Mentorship & Career Development Opportunities for Students
Purpose:
Connecting students with impactful alumni who are continuing the work of service and social justice after their time at Yale. Through this program, we will match students with alumni leaders in fields of interest to them for 15-minute informational interviews. This is not a job interview or job search, but rather, an opportunity to explore your interests and ideas in a low pressure yet professional environment and to learn from leaders in the social sector!
Process:
- You can opt into the program after filling out this survey!
- A member of our team will meet with you to learn more about your interest in mentorship and service, and what you’re hoping to gain from this program
- We come together to make personalized, hand-selected matches based on overlapping areas of interest and overall career goals!
- The Mentorship Team sends an introductory email with an invitation to schedule in the next two weeks.
- We send you a calendar invitation, and you show up to your meeting ready to make the most of your time!
Preparation:
It is important to prepare accordingly when someone has offered you their time. Students are busy! So, too, are alumni operating in the professional world. Students: review your questions beforehand–understanding that some will naturally arise as the discussion unfolds–so that you are able to maximize your time together. Be on time (log onto the meeting early), check your Wi-Fi connection beforehand, and ensure you have everything ready in front of you to conduct your interview—a notebook and pen, water, a fidget toy, whatever you need to be successful and focused. Preparation is key!
During the Interview:
- Introduce yourself with your name, residential college, major/areas of interest; all of these are, of course, important. Please do also feel invited to share more about yourself beyond those preliminary things. Who are you? Where’s home? What role does service play in your life? The goal here is to begin crafting relationships with one another.
- Ask questions that are interesting to you! This is your opportunity to learn, so make the most of it. Here is a list of questions prepared by the Office of Career Strategy. This list is not exhaustive, but it is a great foundation to begin with. Don’t be afraid to ask an open-ended question and to let the conversation flow naturally.
- Be mindful of time—yours and theirs. We understand it can be difficult to ask all of your questions, or even to get to know someone, in just 15 minutes. At the same time, these interviews are meant to be short and informative! You should take care to be respectful of the time you’ve allotted for the conversation, and that of the alumna/us you’re speaking with. If you have further questions or would like to set up another time to talk, you can absolutely do so.
After the interview:
It is customary to send a message of some kind following your meeting, both to thank your interviewee for their time and, hopefully, for the knowledge you’ve gained through speaking with them. This follow-up can be as simple as a thank you and a note about something you enjoyed or learned from the conversation.
Example:
Dear Mx. Hall,
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today! I enjoyed learning more about your advocacy work in New Haven. It helped deepen my understanding of what food justice work looks like in action. I am looking forward to connecting with you again in the future.
All my best,
Dwight
With any questions about the mentorship program, please reach out to: Jude Meares-Garcia, Dwight Hall Programming Fellow: Daisy Gemberling Webb,