Welcome to the 2021 Online Mentoring program!
We are offering 5th (3rd online) offering of GPS-STEM mentoring program! The program provides professional mentoring to PhD students/postdoctoral scientists and opportunities to connect/reconnect with alumni.
Program Overview: In today’s workforce STEM PhDs are employed within a variety of fields including: Science Policy, Medical Device companies, Science Communications, Data Science, Consulting, Intellectual property law, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Sciences – to name a few! It’s a transformative time for scientific training and UC Irvine embraces diverse career paths by inviting PhD and Postdoctoral alumni & other professionals to participate in the mentoring program, for inspiring the next generation of scientific professionals.
We aim to recruit industry professionals, higher education leaders, faculty (research & teaching) (alumni or non-alumni) holding diverse positions who are willing to give their time, knowledge and expertise to mentor current trainees. We believe our program will increase career awareness as well as create a community where not only current trainees, but also alumni can expand their networks.
Goals: To address the gap between excellent research training and lack of exposure to diverse job sectors, our mentorship program pairs current trainees with industry professionals.
- Increase awareness of career paths emanating out of PhD/Postdoc training.
- Build a supportive community where mentors and mentees can openly discuss career advancement and preparedness.
- Learn about mentor’s career and many ways mentee can transition successfully.
- Encourage and expand e-networking between mentees & mentors.
To participate in the mentoring program, please sign-up below. We will be in touch with announcements for the next steps
Prospective Mentees Register here
The program will include self-paced 4 structured sessions (45 mins each) after which, mentor-mentee dyads can let the professional relationship develop organically and stay in touch. The program duration ranges from 4-8 weeks (depending on the availability of mentors). After matching Mentors & Mentees, the program will be launched.
Effective Communications Training: Dos & Don’t of Communication with Mentor. Bri McWhorter, MFA (Activate to Captivate) & Harinder Singh, PhD (Director, GPS-STEM)
Program Launch (30 mins x 4 rounds): eNetworking event to help participants identify mentors & mentees
- Prospective mentors & mentees meet in Zoom breakout rooms to introduce themselves (ice-breaking)
- At the end of the event, Mentors & mentees dyads will be formed based on mentoring preferences
- Mentee contacts mentor for availability (1-on-1 sessions) & setup calls (phone or Zoom) on their own
Mentoring Session 1 (45 mins ): Introductions & Career exploration
- Mentor – Mentee introductions
- Mentor shares their career journey, current job and company info
- Mentee shares their strengths, skills, interests and career(s) of choice (If known)
Mentoring Session 2 (45 mins): Informational Interview* – Job specific questions
- In-depth details of the mentor’s job sector including responsibilities, tasks, jargon used
- Skills needed at the job
- Transferrable skills mentees can use to transition into jobs
- Myth-busting and addressing insecurities – Effects on COVID19 crisis on the hiring process
*Best practices in informational interviews
Mentoring Session 3 (45 mins): Application process
- Discuss application process for jobs – online application vs. reference/connections
- Steps & players – Recruiter, Human Resources, Hiring Manager & other
- How to effectively use your network – connections, referrals
- Feedback on the application docs (Resume, Cover letter) and tips on how to tailor it to a specific job
- Interviewing tips.
Mentoring Session 4 (45 mins): Transition mechanisms
- Mentors suggest strategies on how to transition to career of choice
- LinkedIn profile feedback . Effective use of LinkedIn platform & steps to build connections
- Networking is your Net worth! Tips on networking/e-networking – how to find connections, resources plus how to organize informational interviews with relevant people in company (HR, Hiring Manager, professionals)
Networking e-social : At the end, mentees will meet for debriefing/catching up sessions to discuss the value of the program plus share their special mentoring experiences with their peers. This would serve as a space for each mentee to learn about others’ mentoring experiences. Additionally, based on every mentor’s availability (keeping in mind their time), we will try to organize a mentor-mentee e-networking session