Your future starts now. Whether you want to become a successful researcher, designer, teacher, entrepreneur or manager the development of academic and professional skills are essential.
A mentor is there to support you in your exploration of your future career goals. To help you form a coherent education and development plan.
Below you find some suggestions for what to discuss, when and how often to meet with your mentor. Please keep in mind that it is your own responsibility to set up mentoring meetings with your mentor.
First quarter: introductory meeting with your mentor
During your introductory meeting with your mentor you can discuss:
- Your future goals and how you plan to achieve them: think of the courses you would like to take, the professional skills and competences you would like to develop, the extracurricular activities in which you would like to participate, and your view on your career after graduating.
- Your personal development plan: before the introductory meeting with your mentor, you should have prepared your plan so you can discuss this plan (and not the reports from the Diagnostic Test of Professional Skills).
- Moreover, during the introductory meeting with your mentor you will also need to sign the declaration concerning the TU/e Code of Scientific Conduct.
First semester: second meeting with your mentor
During the introductory meeting with your mentor you probably received a lot of information regarding interesting courses, people, departments, and companies to design your future career as a successful researcher, designer, teacher, entrepreneur or manager.
You can use all this information, together with the personal reports from the TU/e Diagnostic Test of Professional Skills, to adjust your personal development report.
Once you have prepared a coherent study plan and a career vision, your mentor can help you sort out which courses and departments to look into and which professional skills are critical for the type of career you desire. Also your mentor can refer you to other sources of information.
Every semester: subsequent meetings with your mentor
Schedule regular check-in meetings with you mentor to reflect on your progress, ambitions, future career options and your professional development.
It often happens that you need to adjust your personal development plan along the way. Your mentor can provide you with guidance and support based on your developmental needs.
Your mentor can act as a sounding board for ideas and concerns regarding academic and professional choices, provide you with insight into possible opportunities and help you think through important decisions.
Internship or graduation project meeting with your mentor
Internships and graduation projects are an important part of your development into a professional, who is ready to start a career. Your mentor can help you decide what internships or graduation projects suit your ambitions, development and career plans.