Mentoring: a springboard to professional success

The mentoring program of the Network of Alumni and Donors of the University of Montreal is back for a fifth year. Free and confidential, it is based on twinning aimed at meeting specific professional objectives and is open to all UdeM graduates wherever they are in the world.

Virtually or in person, the meetings are spread over four months and allow mentors, who have spent 10 years or more in the job market since obtaining their diploma, to guide the next generation in their professional beginnings. .

Adoption of the MentorCity tool

This edition marks the adoption of the MentorCity platform, an innovative tool transforming the mentoring experience with enhanced features and facilitating the creation of authentic connections. The platform promotes communication and allows you to follow each other’s progress. It offers a structured approach while retaining the flexibility essential to an enriching human relationship.

Mentoring, a source of mutual enrichment

Mentoring is based on intergenerational exchange and the unique experiences of each person, as mentor Chantal Sauvé explains: “I heard about the program when it first started and I said to myself: why not pay it forward? Although my journey is atypical, my experience helped guide a young woman towards her goal.”

She also talks about her pleasure in passing on her knowledge and investing in the development of her mentee: “I have always loved training and promoting young people. As I retired, I felt I still had a lot to offer. My mentorship with a young woman was enriching for me too. We talked about her aspirations and challenges, and I helped her realize her skills, overcome her barriers and find the resources to achieve her goals.”

Because the mentoring program is not limited to giving advice. It is often an opportunity for introspection for the mentors themselves: “In mentoring, it is not a question of listening to one another speak or reliving one’s successes, but of focusing on the needs of the other , to promote their skills and support them in their choices,” says Chantal Sauvé.

A transition between studies and the professional world

For Auryane Cabald, mentee, her participation in the program began by chance: “I came across it a bit by chance and it was even the last day to register! she confides. This opportunity presented itself at a pivotal moment, I had just finished my dissertation and the program is precisely designed to facilitate the transition from studies to professional life.”

Although she expected discussions focused on her field of research, she was pleasantly surprised by the approach adopted by her mentor: “Before the first session, I told myself that we were surely going to talk about perspectives in my field. But ultimately, it was much more a work of introspection. We talked about me, my vision of things and my priorities.

These discussions allowed him to broaden his horizons and structure his career. “It helped me put my ideas and priorities in order. Instead of the linear path, I discovered that there were different ways of seeing and approaching professional life,” continues the young woman.

An experience to live

Auryane Cabald strongly encourages her peers to participate in the mentoring program: “Being part of this program means benefiting from the advice of an experienced person who enriches our vision of the world of work. It’s human interaction, an opportunity to grow personally and professionally.” She also highlights her appreciation of group meetings: “It allowed me to realize that we face similar challenges. It was very reassuring.”

Want to make your contribution?

Taking part in the mentoring program is much more than passing on your knowledge: it is building a bridge between generations of graduates of the University of Montreal. This commitment can transform paths, launch careers and strengthen the UdeM graduate community on a global scale.

Registrations are still ongoing for mentees until January 8, 2025.

Full details of the mentoring program can be found here.