Alumni Mentor Program - Student Application

Deadline: Sept. 2, 2009

All questions and concerns about the Mentor Program should be directed to Evelyn Corchado (eoc11@columbia.edu).

Click here to register for the Mentor Program.

Dear Students:

The Alumni Office welcomes you to the Journalism School. We hope your year is off to a memorable start.

In 1987, the alumni of the Journalism School started a mentor program for students. Open to both full-time and part-time students, the program is designed to give you access to an alum of the Journalism School who has experience working in the field you hope to pursue. We hope your mentor will serve as a resource for making the most of your time in New York City and will ease your transition from school to the workplace.

The mentor program is voluntary and it's up to you to make the most of it. You must be willing to commit the time to reach out to your mentor on a regular basis.

Alumni are generally enthusiastic and want to help, but not everyone works at a big newspaper or television station. Many mentors are recent graduates who are employed at Web sites or trade publications. Some are reporters covering business or local news. But all know about the school and the profession and are ready to share their experience with you.

A few words of caution: The goal of the program is not to get you a job after commencement. Many mentors are uncomfortable about being placed in the position of recruiter. So, please don't sign up if your primary motivation is meeting alumni who could employ you.

Also, you must be committed to participate in the mentor program – you should take the initiative to contact and keep in touch with your mentor. One of the biggest complaints we hear from mentors is that their students never contact them or don’t return their emails/phone calls. This can ruin the experience for the mentor and hurt the program in the future.

Not all mentors live in New York City. But out-of-town mentors can be contacted by phone or email to discuss issues or review resumes/cover letters. They can provide valuable insight or serve as a sounding board, even if they are far away. It will also give you experience networking with out-of-town sources, an important skill to have for landing a job or a story.

We will do our best to make suitable pairings but cannot guarantee a perfect match or a mentor for every student. Mentors are available for overall guidance and advice so don’t be turned off if yours doesn’t appear to share similar interests.

We hope to inform you of your mentor by early October, so include your email address on the Student Mentor Request Form.

Regardless of whether you choose to participate in the mentor program, we wish you the best of luck in the coming year.

Sincerely,

Irena Choi Stern, '01
Director, Alumni Relations
ics9@columbia.edu