Definition of Mentorship

Mentorship is a connection between two or more people who focus on career growth and development for a determined amount of time. A mentor is expected to share their time and knowledge, offer valuable ideas and advice based on their real-world experiences, listen carefully and ask open-ended questions, which assists their mentee in thinking about their Northwestern direction.

Why a Mentorship Program?

The Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA) is focused on engaging Northwestern alumni and offering them meaningful opportunities to stay connected with one another and the University, as well as providing continued education, professional connections, and resources. The Mentorship Program was designed to help alumni connect with fellow alumni in their specific industry, to facilitate professional connections, assist alumni in growing professionally and offering resources for development.

A strong mentorship program has the power to mutually benefit mentors and mentees:

• Students and alumni mentees have the opportunity to receive advice, guidance, and perspective from their mentors.
• Alumni mentors have an opportunity to share their story and invest their time in a rewarding relationship with an alumnus/a or student who is eager to learn from them, as well as mutually learn from the mentee about their industry, profession, and perspective.

Why Is Mentorship Important?

There are countless publications that validate the significance and value of mentorship. But the easiest way to prove that mentorship is important is to ask yourself, “What advice do I wish someone would have given me when I … graduated from college … first started my career … made a significant career transition?” More than likely you have a number of ideas that come to mind. Imagine how valuable it would have been to be given helpful advice at that time of your life – that value speaks to the power of mentorship. Mentoring gives you the opportunity to share your knowledge and advice with someone who is about to embark down the same path you traveled, and this is your chance to help them along the way.