Introduction

The Alumni Association Online Mentorship Program is designed to offer support and encouragement to current Algonquin students and assist them in making informed decisions about their chosen career paths.  Wherever possible, a student is paired with an alumnus from his/her program who is working that field of study.  The alumnus, or mentor, will offer support, advice and information to help the student obtain a greater understanding of the profession he/she has chosen to pursue. 

What do you gain as a student?

Everyone remembers how overwhelming it can be when facing a new challenge, whether it be going to school or starting a new job. Having a mentor will help you feel at ease and more confident with your aspirations. In addition, you will benefit from the mentor’s support, experience, and insight into the practical application of the studies you have chosen.

What does the mentor gain?

In addition to staying in touch with his/her alma mater and keeping up with new trends in education, a mentor has the opportunity to experience the personal rewards gained from sharing his/her wisdom and contributing to the success of a student.

Finding the perfect match - pairing

Mentors are recruited from the College’s large pool of alumni who are graduates from a wide range of Algonquin programs. You will be matched with a mentor based on your needs and the amount of time a mentor is able to offer. Students and mentors complete an application form which contains information that will allow the Alumni Office and you to create a match.  Being matched with a mentor will depend upon the background and interests of the mentors who register for the program in any given year. The Alumni Office will contact you once a match has been found and will also provide you with the background information about your mentor.

How does a student find a mentor?

Any student who is interested in having a mentor is encouraged to complete the Student Application Form, stop by the Alumni Office, Room C 521 on the Woodroffe Campus, or call (613) 727-4723 ext. 2148.

Purpose of Mentoring

The purpose of mentoring is to encourage the development of your career objectives. This can include learning about the types of skills and experience you could be developing now, or planning long-term skills development. The goal of your interaction with your mentor is to obtain information about his/her career path and work environment. You will determine with your mentor precisely how he/she can be of assistance to you.

To help with the matching process, mentors are encouraged to indicate the type of advice and support they feel most comfortable in providing. You and your mentor may use this list as a guide for discussion throughout the program. Typical areas that mentors will be interested in providing advice and support:

• discussing their day-to-day duties

• providing industry information

• discussing future prospects in this career area

• giving labour market information

• discussing emerging trends in the industry and in the mentors organization

• discussing career alternatives within the industry

• referring you to other people who can advise

• discussing skills necessary for this career

Throughout the process mentors are helpers. The “mentor” role should not be confused with the recruitment function of a particular company or organization.

Ethical Behaviour

Mentors will not be held accountable for the success or failure of a student or for advice provided, however, the mentor has an ethical responsibility to provide sound advice and guidance, to undertake mentoring with the aim of helping you succeed.  Mentors will not represent themselves and their position inaccurately. Mentors will not knowingly abuse the trust placed in them by virtue of their position of authority.  Students will not knowingly abuse the confidence placed in them nor share sensitive information with others, inappropriately.

Process - Mentor Database

When a person registers to be a mentor, the Alumni Office will use the information provided on the application form (i.e. diploma achieved, year of graduation, position title and area of responsibilities) to develop a brief description of the mentor for the mentor database. If there appears to be a match, a liaison officer from the Online Mentorship Program/Alumni Office contacts the mentor to verify his/her availability and advises that a student will be contacting them by email within 48 hours. Thereafter, pertinent contact information is relayed to the student regarding the mentor. The student contacts the Alumni Office to verify that he/she has successfully contacted the mentor.  Once the pairing has been completed, the Alumni Office will contact both the student and the mentor for their feedback on the experience.

Examples of online questions from students

Questions related to a career

• What courses does he/she recommend for a person entering this field?

• How did he/she prepare for this field and does he/she have any recommendations?

• In what way was his/her studies related to his/her career?

• How did he/she get his/her current position?

• What attracted her/him to his/her choice of career?

Questions related to a position

• What is a typical day on the job for him/her?

• What gives he/she a sense of accomplishment in his/her job?

• What skill set is required?

• What kind of tasks does he/she find challenging about his/her job?

• Does he/she get to express individuality in his/her work, or does he/she have to follow strict guidelines?

• What are the most stressful aspects of his/her job?

Questions related to a specific industry

• What trends and developments in the field does he/she see affecting careers in the future?

• Where are the “hot spots” for jobs in the industry?

• What are the demands, opportunities and chances for advancement in this field/industry?

Questions related to the working conditions

• What are the work hours and is overtime common?

• What is the atmosphere like? (Relaxed, competitive, exciting...)

• Does he/she share his/her office with colleagues?

• How much flexibility is he/she allowed in his/her job in terms of dress, hours, vacation or job location?

• What salary range can one expect entering this field?

Program Evaluation

The Alumni Office will follow-up with the mentor and the student.  Participants will be asked to provide feedback on the success of the program. Success will be based on whether or not the program meets the expectations of both participants i.e. participant’s attitude to mentoring before and after participation in the program; participant’s satisfaction with the program; and level of contact between the participants. Throughout the course of the program, please do not hesitate to contact the Alumni Office with any questions or suggestions you may have. Thank you for your interest in the Algonquin College Online Mentorship Program.

For further information please contact the Alumni Office:

Room C 521

Woodroffe Campus

Algonquin College

Phone: 613-727-4723 ext. 2148

Email:alumni@algonquincollege.com