Cameron Executive Network

Student Guide to Mentoring

Fall 2016

Cameron School of Business

Office of External Programs

University of North Carolina Wilmington

With contributions by Cameron Executive Network Members

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Topic / Section / Page
Introduction / 1 / 3
Considerations for each Mentee / 1.1 / 3
Considerations for each Mentor / 1.2 / 4
Joint Planning for Mentor and Mentee / 1.3 / 5
Resources / 2 / 5
CEN Leadership Group / 2.1 / 5
Networking / 2.2 / 5
Networking Skills / 2.2.1 / 5
The Entire Network / 2.2.2 / 5
LinkedIn / 2.2.3 / 5
Mentee’s LinkedIn Page / 2.2.4 / 5
LinkedIn Group for Alumni, Mentors and Mentees / 2.2.5 / 6
CEN Consulting Group Resources / 2.3 / 6
CSB Career Resources / 2.4 / 6
Interviewing Resources / 2.5 / 6
Internships / 2.6 / 7
UNCW’s Career Center / 2.7 / 7
Career Leader / 2.7.1 / 7
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) / 2.7.2 / 7
The Kuder Journey / 2.7.3 / 7
The Internship Predictor / 2.7.4 / 8
SeaWork / 2.7.5 / 8
Careers Fairs and Events / 2.7.6 / 8
Student Services / 2.8 / 8
The Mentoring Process / 3 / 8
Stage One: Base Building / 3.1 / 8
Initial Contact / 3.1.1 / 8
First Meeting / 3.1.2 / 9
Future Meetings / 3.1.3 / 10
Stage Two: Selecting Career Paths / 3.2 / 10
Stage Three: Selecting Potential Employers or Grad School / 3.3 / 10
Stage Four: Reaching Those Employers and Grad School / 3.4 / 10
Stage Five: Post Graduation / 3.5 / 11
Contact with Mentor / 3.5.1 / 11
Tips for First Job / 3.5.2 / 11
Career Tips / 3.5.3 / 11
Networking and Building Relationships / 3.5.3.1 / 11
Elevator Speech / 3.5.3.2 / 11
Career Plans / 3.5.3.3 / 11
Finances and Workplace Benefits / 3.5.3.4 / 12
Additional Resources / 3.5.3.5 / 12
Feedback / 4 / 12
Mentoring Relationship Issues / 4.1 / 12
Feedback and Requests and Suggestions / 4.2 / 12
Periodic Surveys / 4.3 / 12
CEN Student Alumni Post-Graduation Contact Information / 4.4 / 13
Update Current Information / 4.5 / 13
Alumni Lifetime Email / 4.6 / 13
Networking Opportunities / 4.7 / 13
Generational Awareness for Mentors / 14

1. Introduction

This Guide is for mentees of the Cameron Executive Network (CEN) of the Cameron School of Business (CSB) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). Since 2002 CEN’s experienced business executives have worked with CSB students, staff and faculty to interact with and advise college juniors and seniors through resume assistance, job and career searches, developing skills and guest lecturing and, most importantly, mentoring. CEN executives have mentored on a one-on-one basis over 750 CSB students – a priceless contribution to students and a great reward to mentors.

This Guide embodies “best practices” developed by CEN’s mentors and mentees. CEN does not require that its mentors and mentees follow these practices. But CEN does require that they carefully consider these practices. The best results occur when mentor and mentee jointly pick the parts of this Guide that will best serve their mentoring relationship and fit the student’s individual needs.

Mentoring is interactive. A mentor shouldn’t simply “tell” information to a listener. Nor should a mentee just listen passively. Both must actively work together to match the mentor’s experience and wisdom to the mentee’s talents and needs.

1.1. Considerations for Each Mentee

Take charge of your own career, including actively guiding your relationship with your mentor. Do not expect your mentor to find you a job; finding and landing a job is your responsibility.

CEN expects you to pick a career matched to your talents and passions, to become a leader in your career, to live a fulfilling life and to serve society well and ethically. To start towards these goals while at UNCW, CEN expects you to:

o Contact your mentor within five days after you are matched and be prompt, diligent and professional in all your communications with your mentor.

o Review this Guide carefully, agree with your mentor on objectives you should achieve to reach your goals, and meet those objectives on schedule.

o Agree with your mentor on a schedule for your meetings, and meet as scheduled.

o Unless excused by your mentor, attend scheduled meetings with your mentor and scheduled CEN events where all mentees are invited.

o Grow and maintain your personal network as a resource for reaching your goals.

o Continue to participate in CEN after graduation by keeping CEN up-to-date on how you can be reached and where you are working. Be available to CSB students to talk about your career and their interests.

Mentors are volunteers. They contribute their time, wisdom and experience. They want to help CSB students. Respect this. Use their time wisely. Thank them for their contributions.

Commit the time needed to develop and sustain a good relationship with your mentor and to reach your goals. Allow time to build the relationship.

Be professional. Give real thought to what you want to achieve. Make commitments only when you can live up to them. Live up to commitments you make.

Respond promptly to each contact by the mentor. Initiate contacts to keep your mentor up to date on your situation and progress. Adopt a “learning” attitude about the information shared. Acknowledge feedback about strengths and weaknesses. Express your thoughts and feelings about the feedback and directions you are receiving. Feel free to engage your mentor in a robust discussion. Whenever you do not understand what your mentor is saying, ask.

Go to the first meeting with ideas about what you want to accomplish from the relationship. Develop strong focused plans for action you and your mentor think should be accomplished. Take responsibility for implementing your action plan. Be accountable for your results, your behavior and any changes asked of you.

Attend each meeting on time with an idea of what you hope to accomplish at that meeting. Prepare your own agenda for each meeting. Report to the mentor your progress on the objectives set at the last meeting. At the end of each meeting reach an agreement with your mentor on objectives to be completed before the next meeting.

If you are not satisfied with how your mentoring relationship is working, promptly notify a member of the CEN leadership group (see below).

1.2. Considerations for Each Mentor

CEN expects you to lead each of your mentees to reach the goals describe above. In doing this you should lead them in learning appropriate values, processes and skills, in setting appropriate action plans and in making wise decisions. CEN relies on your integrity, wisdom, judgment, commitment, good will and professionalism in leading each mentee.

Don’t forget how busy the mentee’s schedule can be. Learn promptly what academic, work, family obligations and other extra-curricular activities impact each mentee’s schedule.

Allow time to build the relationship. Keep your mentee focused on the issues, yet keep it fun (enjoy getting to know them and sharing your life experiences). Help mentees find their own answers rather than telling them what to do. Maintain an appropriate balance between talking and listening to the mentee. Use questions to help mentees refine and improve their ideas and plans. Encourage comments by your mentee and questions about your thoughts.

Insure that the action plans developed are agreeable to both of you. Follow up on implementation. Encourage as necessary.

Remember they are students. They did not grow up in your household with your expectations. They do not have your experience. They don’t know what they don’t know, so they need you to teach them.

Maintain an appropriate professional yet personal relationship with each mentee. Set parameters for interaction. If your mentee has interests in subjects outside your expertise, work with the mentee to make that expertise available from other Mentors or from experts outside CEN.

Attend meetings of CEN and, when students are invited, make sure your mentees know of the meeting and, when possible, attend.

If you are not satisfied with how your mentoring relationship is working, promptly notify a member of the CEN leadership group (see below).

1.3. Joint Planning for Mentor and Mentee.

The remainder of this Guide addresses some common issues in CEN mentoring relationships and presents materials to consider. Each mentee and mentor should review these materials independently, and then meet and discuss which, if any, of the Guide’s suggestions to adopt and implement. Please let CEN know what practices are most helpful, and least helpful, to your work together. CEN expects to revise this Guide periodically to capture the “best practices” in mentoring as members develop them.

2. Resources for Academic Success. Resources available to CEN mentors and mentees include the following:

2.1. CEN Leadership Group. This group is available to any mentor or mentee to address any problems with a mentoring relationship and other issues not resolved in this Guide.

Allen Patrick, CEN Co-Director Sara Kesler, Program Administrator

Cameron Hall 131, Cameron Hall 131,

910-962-7459 910-962-7452

Charles Schaefer, CEN Co-Director

Cameron Hall 131,

910-208-3259

2.2. Networking. Professional recruiters teach that over 70% of jobs come from networking. Each mentee needs to build a personal network.

2.2.1. Networking Skills. CEN’s materials on networking skills can be found online at the CEN website http://csb.uncw.edu/cen/resources.htm.

2.2.2. The Entire Network. Although students are assigned to specific mentors, mentors and mentees are encouraged to reach out to other CEN mentors where the mentee and the assigned mentor think it appropriate. All mentors are available to help any mentee. Mentor profiles are online at the CEN website: http://csbapp.csb.uncw.edu/data/cen/default.aspx.

2.2.3. LinkedIn. LinkedIn, the business online networking website http:// www.linkedin.com, is a very useful and serious online business networking resource that each mentor and current mentee should consider using.

2.2.4. Mentee’s LinkedIn Page. Each mentee should discuss with your mentor when to create a personal page on LinkedIn and what that page should include, e.g., a description of career aspirations and interests and the mentee’s resume in an attractive format and that shows recommendations. While the printed resume is a valuable job search tool in the mentee’s portfolio, an electronic resume posted on LinkedIn is a good compliment to the hard-copy printed resume. Many companies search for prospective employees primarily through the use of LinkedIn. Using a printed resume as a starting point, the mentee can easily post a consistent online resume. It is also a place to communicate with employees in the work force as well as potential employers. Mentors who also have a presence on LinkedIn can review and assist their mentees with the content, appearance and form for data posted by the mentee. Together they can make sure that the mentee’s presentation to prospective employers on LinkedIn is on-target and attractive in appearance and content.

2.2.5. LinkedIn Group for Alumni, Mentors and Mentees. CEN has also created an open group on LinkedIn to keep in touch with mentors and graduates. The group is named CEN Alumni and Mentors. Mentors, current mentees and CEN graduates are encouraged to join this group to help in their overall networking activities. A mentor and mentee should discuss when it will be appropriate for the mentee to join this group and become part of the CEN and UNCW student and alumni network. Being part of this group can continue after graduation. Members of this group can benefit from online dialogue around information posted about job search and experience. For CEN and alumni it is also a way to stay in touch with the Network and for alumni to tell about on-the-job and career growth experience. For CEN mentees and mentors who would like technical assistance with LinkedIn, please contact Leslie Wright at the Career Center (contact information is set out below).

2.3. CEN Consulting Group Resources. The CEN Consulting Group created and implements the Resume Assistance Program (RAP). They have developed and/or located materials for career searches. These materials can be found online at CEN website http://csb.uncw.edu/cen/resources.htm and include the current form of resume and information about career and job search information, networking and interviewing.

2.4. CSB Career Resources. CEN may forward to mentees and mentors announcements of programs sponsored by CSB or UNCW’s Career Services that may be helpful to students in their transition from school to careers. Mentors should discuss these programs with their mentees and encourage each mentee to attend each sponsored programs that would be useful.

2.5. Interviewing Resources. Most mentees need training in interviewing skills. Mentees and mentors should jointly work through and develop answers to the list of interview questions developed by CEN (Exhibit E; all Exhibit references are to attachments to this Guide). Once the mentee is comfortable with his or her responses, the mentor and mentee should undertake a mock interview. UNCW’s Career Center makes available a free program called InterviewStream where students can access an online practice interview. This is a 24-7 web-based interview practice tool. It is accessible at http://uncw.interviewstream.com/. Instructions to log onto and use Interview Stream are at http://csb.uncw.edu/cen/resources.htm. After using Interview Stream, once the mentee is satisfied with the videotaped interview, the mentee should forward the video to his or her mentor who can then review it and critique it with the mentee. Preparation for live job/internship interviews should also include researching the company to develop a list of questions for the interviewer, as well as developing a list of talking points to make during the interview which showcase the mentee’s qualifications for the job. Data about public companies (annual reports, current reports, proxy statements, etc.) can normally be found on the company’s web site under “Investor Relations” or a similar topic.

2.6. Internships. CEN Mentors are encouraged to help their students pursue Internships throughout their time at Cameron. Information on Internships can be found online at http://csb.uncw.edu/cen/resources.htm. Teresa Walker is the Internship Coordinator and is responsible for employer and student relations for CSB Students. She can be reached at 910.962.2466 or .