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Professional Mentorship

Professional Mentoring

The mission of the professional mentorship program is to facilitate meaningful relationships between experienced alumni, current students, and recent graduates with a focus on character development, career advancement, and community building.


Basic Overview
Timeline and Communication
Quick Start Guide
Mentor Expectations
Getting Started
Ground Rules for Partnership
FAQs

Basic Overview

What is a mentorship?

A mentorship is a collaborative relationship that facilitates mutual learning, critical reflection, and growth. There are numerous benefits to be gained by being a mentor.

  • Helping to identify and refine the mentee’s career goals and sharing industry knowledge
  • Improving your mentoring, coaching, and reflection skills
  • Expanding your professional network
  • Helping students and young alumni during transition periods in their early careers
  • Connecting with Pensacola Christian College and the PCC family

Program Details

A mentorship begins when a student requests you to mentor them. You are welcome to continue the relationship with your mentee for whatever length of time you choose, but we ask that you commit to the relationship for at least three months. We suggest reaching out to a mentee a minimum of three times after your initial contact, even if it’s just checking in on them. This will help you build rapport as you develop a relationship with them.

Timeline

Make sure your profile is up to date by the first week of each semester (Approximately August 27 and January 26 each year).

Mentor selection from students will occur at the beginning of the semester, with a deadline of requesting a mentor by the end of the second week of each semester. The mentoring relationship should be committed to for a minimum of 3 months or a semester.

Communication

Communication between mentors and mentees is flexible, and you can choose what will work best for you and your mentee. This could include video calls, phone calls, direct messages on Alumni Connect, emails, texts, or even in-person meetings, if possible. You can easily reach out to your mentee by going to their Alumni Connect profile and clicking on the small icons below their name to schedule a chat. Make sure to edit your communication settings on Alumni Connect to ensure that you are receiving notifications from your mentee and the Alumni Association Office.

You will find it helpful to download the Alumni Connect app, so that you receive those notifications in real time.

We recommend making it a priority to make your first meeting with a mentor by video call (or if geography allows, an in-person meeting!) Connecting face-to-face will help you establish a more personal connection.

Professional Mentorship
Quick Start Guide

Register

Step 1. Log in to the Alumni Association.

Register or log in to alumni.pcci.edu to set up your profile.
Pro tip: log in with your LinkedIn account to bring over your career experience and profile details.

Update Profile

Step 2. Set up your mentoring profile.

Complete or update your profile by clicking on “Edit Profile” on the top right.

  • If you didn’t log in with LinkedIn, you will need to upload a professional photo and complete your professional, academic, and volunteer experience.
  • Under the “Offer Mentorship” section, check the areas you are willing to offer mentorship.
  • Make sure to click “Save” at the bottom of the page to save all changes.
Wait for Requests

Step 3. Introduce yourself.

Join the Mentee/Mentor group.

Increase your opportunity to connect with a student mentee by posting an introduction of yourself to the group to encourage students to connect with you.

Await student mentor request(s).

Mentor Expectations

A mentor is an Alumni Association member who is looking to give back to students through sharing degree program or career advice and expertise. Sharing both your successes and failures can help someone on their journey. You can make a difference in someone’s life, and we are grateful that you are lending a hand! Your role is to support your mentee and provide guidance based on their individual needs and questions. You can support your mentee by:

  • Identifying their needs (résumé advice, professional connections, workplace advice, etc.), strengths, and areas for growth
  • Sharing your work experiences (the good and the bad!)
  • Defining clear objectives, encouraging them to commit to action points, and directing them to the Career Services Office for additional help when needed
  • Being a good listener
  • Helping your mentee realize their potential with a non-judgmental approach

Mentor Role and Responsibilities

Mentors should:

  • Establish and maintain appropriate boundaries and build rapport with your mentee.
  • Be encouraging and supportive in your communication.
  • Commit to the program for a minimum of 3 months or a semester (or the duration agreed on by both parties).
  • Communicate regularly throughout the mentorship and sustain the frequency of contact agreed on by you and your mentee. Please notify your mentee of any changes or cancellations to any communications that were agreed upon.
  • Inform the Alumni Office of any conflict or intention to withdraw from the Mentorship Program.

Mentors should not:

  • Pass on confidential information shared by your mentee.
  • Adopt an overbearing stance, or attempt to make your mentee’s decisions for them.
  • Undermine the confidence of your mentee.
  • Use the mentee’s position to take advantage.

Getting Started

Below is an example of an introductory message you could send a student who has requested you as their mentor. Once you have accepted that request, we suggest setting up a time for an introductory video call. During your introductory call, we recommend defining expectations regarding the frequency of your sessions, the length of each session, and a few points on the guidance the mentee is seeking. This will give you background knowledge to use for the subsequent sessions.

Example intro message you can send via Alumni Connect:

Subject Line | PCC Mentorship Program
Hello! Thank you for reaching out. I look forward to getting to know you and helping you on your career journey. I’d like to begin by finding a time for us to meet via a call to set up some expectations for our interactions and to learn more about what type of mentorship you’re seeking. I’m available the following days and times.

  • [Day of the week], [Month] [Date] @[Time]
  • [Day of the week], [Month] [Date] @[Time]
  • [Day of the week], [Month] [Date] @[Time]

Let me know if any of these work well for you. I hope to hear back from you soon!
Regards,
[Your Name]

Setting Objectives

During and following your introductory call, it’s helpful to get to know your mentee and help them identify clear objectives. Here are some starter questions to help you learn what your mentee is seeking.

  • What areas are you hoping to grow in during this mentorship?
  • What challenges or uncertainties do you face?
  • Where do you hope to be in 5 years? 10 years?
  • What are your top hard skills and top soft skills?
  • Can you identify areas for growth and why those areas are especially challenging for you (computer/program skills, patience, collaborative mindset/teamwork, networking, etc.)?

Suggested Session Discussion Topics for Mentors

Once you feel that you understand your mentee’s objectives and where they are at in their journey, you can begin thinking ahead towards your follow-up sessions. It is up to you and your mentee to set the tone for how the remainder of your sessions will be used, but we recommend coming to each session with a topic to guide your time and discussion. Below are examples of session topics:

  • The making of a solid résumé and cover letter
  • How to stand out in an interview
  • Networking in a virtual world
  • Being a Christian in a secular work environment
  • When to look for a change of industry
  • What to expect when entering the workforce
  • How to build trust among new colleagues
  • Soft skills every employer looks for in a candidate and how to strengthen those skills

Ground Rules for Partnership

Participants of the Mentorship Program on Alumni Connect are expected to abide by the ground rules established by the PCC Alumni Office. The rules include:

  • Maintaining confidentiality of all communications with my mentee. However, if any details are cause for concern for the safety, welfare, and/or health of the mentee, it is my responsibility to inform the Alumni Office immediately at alumni@pcci.edu or 850-479-6501.
  • Being a positive influence and serving as a Christian role model to my mentee by providing encouragement and support in pursuing their goals.
  • Focusing communications with my mentee on career insights, knowledge of industry, and recruitment processes.
  • Remaining professional in all communications.
  • Never working beyond the bounds of my capability, experience, or expertise to the point where I cannot provide the mentee with appropriate support. If needed, I will seek advice or refer mentees to the Alumni Office.
  • Understanding that professionalism and Christian testimony is to be maintained during and beyond the termination of any mentoring relationship.

FAQs

Students seeking a mentor will be the ones reaching out to you. Increase your opportunity to connect with a student mentee by posting an introduction of yourself to the Mentee/Mentor group on Alumni Connect to encourage students to connect with you.

The more information you provide about yourself, the more likely that you’ll have mentees reach out.

It’s easy to set up your Mentor profile to include more information about yourself.

  • Sign in to your profile at alumni.pcci.edu.
  • Edit your profile, scroll to the Offer Mentoring/Seek Mentoring section, and let us know what you’re looking to offer (résumé advice, introductions, etc.).
  • The more detailed professional information you provide in your profile (company name, industry, etc.), the better. Sign in with LinkedIn to bring over your career experience and professional profile. Or add this information to your profile with a photo.

If a student connected with you and you are having trouble connecting with them or have not heard back from them since the initial contact, please contact us. We’ll be happy to help you connect with them.

While we recommend trying to build rapport with your mentee, we understand that not every fit will be perfect. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with details on the situation, and we’ll be happy to assist or connect you with a new mentee.

We love our enthusiastic students, but we want to protect your time! Revisit your agreement regarding frequency of communications together or contact us for assistance.

We understand that sometimes life gets busy. We recommend reaching out to your mentee, explaining your situation, and letting them know that you will be stepping away for a time. Email us and let us know about your situation, and we can end your mentorship and adjust your mentoring settings on the Alumni Connect platform.

Contact Alumni Office

 850-479-6501
 alumni@pcci.edu