Make an impact and influence aspiring professionals.
     

For Mentees

  • Connect with professionals about career tools (resume, cover letter, job search process, interviewing).
  • Build effective relationships and networks.
  • Practice professional communication.
  • Learn about careers, organizations, and countless opportunities.
  • Connect with someone who has “been there, done that.”
  • Develop and enhance professional communication skills.
  • Develop new networking and collaboration opportunities.
     

Wildcat Alumni Career Mentor Program Overview

The Wildcat Alumni Career Mentor Program seeks to provide Pennsylvania College of Technology students an opportunity to connect with successful and experienced alumni.  Students will connect and interact with industry professionals, grow their knowledge and awareness of their potential career path, and develop professional networks.

A mentor will…

  • Serve as a resource for career readiness questions, i.e. resume, cover letter, interviewing, how to search for a career.
  • Commit to open dialog and extend their knowledge whenever possible.
  • Communicate with the Center for Career Design if they no longer wish to participate in the program or their mentor/mentee relationship is not going well.
And will not…
  • Be expected to provide their mentee with a job.
  • Be expected to provide more time than what they are comfortable.
  • Stop communicating with their mentee when life gets busy.
  • Serve in place of the mentees academic advisor. 

A mentee will…

  • Be courteous of their mentor’s time and have an open dialog about expectations and goals.
  • Be open-minded and appreciative when receiving advice and feedback.
  • Communicate with the Center for Career Design if they no longer wish to participate in the program or their mentor relationship is not going well.
And will not…
  • Ask their mentor for a job.
  • Stop communicating with their mentor when life gets busy.  

Mentor and Mentee Expectations

The mentor and the mentee will have the flexibility to decide how best their relationship will work.  We do, however, have a few guidelines/expectations.

Mentor Expectations

  • Work with mentee to develop a meeting schedule that works for both of you (i.e. twice a month via email, once a month via virtual platform, etc.). 
  • Communicate with mentee at least once per month between 9/16/24 and 12/6/24.  More frequent communication is encouraged.
  • Be open to answering all types of professional questions.
  • Adapt to mentee needs based on their time in the program and when their degree conferral will take place.
  • Document interactions. 
  • Help mentee reach their goals for the program and develop action plans.
  • Assure appropriate content and remain professional.
     

Mentee Expectations

  • Reach out to your mentor via email for first point of contact by September 27, 2024.
  • Work with mentor to develop a meeting schedule that works for both of you (i.e. twice a month via email, once a month via virtual platform, etc.)
  • Communicate with mentor at least once per month between 9/16/24 and 12/6/24.  More frequent communication is encouraged.
  • Create an agenda for each meeting.
  • Be open to feedback and suggestions.
  • Communicate your gratitude about working with your mentor.
  • Assure appropriate content and remain professional.
Keys to a Successful Mentorship

Keys to a Successful Mentorship

  • Establish frequency of communications.  Discuss potential busy periods in which frequency might have to decrease.
  • Be respectful of each other’s schedule and make sure you are both on time for your virtual or in-person meetings.  Communicate when this is going to be a problem.
  • Contact the Center for Career Design if there are questions or if things are not going well.
  • Be active on LinkedIn and other professional networking sites. 

Suggested Mentorship Activities

The following can be used as a guide.  There are examples of mentors/mentees whom live in close proximity to one another and also for those who live far apart.

  • Initial email from mentee to mentor will be sent by September 27, 2024. 
  • Introduction and sharing of backgrounds, goals, and interests.
  • Mentor should share their career path after graduation.
  • Set expectations for each other including communication goals and preferences.
  • Utilize the online resource, How to Run a Successful Mentoring Meeting, as a guide.
  • Watch the same webinar and discuss afterwards.
  • Create a list of potential professional organizations to join.  Discuss the pros and cons of joining.
  • Review one another’s resumes and cover letters and discuss.
  • Conduct a mock interview (in-person, video call, phone).
  • Have mentee job shadow the mentor.
  • Discuss books to read to prepare for the real world.
  • Discuss skills needed in the workplace and handling difficult situations in the workplace.
  • Explore job seeking search engine together and discuss potential job possibilities and the skills needed for each.  Talk about how the mentee can seek out additional skills while in degree program.
  • Discuss considerations when choosing where to work.
  • Discuss how to navigate difficult conversations or situations in the workplace.
  • Attend campus activities: Etiquette Dinners, Career Fair, etc.
  • Discuss potential courses that would be useful in the area of employment mentee is seeking.
  • Research interests and future dissertation plans.
  • Discuss internship opportunities.
  • Mentor may provide professional network contacts if applicable.
  • Discuss pros and cons of next stages of life (i.e. continuing education or going into workforce).

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Timeline

The 2024 Wildcat Alumni Career Mentor Program runs through April. The Center for Career Design will hold an introduction to the mentor program for all participants early in the program and check in with mentors and mentees during the program.

AUG 7

Mentor/Mentee applications open

SEP 6

Mentor/Mentee applications due

SEP 11

Match notifications

September 11, 12 & 13

OCT 14

Mentee to schedule appointment with Center for Career Design

October 14 - October 31

DEC 6

Mentor program ends

Frequently Asked Questions

The Center for Career Design will review applications and pair individuals together.  With mentor approval, it is possible the mentors will have two mentees assigned to them.

The Center for Career Design will try to ensure a good match, however, if there are problems you should communicate them to the office.

Interests and goals will be taken into consideration when matching, though the program will be limited based on mentor participation.  We will prioritize matching in the following order by:  industry, department, and degree program.

All alumni who are currently working in their field of study may apply to be a mentor.  All currently enrolled students at Pennsylvania College of Technology are invited to participate as a mentee.

Please contact the Center for Career Design right away.

Concentrate on the skill building areas that mentors can provide generally.  If you are still unsatisfied with your match, please contact the Center for Career Design.

To participate the following year, Mentors and Mentees will need to submit a new application.  If the mentee has not graduated and the mentee and mentor would like to continue with their mentorship the following year, they must both email the Center for Career Design with this request.

Center for Career Design Contact Information

The Pennsylvania College of Technology Center for Career Design Office will be your primary point of contact. All questions, concerns and feedback welcome.

Lori Boos

Lori Boos

Alumni & Career Engagement Coordinator

Stacey Girven

Stacey Girven

Career & Alumni Events Manager

Applications
Mentor/Alumni application
Mentee/Student Application
Resources
Run a Meeting
Sample Email Template
Checklist
Mentor Action Strategy