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by Sara DeRosier
Building a bridge from the classroom to the work world
For many students, the transition from the classroom to the workplace can be overwhelming. Most students don't know what to expect from such a new endeavor, but the IT Mentor Program can provide the knowledge and skills it takes to succeed on the job.
Sponsored by IT Career Services and the IT Alumni Society, the program matches IT students with alumni mentors who are science and engineering professionals. Participation in the award-winning program has tripled over the past three years to about 500, making it the largest such program at the University.
Students and mentors can sign up for the program in September. The online system asks registrants to indicate their interest or expertise in several areas. The program's sponsors use a computer program to match students and mentors who share similar interests. Most of the student participants are undergraduates, although there are some graduate students.
The mentor program gives students an opportunity to learn about a specific field or gain exposure to a specific company, says IT's alumni relations director, Kris Kosek, who coordinates the mentor program. Mentors often provide more immediate benefits, she adds, "like help with resumes or practice interviews."
Alumnus Dick Schwarz has been a mentor in the program since its inception. "I thought students really needed something like this," he explains, and so he jumped at a chance to get involved. As an engineer and founder of First Light Communications, a systems engineering company, he offers a view of life both as an engineer and as an entrepreneur.
Schwarz stresses that work in industry is based on more than technical knowledge; personal skills and experience are just as important.
"I didn't understand that in the early stages of my career," he admits, "and it took me a few years to develop that appreciation. You gain a certain amount of 'sage wisdom,' and maybe somebody else can benefit from that wisdom and insight."
But Schwarz and Kosek agree that both students and mentors benefit from the program.
"For me, the benefit is being able to pass that wisdom on and work with the next generation of engineers and scientists," Schwarz says.
Mentors also enjoy networking opportunities, adds Kosek. The program also gives them "a chance to connect with the University and give back."
Making a connection between student and mentor is a challenge, and it often takes work to find common ground. Schwarz admits to varying degrees of success in that regard, but he points out that several of his former students continued working with and learning from him after the program wrapped up for the year.
The program runs from October until April. The program kicks off in the fall with an orientation, which includes training for mentors and a chance for mentors and students to meet for the first time. Throughout the year, the program provides opportunities to meet, such as a national job shadow day, a hockey game, and a closing event to recognize contributors.
Kosek stresses that a student-mentor relationship requires a commitment on both parts, but the students determine the course of the relationship.
"The students are the ones who are going to gain the most," she says.
