There are many reasons why access to CySpace, the ISU Alumni Association’s online community, is a great benefit of Student Alumni Association membership – and one of the best might be the opportunity to find an ISU alumnus to serve as your career mentor through the Alumni Mentor Program.
More than 1,000 alumni have created searchable mentor profiles that will help you find a working professional who can help prepare you for your future career and offer you personal insight in your professional field of choice.
To search for a mentor, simply log on to CySpace and click on “Online Directory” and “Advanced Search.” You can customize your search as much as you want, but be sure to change the search field for “Willing to be contacted for mentoring” to “yes.” Searching only on the mentor field will produce the most results, while tailoring your search will give you more limited returns.
When you find a potential mentor to contact, be sure to:
- Clearly identify yourself.
- Tell the alum you found his or her name by searching the online Alumni Mentor Program listings through the ISU Alumni Association.
- If the contact is by phone, ask if this is a good time to talk.
- Determine in advance if you are calling to:
- Interview the person to determine if you would be interested in asking this person to be your mentor.
- Ask the alum to be your mentor.
- Confirm your address and telephone number with the alum if you both wish further contact.
Take advantage of this great opportunity. It’s a lifetime investment!
