At the kick-off event, we received materials that should help to plan the meetings in a more structured way. They included several topics for discussion that served as a kind of a guide to set up more feasible questions and clear objectives. Although I consider them to be valuable as a starting point, with my assigned mentor we decided to primary follow my ‘urgent’ inquires checking the given list now and then. I definitely needed a fresh perspective on how to improve my profile and feel more confident during the job search process.
Together with my mentor, we had informal meetings averagely once per month over the academic year in some cozy places in the city center. We were grabbing a cup of coffee and talking about things that we considered to be crucial for improving my professional portfolio and own confidence. However, this flexibility was always in line with the overall pre-defined structure that we followed quite strictly.
Thus, we outlined three main goals to achieve at the end of the programme.
We started with my CV and it took almost three meetings of the in-depth analyses to improve it up to the level both of us wished it would be. The style, the format, the content – almost every part was modified. Once my mentor told me, that CV drafting is the ongoing process and sometimes you need to rest your mind in order to see it with new eyes. So true!
Then, we moved to my cover letter modification. It was also a pretty challenging job to write a compelling draft that should be only slightly altered depending on the positions I am applying for.
Finally, we looked at recruitment channels and spent a lot of time discussing interview questions, how to prepare for an interview, and how to interact during the interview. This helped me a lot in several interview rounds I successfully passed for one international company. Thus, I was ready for such questions as for example what are your main strengths/weaknesses? What are your salary expectations? Why did you decide to apply for this position? How your best friend would describe you in three words? We also prepared a list of questions I could ask in the interview about the company, working environment, etc.
With no doubts, both participants should invest and commit to achieving these goals and have good results at the end of the programme. Indeed, I am very happy that it was exactly my case.
To conclude, I wish everyone who feels a bit lost or has any challenges in the professional realization to participate in the mentorship programme. You will definitely have a fresh start!
Happy Summer and Greetings from sunny Italy! J
Jenni