Joining the mentorship program impacted me more than I thought it would and I would highly recommend everyone to join. My mentor answered any questions that I had, provided me with great advice, and feedback. I improved my interviewing skills, was able to get advice that ranged from financial to career, and learned how to calmly approach non-ideal situations.
The mentorship program this semester provided me with the perfect opportunity to get to know a professional who I can look up to and go to with any advice I may need. I really appreciate the support and security I feel having a mentor who is willing to be there to help guide me and give me a look at their experience in HR. My mentor helped me take more time to recognize my accomplishments and gave me helpful advice when I asked about my internship and future in HR. I’m excited to see how our relationship grows past this program!
The mentorship program impacted me by giving me the opportunity to ask burning questions that I have in the HR field to professionals who have had hands-on experience to compare to the academic world. Having one-on-one opportunities to meet makes me feel much more open to asking specific questions that I would otherwise feel not as comfortable asking in an open meeting. As a learning student, talking to an HR professional inspires me to further my profession as an HR major.
"The mentorship program helped me construct a pinnacle pillar in my bridge to becoming a professional. My mentor, Betsy Canfield demonstrated the highest quality "human" in human resources. I never thought an undergraduate junior with only a few years of part time experience could develop a LinkedIn profile desirable to recruiters. However, after 3 meetings of Betsy refining every detail of my skills, knowledge, and experiences into a harmonious LinkedIn page she proved me wrong. Since the mentorship program I have been contacted by four different recruiters on LinkedIn asking to set up an interview with me for a possible internship in Human Resources. My second three sessions with Betsy were spent rigorously practicing my interview skills preparing me for any challenges in the hiring process. I am looking forward to participing in the mentorship program again and would recommend it to not just all HR majors, but any student seeking to become a professional."
"I had the opportunity to have Jane Fan as my mentor. I was so glad to be paired up with her because from the initial meeting she was very friendly and helpful—which are ideal characteristics to find in an HR manager. Jane exercised her expertise by providing me with real life HR experience, and I felt comfortable going to her & asking any questions I had. She assisted in touching up my resume to attract recruiters, create a LinkedIn account and help me apply for internships. We bonded through the semester and would meet up at cafe’s to work on future goals”
Even though I started the program midway, I already gained so much from it. My mentor, Olga, is very nice and willing to work on anything I want. Olga is using her 25 years experience in HR to help me with my resume, cover letter, and job search. I was lucky to be in the mentorship program and in a short time I learned valuable things.
The SHRM mentor experience was a great way for me to get some insight on the professional business HR world. John Drexler was a remarkable mentor who constantly challenged me to grasp HR concepts and understand how I can be successful in the business world. I am thankful for this experience and gained a lot of knowledge on how to pursue my future aspirations!
"I have learned so much from my mentor by participating in the SHRM Mentorship Program. I am so glad SHRM offers this, and it's really a great opportunity to learn new things, connect with great people, and develop a strong relationship with an established business professional. Throughout the 6 week program, I met up with my mentor every week for an hour and a half. Not only did he take his time out to mentor me in person, but we would also have hour phone calls. He shared and taught me new things from his own experiences, and taught me valuable lessons that I could not have learned in my classes. He also helped me out by giving me helpful advice with the different situations I was going through with my current HR internship. Every week he would give me different assignments to work on too, which helped me with my career growth and development. I really enjoyed learning and working with my mentor, and I could not have asked for a better mentor! I would definitely advise SHRM members to participate in the Mentorship Program."
"This was my first time in the mentoring program, and I initially did not know what to expect. Overall, I had a wonderful time and here are some of my tips. Once you are connected to an amazing mentor, you should identify some goals that you have, and your mentor can provide you with the resources and connections to achieve those goals. In my experience, I shared with my mentors the HR functions that I am interested in, and she connected me with several of her colleagues. From there, I conducted informational interviews to know more about the field and general career advices. All of these insights helped me tremendously in defining a clearer career path."
"My mentor's insights on her academic and work career were beneficial. She gave me advice on professors and scheduling classes. She also gave me advice on time management and she shared her eagerness when she first applied for internships, while taking lower division classes, which made me feel better because she had difficulties landing an internship at that time. She was very responsive through text messages, when I asked her advice on an interview. She also critiqued my resume."
We want to hear from you---please fill out the form below to share your thoughts and memories from your participation in the SHRM at SJSU Mentor Program. Feel free to include any tips and suggestions for those considering to apply for the opportunity to meet with a mentor. Both mentors and mentees are encouraged to provide their experiences.
Your feedback is very appreciated!
The Society for Human Resource Management at San Jose State University is dedicated to the development and advancement of its members into successful human resources professionals by: providing opportunities to broaden and strengthen their skills network with human resource professionals and gain valuable experience as student leaders.
The Society for Human Resource Management at San Jose State University, or SHRM at SJSU, seeks to develop its student-members into successful HR members. SHRM at SJSU is a student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, or SHRM. SHRM at SJSU is also an affiliate of the Northern California Human Resources Association of Santa Clara Valley Chapter, or the NCHRA of Santa Clara Valley.
Students are given the opportunity to network with professionals and other students who share their interest in Human Resources. SHRM at SJSU brings in different guest speakers to talk about current trends and practices in various industries. Students also benefit from leadership, internship and scholarship opportunities.
