“I didn’t encounter such a mentoring scheme when I prepared for my career,” said Qin Kong, a 2012 UIC graduate and a marketing director of Colgate-Palmolive (China) Co. Ltd. “I came across some obstacles at that time. Now I’m glad that I can be part of this scheme to help current students.”
The UIC Alumni Career Mentoring Scheme, initiated on 30 May, allows some 60 undergraduate students to seek advice from 18 alumni who are either serving in companies in diversified industries or pursuing a PhD degree.
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| Alumni mentors advise undergraduate mentees at the UIC Alumni Career Mentoring Scheme |
According to UIC Associate Vice President Prof Lilian Kwan, most of the alumni mentors have a few years of work experience and understand the current employment situation and job market needs. The career mentoring scheme provides a chance for better communication between students, alumni and the college.
The scheme organiser, the Student Career Section of UIC’s Four-Point Education Coordination Office, facilitates the best possible matches of alumni and undergraduates in terms of industry field of engagement and job nature.
Year Two student Zhuo from the Applied Economics Programme appreciated her mentor’s genuine enthusiasm about sharing their work experience. She started to map out her future thanks to the mentor’s advice on career planning.
Each mentor takes care of one to six mentees. In the future, the matching groups will organise mock interview sessions and gatherings as well as having more communication via social media for a continual mentoring process.
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| Participants and organisers at the alumni career mentoring scheme |
Photographer: Du Shasha (IJ, Year 2)
Editor: Deen He
(from MPRO, with special thanks to Samuel Burgess)
