The Benefits of Having a Mentor

No one ever said you had to go it alone: Daniel LaRusso had Mr. Miyagi, Rocky had Mighty Mick, Bill & Ted had Rufus, Happy had Chubbs, Wedding Crashers John and Jeremy had Chazz…who will you have?

We’ve got some great ways to connect to alumni who are happy, ready, and willing to be mentors to YOU. Among B-Link‘s many different ways to connect with alumni, you can also use the  Career Center Search to specifically search for those willing to be mentors. We also have BisonConnect (which can only be accessed through myBucknell), an additional database of Bucknell alumni and parents who have volunteered to serve as “human” resources to help students  learn about career paths, organizations and/or specific industries.

Mentoring can be formal or informal.  B-Link and Bison Connect represent a more formal structure you can use to hjelp take advantage of  opportunities to connect with Bucknellians willing to share their experiences and be a resource for you. In other instances, you may gravitate towards someone informally and periodically seek their perspectives on different issues. These ad hoc “mentoring” situations can be just as informative and useful as well. Either way, mentors can be excellent sources of advice who may offer interesting ideas based on their own experience and knowledge.While mentoring can be great from a career perspective, don’t overlook additional benefits. Mentors may be interested in your growth and development as a person and can possibly offer their thoughts on any variety of subjects. Once you identify additional, shared interests, you’ll find your discussions may expand to encompass a wider array of topics.

The strongest mentor/mentee relationships develop over extended periods of time. Definitely seek out opportunities to connect with a mentor – you may find it a rewarding experience that serves you well both now and in the future.

If you have any questions or need help getting started we are here to help! Stop in, call (577-1238) or email (cdc@bucknell.edu)

Adapted from an article by David Ross; Original post appeared in Penn Career Services Blog

Posted by on December 11, 2009
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