Mentorship is…

Career Awareness

Guidance fromAn expert

Hands-On Experiences

Project Development

In-depth Research

WHAT Options MENTORING IS NOT

•A one-time Job Shadow•A Paid Internship•“Pigeon-holing” into a specific career

Career Mentorship-Top Team

-1 quarter-Career exploration in chosen area-Unpaid-Students unsure of career path, get a chance to explore.-Students should have a definite career plan get adult interaction, credit and work experience references.

Business Internship-Top Team

• Year long work experience• Earn while you learn• Senior year• Hands-on business experience• Use skills learned in school while gaining

practical knowledge about business.

Academic Mentoring in Owatonna Options

• Students will have the opportunity to become actively engaged in a career area of strong interest. Through the academic mentorship, they can pursue the achievement of standards and develop a project under the guidance of an expert in the career field that will benefit both the mentor and student.

• Level 1 – Skill producing• Level 2 – Academic Study• Level 3 – Advanced Academic Mentorship

Virtual Mentorships …Unique Possibilities

Skyping

Emails

Virtual Critiques

Poll to try! Let’s see if it works!

Level 1- Skill Producing

• Student has identified an area of interest that they would like to explore.

• Student will develop a project under the guidance of a mentor that will achieve identified standards through research, observation and skill development.

• Product may be a short-term project, paper, presentation

• Duration: 4 weeks

Potential mentors: Community business mentors, “retirees”, e-mentors

Level 2 Academic Study

• Student has identified a career interest area through completion of a variety of inventories.

• Student begins background research on career interest. Begins portfolio development.

• Student and teacher guide formulate specific inquiry questions. • Student and mentor are matched through identified process.• Student and mentor identify project that will enrich student learning and

assist mentor or mentor’s workplace. Mentor coordinator and teacher guide assist with planning process.

• Exhibition and evaluation of project. • Identified standards are recorded. Project work becomes part of

electronic portfolio.• Evaluation of mentorship experience by student and mentor.• Mentorship experience is 1-2 quarters in length.

Potential mentors: Community business mentors, virtual mentors, potential input from retirees, college mentors

Level 3 Advanced Academic Mentorship

• Student is highly engaged in a career interest area they intend to pursue. Student prepares a list of learning goals they wish to achieve during this mentorship experience. Begin portfolio

• Student completes in-depth study through research of professional articles, journals, book chapters and interviews. Prepares a list of references accompanied by reflective paragraph on each reference to share with mentor as demonstration of background study.

• Develop a resume including mentorship objective.• Conduct informational interview with mentor.• Weekly summary to “process” experience, identify further readings, networking

contacts made, progress in learning goals.• Advanced level project which will contribute to mentorship site while enhancing

student learning goals. • Public exhibition of project• Develop networking list that may include business card file, etc.• Electronic portfolio entry• Appreciation Luncheon Potential Mentors: Community, Virtual

A Mentor Is Someone WhoListens

Questions

Offers another point of view

Provides feedback

Explores options

Offers advice

Is a sounding board

Challenges and stretches

Mentors will:-Help young people set career goals and start taking steps to realize them.-Help the student explore options, values and career alternatives-Mentors can use their personal contacts to help young people meet industry professionals, find internships and locate job possibilities.-Mentors introduce young people to professional resources and organizations they may not know about.-Mentors can help their mentees learn how to seek and keep jobs.-Convey to the student a sense of caring and importance, contributing to the student’s feeling of self-worth

Process to identify mentors

Mentor Process• Identify Mentor – Meeting between

coordinator and potential mentor• Background Check• Training• Mentor/student interview

1. Get to know each other2. Identify goals

• Student site visit• Assist with pre-mentorship training

requirements for student (req. of worksite)

2nd Option• Identify Mentor – Meeting between coordinator and

potential mentor. Match made based on career match and general interests.

• Background Check• Initial phone contact• Group Career Mentorship Training. “Ice-breaker”

activity, participant training on two-way communication, mentor/mentee responsibilities.

• Student site visit with mentor coordinator and parent(s).

Experience is not what happens to a man.It is what a man does with what happens to him... Aldous Huxley

•Written mentorship agreement – expectations, length of relationship, contacts/week, evaluation process, contact information, evaluation process, signatures from student, parent, mentor, coord.•Weekly visits/contacts with coordinator•At the end of second week, review process, discuss goals and authentic project possibilities.•Journal reflections with mentor, student, coord.•Project presentation•Evaluation process

Mentor Training 1. Overview and purpose of mentorship2. Coordinator’s responsibilities3. Expectations of mentor:

• Paperwork• Time Commitment• Goal setting• Safety Training and/or other required training

for student• Project Requirements• Evaluation

Seminar Topics

Interpersonal Communication Skills including non-verbal and body languageGoal Setting and Time ManagementWork Ethics and BehaviorPortfolio Phone EtiquetteInterviewing SkillsBusiness EtiquetteResume PreparationProfessional DressExhibition Presentation SkillsJournaling Reflection SkillsNetworking SkillsInterdisciplinary seminar on Research Techniques, Professional Vocabulary, etc.

Advanced Mentorship Seminar will include dining etiquette

Student learning will be enhanced because:

•Students learn how to be adults and professionals by being with adults and professionals.

•The expertise is out in the “real world”. Mentors become living examples of the careers students are contemplating.

The guidance is invaluable.

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“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered;

the point is to discover them.”Galileo Galilei

“I hear and I forget.I see and I remember.

I do and I understand.”Confucious

Mentorship