University of Helsinki
Group mentoring is one way to help students make their transition from studies to working life. Mentors themselves also benefit from it.
Why mentoring?
Based on the feedback of the previous group mentoring programmes the programme provides a rewarding learning experience for the mentor as well as for the students.
”A mutual learning process; I become more aware of my competences; good, open discussion.”
”Mentoring was a positive experience. We agreed on topics together, and the mentees had a central role in the group as they provided peer feedback for one another. I was able to provide very concrete job interview assistance to one of the mentees as I was familiar with the organisation she was applying to.”
For more information on the contents of the group mentoring programme, please see the page Group Mentoring.
Mentoring is beneficial
Mentors may receive new ideas and thoughts from actors during the
mentoring process. Mentors can often analyze their own careers better after
mentoring and consider their own plans for the future from a new perspective.
Working as a mentor is a valuable experience that can provide mentors with genuine pleasure from being able to help someone. Simultaneously, they receive a direct connection to students and current university studies.
Mentoring can also develop the interaction and leadership skills of a mentor and teach him/her a new working method. The mentoring experience also provides provisions for knowledge management, which may be useful in work life when, for example, developing the competence of subordinates and organizing performance appraisals.
The mentor is not an employment agent, a sponsor, a manager, a work or student counsellor, a tutor or a therapist. The mentor’s task is to simply share his/her personal experiences and knowledge, not make decisions on the actor’s behalf or strongly guide the actor toward a particular direction. In addition, the mentor should not criticize the actor’s choices, although the mentor can encourage the actor to think about things in new ways. The actor is personally responsible for his/her learning process and how he/she makes use of what he/she has learned during mentoring later in life. It is important for students to be very active in the mentoring process.
Applying to the programme
The group mentoring season starts every November and continues until May. We will inform about the application period for mentors in August-September, and the application period for students will open in September-October. You can find information about this on the page Apply to the programme.
For more information please contact Helsinki Alumni Liaison Officer Marja Peltomäki, marja.peltomaki(at)helsinki.fi.
