How was your mentorship?

Inquired by mentee Theresa Boiger

How did you and your mentor organize your mentorship?

After the start of the mentorship, we wrote to each other about every two months to see if we could meet. That then went on for about a year. In that time, we met six to seven times. For me, that was a very good, continuous rhythm, seeing each other about every two months. After that, we unofficially ended the mentorship and saw each other again at the online networking event "ESCAPE the Office."

What were topics in your mentorship?

In the beginning, we talked about USW, about our field. But because I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to go yet, I then asked very general questions, such as "How can you get along well with colleagues in the workplace?", "How do you behave in certain professional situations?" "What are the general conditions at work like?" or even how my mentor plans to achieve her goals. My mentor then told me what it's like at her company now [note: automotive industry] and what it was like before that at university when she worked there. For example, she told me about the differences in priority setting or corporate communications. Also, for example, that in her current industry there is more emphasis on business attire than in college.

Did you have a mentoring log in which you recorded your findings?

I didn't keep a logbook in the sense that I continuously wrote something down. Rather, I did it in such a way that I already had a certain topic before our meetings. To do that, I thought of questions, sent them to my mentor, and then took notes on those questions at the meeting. So I have notes from all the meetings of my mentor's answers, which have helped me.

Has your mentorship sharpened your professional image for USW alumni?

I don't know if I would put it that way. I would say more the other way around. It was more of a "look beyond" and gave me a broader view with all the trappings. The view was rather opened, in all possible directions. But that may be study specific because with USW you can go into so many different industries.

Was there anything you missed in the mentoring program?

During my mentoring period, we had fewer networking events than planned due to the pandemic. That was a shame. It would have been nice to have several of these events where you could get to know the others. I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to go at the beginning of the mentorship. So I wanted to get more vision through the mentoring program. Getting to know other mentor:s, as planned, would of course have been very helpful for that.  

Would you like to say something in conclusion?

I think it's great in itself that the program exists. That you can simply, even without concrete ideas, start a mentorship. Even writing to someone can often be a hurdle.

Theresa Boiger has bachelor's degrees in USW geography and USW business administration. After completing her master's degree in USW, she spontaneously applied for a PhD position and is now working in a research team evaluating the sustainability of using wood as a raw material for functional components in the automotive industry.