Chemical Engineering May 2020 - 53

dent's perspective of collaborating
with an industry mentor. Through programs
offered by universities around
the country and world, students who
sign up for a mentoring program can
be paired up with alumni or other
professionals who had experiences
similar to their own ambitions. After
a match-making process handled by
the school is completed, students
will find out who their mentor is and
then the process of connecting begins.
If properly taken advantage of
by the student mentee, the mentorship
can be a rewarding experience
for both parties.
Most college-age students who
reach out for a mentoring program
will do so because they have limited
background in their chosen field
and want access to someone who
does. The typical mentor available
to the students would be a person
who has a breadth of knowledge in
their field and wants to pass it down
to the younger generation. After
years of experience, their credentials
provide sufficient background
for the student to take their advice
seriously. It is reassuring for the student
to know that if they do have
any questions about situations they
encounter, chances are the mentor
has already seen it and will know
how to deal with it properly.
Not only has the mentor dealt with
industry-related issues that could
arise, but they also have vast experience
in making decisions for their
own personal career
path. In the decisionmaking
process for
finding an internship,
being able to have access
to someone who
has already had to
make these decisions
for themselves is very
helpful. This advice
will not only be available
for career opportunities
that arise
during school, but for
many years to come
after one finishes their
FIGURE 2. In communicating with a mentor, the mentee gains experience
in communicating with a professional colleague
education. Such guidance could
be invaluable for a young person's
career as they progress and have
harder choices to make.
Most people in college have very
little to no experience communicating
in a professional setting due to
the limitations of opportunities for
younger people. For example, while
working in early jobs in the service
fields, effective communication is
not of the utmost importance. In
communicating with a mentor, the
mentee gains experience in communicating
with a professional colleague
(Figure 2). Being able to
perfect the ability to craft clear and
concise messages in a casual setting
will enhance the mentee's ability
to do so in a more professional
setting long-term.
Going forward for the mentee,
knowing that they have the mentor's
support and guidance is very
comforting. Whether issues arise
in academic, professional or onsite
areas, knowing that their mentor
will have reliable advice for how
they should be dealt with is reassuring
for the mentee. For a lot of
young people there is a sense of
worry that comes with the uncertainty
of the future. However, with
the help of a mentor, young people
will be able to deal with issues that
arise with confidence as opposed
to tentativeness.
One of the most important attributes
for having long-term success
is having a dependable and diverse
network and any kind of insight that
is different to their own. That being
said, knowing the benefits of having
a mentor makes it an easy decision
to take advantage of this " free "
learning and support experience.
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Chemical Engineering May 2020

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