The MBA Mentoring Program, that has been established one year ago, proofed to be a reliable and efficient instrument of guidance and support for the 3rd semester MBA students. The program, that runs over a period for twelve months, aims at bringing together successful MBA graduates with ambitious current students. The graduates that take on the task of a mentor, pass on their knowledge and experience during this program.  “In answering the questions, I had to ensure my thoughts were clear. It is obvious I have the experience, but it helped me articulate what I have learned”, states one of the mentors in a survey that was conducted in the end of the first round of the Mentoring Program. The program is characterized by an intensive, challenging and mutually rewarding relationship of trust between mentor and mentee. “Coaching someone is a valuable experience and also a skill that I can hone” describes another mentor. The mentors not only give general and career advice to their individual mentees but also support them by opening doors and networking opportunities for the students´ future careers. “My mentor was pretty helpful and gave me tips about the German labour market based on his experiences” and “she shared with me her knowledge about available jobs and what employers look for” were some of the statements given by MBA mentees in the survey. Another proof for the success of the program is the fact that all mentors and mentees plan to stay in contact even after the end of the Mentoring Program and after graduating from the MBA.
The MBA team, which initiates each mentoring round by matching the mentors and mentees according to their profiles and their personalities before bringing the pairings together is very happy about the positive feedback.
Now, the second round of the Mentoring Program has also started off very promising as the students had their first contact with their respective mentors. “Thanks for arranging the mentoring program. I already had a video meeting with my mentor. It went really well and was super useful and insightful. We spoke about MBA life, thesis experience, being international students in Germany, and also job search. She shared her journey and I intend to reach out to her again with more specific topics and questions to go over”, was one of the mentee feedbacks that the MBA team has received. The mentors as well were very excited to meet with their new mentees and to have the chance “to give back to the program in any way possible”.  

Text: MBA