After a successful Spring 2018 launch, Lehigh Connects — an engagement and mentor community for alumni and students — is gearing up for the upcoming fall! Here is what you need to know about how to join Lehigh Connects, build a strong profile, and engage alumni and students in mentorship connections. If you have any questions, please contact Danielle Kroo at dak417@lehigh.edu.
Join the Community Today!
The program serves everyone, regardless of location, industry, or years of experience. If you are a young professional or a seasoned pro, students and alumni may look to you for advice on a wide range of topics. We are growing a diverse mentor community that represents a wide array of industries and experience levels from locations all over the world. Visit go.lehigh.edu/lehighconnects to get started today!
Develop Your Mentor Profile
Well-developed mentor profiles are more likely to interest students and alumni. Once you’re signed up on Lehigh Connects, go to your profile and make sure you add the following:
- A profile picture
- 1-3 job titles with brief descriptions
- Link to your LinkedIn profile
- “More About You” section (campus activities, clubs, orgs, etc)
- “How Can I Help” section (i.e. add help topic “Interviewing” to participate in mock interview days in September)
Be Patient
Though it is the summer, connections may happen rapidly once the semester begins. Over 600 students joined the program within the first four months of us launching Lehigh Connects, and the Career Center expects that number to double during the 2018-19 academic year. This means that students will be actively connecting to mentors throughout the upcoming semester. A message or meeting request could happen quickly or later in the semester, so it’s important for mentors to be prepared. Choose notification settings for email and/or text messages to receive fast alerts for connection requests.
Contribute to Career Education
It should be expected that the students may not be networking pros. Be ready to share advice and answer questions on networking, career exploration, and career preparation steps. Be willing to assist, encourage, and support students who are still figuring out their career plan and how to identify a career interest.
You are NOT expected to hire. A lot of students will use Lehigh Connects as part of job or internship search, but mentors are never expected to hire. Instead, students are encouraged to ask mentors for advice, job/internships leads, resume feedback or mock interview assistance. Feel free to tap students into your professional network or make introductions if that is appropriate. If you have jobs available, starting on August 15th, you can post open positions and other opportunities using Lehigh Connects!
Flash Mentoring is Popular
Rather than matching a student with a single long-term mentor, Lehigh Connects offers flash mentorship options like the general messaging feature and single meeting requests. Flash mentor options have been popular, especially for students exploring multiple career options.
Come to Campus
The upcoming fall semester has several opportunities for mentors to participate in on-campus events. Save the date for these upcoming events:
- Lehigh Career Fair (September 13th)
- Mock Interviews (September 14th thru September 21st)
- Lehigh Career Conversations in Sustainability (September 26)
- Lehigh Wall Street Council Financial Services Forum (Oct. 6)
- Speed Interviewing with the Gender Equality office, PRIDE Center, and Multicultural Office (Oct. 29)
- Mentor Meet Up (Nov. 5)
Mentors are an important part of helping students and alumni be successful. We hope you will consider participating on Lehigh Connects soon. If you have any questions, please contact Danielle Kroo at dak417@lehigh.edu.