What the heck is a group mentoring program?
In group mentoring, an experienced professional acts as a mentor, and offers advice and guidance based on his/her own experience from working life for a small group of mentees (maximum four students). A mentee i.a. an actor is responsible for his/her own learning and his own activity is very important.
There are several mentoring groups, with many nationalities. The mentoring language will be mainly in English
BENEFITS OF MENTORING
Mentoring can help you as an actor, to examine your strengths and areas for development and encourage you to take on new challenges. Also, the mentors can get new energy and new perspectives on their own work through actors.
On the general level the mentoring program aims to promote the actor´s skills in
- job search and to become aware on different career options and paths
- development of professional skills and finding one’s own strengths
- development of interaction and communication skills
- the construction of a professional networks
- building self-confidence and self-knowledge
In addition to the mentor’s support, group mentoring also provides peer support and new views on issues that are discussed in the group.
ACTOR’S ROLE
We expect from you as an actor:
- commitment to the mentoring program and group meetings
- taking an active role in the mentoring group
- openness and a desire to share one’s own expectations and goals with the other participating in the mentoring group
- to understand that you cannot expect a job offer or an internship from the mentor, but mentoring is about sharing working life experiences and spurring you in the first steps of your career.
Apply to the mentoring programme spring 2024 – application period 7-27 November 2023
Application for spring 2024 group mentoring programme is open from 7 to 27 November 2023. International degree programme students in Eastern Finland can apply for the program.
You can apply if you are ready to actively plan your future and share your career aims in a group. In addition, you commit to participate in mentoring meetings in January-May approximately once a month.
The mentors leading the groups have signed up from diverse backgrounds and they are professionals from different fields. You will be placed to a mentoring group according to the following criteria:
- According to your own preference regarding the mentor
- Your commitment and motivation to the mentoring programme
- Registration order
Take a look at the profiles of the mentors´ from the link below and tell us the number of the five mentors you are most interested in when registering. We try to divide the groups so that each student gets the mentor they want. The mentoring groups can work face to face or online according to their own decision.
The application form asks for personal and study information, as well as your motives for participating in the mentoring program and your expectations for mentoring. Your answers are very important, as they will be used in group formation and some of your answers will also be sent to your mentor.
Apply for group mentoring here
The schedule of the programme is the following
- Online mentoring training for actors on Tue. 12th December 2023 at 2 pm – 4 pm
- Online kick-off meeting on Wed. 17th January 2024 at 2pm – 4pm
- 4 to 6 mentoring meetings with your own group. You can choose together with your group whether you want to meet face-to-face or online
- Online intermediate meeting for both mentors and actors on Wed. 13th March 2024 at 2pm – 4pm
- Final meeting on Thu. 16th May 2024 at 2pm – 5pm at the UEF premices (AU112 in Joensuu, CA305 in Kuopio)
Additional information about the actor search: minna.tarvainen@savonia.fi (Savonia students), marko.pietila@uef.fi (UEF students)
