One of the best ways to discover whether a career will be a good fit is to talk to people who are doing the work that you think you want to do. To help facilitate these important conversations, the Honors College, in collaboration with Alumni Relations, can help to connect you to Honors College alumni and other professionals who are working in the fields that interest you.

Career Mentors: Who They Are and How They Can Help You

Career mentors are individuals who have volunteered to share their time and expertise with you to help you learn about careers and to begin building your professional network. Each career mentor has identified the activities they are willing to participate in; you can connect with a career mentor to conduct informational interviews, network via email, job shadow, participate in a mock interview, or receive feedback on your resume or cover letter. In addition, some career mentors are interested in setting up regular meetings with students.

Are You Ready to Reach Out to a Career Mentor?

Before you contact a career mentor, you need to think about your purpose for reaching out (i.e., to gather information about a particular field, to learn about a specific employer, etc.), and the type(s) of activities that you hope to get involved in (i.e.,  informational interviewing, job shadowing, mock interviews, etc.).

Once you have a clear purpose in mind, you can submit your application for a career mentor that will help you achieve your goal. Please note that although your ultimate goal may be to secure a job or an internship, it is not appropriate to ask a career mentor for a job or an internship.

Once you have submitted your application the Honors College will reach out to our alumni that best match your criteria.  You should allow us 4-6 weeks to get back to you with contact information on your career mentor. 

What to Do After You Contact a Career Mentor

Once you have sent a message to a career mentor, please allow 5-10 business days for a response. When you receive a response from a career mentor, you should work with your mentor to determine how and when you will communicate with one another (i.e., by email, by phone or in person; on which date).

When you meet with a career mentor, whether by phone or in person, you must be punctual and prepared. If you need to reschedule a meeting or phone call, be sure to give as much notice as possible to the career mentor.

After you meet with a career mentor, be sure send a thank you note by email or regular mail within 24 hours.

More Questions?

If you have additional questions, please contact Bailey Garvin for more information, or contact the Honors College at 541-737-6400 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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