"Speaking Truth to Power"

Alumni Services

Mentor Program

Welcome to the GSPP Alumni-Student Mentor Program!

Alumni Registration or,
Guidelines: Alumni Mentor Guidlines | Student Mentee Guidlines
Student Registration

In response to student interest, the GSPP Alumni Association (GSPPAA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the Fall 2005 launch of this new program. The goal of the mentoring program is to tap into the vast professional experience of GSPP alumni globally to help students in their career paths and academic choices by sharing career advice, job-search strategies and other tips. We know you are busy. You can indicate the number of mentees you would like to have and the method of communication (phone, email, a chat over coffee, etc.) that suits your convenience.

Mentor Registration

Register On-Line or,
Download Registration Form (Microsoft Word Document)

Alumni can register on-line or download the registration form. This form will be used to create a profile for each mentor, which GSPP students will review.

You will need a username and password to register on-line. If you do not have a username and password, please email: goldalum@berkeley.edu to have one set up.

Once you have registered, your profile will be stored for students to review when choosing a mentor.

Students will complete their own registration form providing information such as professional background, policy area(s) and sector(s) of interest, educational background etc.

You will be contacted once you have been matched with a student.

Thank you for volunteering to mentor GSPP students, our future alumni!

Sincerely,

The GSPPAA Student Services Committee

Kate Blumenreich '02 (Chair)
Jon Elliott '80 / JD '81
Dave Gamson '86
Jed Harris '03
Mark Sawicki '03
Neal Taniguchi '85

ALUMNI MENTOR GUIDELINES

Once the student and alum have been informed of their match, they will meet and develop a mentoring relationship that works for them. The university-wide mentoring program offers helpful guidance, parts of which we have included here for your information.

The Matching Process

The matching process is designed so that students select their own mentor based on the profiles that potential mentors have completed. Students are the best judges of their preferences and needs. In addition, students can feel more responsible for their relationship with their mentor and more involved with the program.

Alumni mentors complete an Alumni Mentor Registration Form, which asks for information intended to familiarize students with the academic, career, and personal interests of that alum. In addition, alumni mentors indicate the type of services they are able to provide. Students review those biographies, and select three possible choices for their mentor. GSPP staff confirms their match, and sends a copy of the student profile that was completed to the alumni mentor.

The Initial Meeting

Once a match has been confirmed, and the information is sent to each participant, the student is responsible for contacting his/her mentor as soon as possible. Contact between the participants can be in the form of mailings, phone calls, e-mail, or personal meetings. The initial contact should be an informal one. It should be kept friendly and light-- the goal is to have both parties at ease with each other. At the end of the meeting, arrangements should be made for the second meeting for the purpose of discussing in more detail what each person, especially the student, wants to gain from the relationship.

The outline below is provided to assist you with some of the areas in which you can assist your mentee. You are not expected to assist in all the areas and it is not an exhaustive list. The outline is only a guide.

Academic Support and Personal Development

Helping to choose courses that will assist the student in meeting career goals
Identifying relevant research centers and other opportunities on campus
Assistance with learning effective problem-solving skills
Assistance with identifying his or her strengths and areas of improvement
Encouragement with goal setting and achievement of those goals

Career Development

Advising on career options
Discussing particular fields of interest
Sharing experiences of working in a particular field
Taking your mentee to work and having him/her "shadow" you for a day so that he or she can learn about a particular field
Guiding and supporting through the process of:
- Researching internships, summer positions, APAs and IPAs with specific employersSelecting specific employers to work for
- Developing resumes and cover letters
- Preparing for interviews
- Introducing your student to a variety of information and resources to assist him or her in preparing for specific careers/jobs

The following tools have been designed to assist mentors and students in clarifying expectations, setting goals and creating appropriate accompanying action.

Exploring Expectations And Goals

After the initial meeting the mentor and mentee are encouraged to discuss issues related to the expectations and goals of the relationship.

Questions for the Mentor and the Mentee To Ask of Each Other

What do you expect from this relationship?
How often would you like to meet?
Where should those meetings take place?
Who will initiate the contact?
Let's discuss some of any concerns about trying to establish this relationship?
If at any time we become uncomfortable with something in the relationship, how should we proceed?
Let's discuss what kind of relationship we would like this to be?

Helpful Questions Related To Career Goals Of The Student (Questions for the mentor to ask the student):

What are your plans for your professional future?
Do you need help in learning how to network?
What kind of network would you like to develop?
Are there specific contacts that you would like me to initiate?
What do you want to achieve?

Proceed to Alumni Mentor Registration

STUDENT MENTEE GUIDELINES