FASS Mentorship Programme

INFORMATION FOR MENTEES

List of Content

Profiles of Mentees

This programme is ideal for students who are:

  • Interested in getting ahead in their career preparation, in a targeted industry or function
  • Exploring options for a fulfilling career
  • In the process of applying for roles in the targeted industry, and seeks to gain knowledge on what it takes to succeed
  • Interested in establishing a professional network
  • Keen to build their personal and professional brand, as they transit from university to corporate world

What mentees can gain

  • Guidance in defining career goals, strategies and outcomes
  • Develop a meaningful professional relationship with mentor
  • Increase professional connections and network
  • Gain knowledge of workplace expectations
  • Build self-advocacy skills and confidence to be successful
  • Access to potential internships and job opportunities, where applicable.

Selection Criteria

Students across all FASS majors, including those pursuing the Bachelor of Environmental Studies (Honours) (Environmental Geography specialisation) are welcome to apply. The selection criteria are as follow:

  • Priority will be given to those who are in their penultimate year.
  • Demonstrated their motivation and readiness to pursue a career in a chosen field.
  • Enthusiastic and keen to achieve a better understanding of one’s career preferences, and how they could further strengthen their profile.
  • Able to commit to regular contact with mentor.
  • Keen to engage and follow-up with their mentors.
  • Maintain an open mindset when exploring and considering their career options.
  • Good Disciplinary Record

Profiles of Mentors

A mentor will guide you by sharing his/her career experience and provide information and advice, so you can make choices or take action on your own to work towards your desired career.

The mentors are FASS alumni who have graduated and worked for at least three years. Majority of the alumni have been in the workforce for more than 10 years, and have established themselves in various industries.

In general, your mentor can provide you with insights on:

  • Industry/sector
  • Work culture and environment
  • Current job market situation
  • Business etiquette
  • Interview preparation
  • How to network and create your personal brand
  • Workplace visits
  • Attendance at events

If your mentor offers the following, great! If not, they are not obliged to provide:

  • CV writing techniques
  • Hands-on experience in a ‘real project’
  • Internship or job offers
  • Sharing his/her network of personal contacts

Guide to a successful mentorship

The programme runs from January to December. Students who have been selected as mentees will be matched to a mentor latest by November, before the start of the programme in January. Between November to January of the following year, we strongly encourage mentees to be proactive and initiate contact with your mentor.

The success of a mentoring relationship is largely dependent on mentees’ abilities to engage their mentors. The mentees role is to seek guidance and constructive feedback on his/her professional development and career goals.

Mentees could maximize their learning by keeping these guidelines in mind:

Know your mentor and initiate contact
  • Before the first consultation or meeting, learn something about the mentor and his/her career. You can do so by checking on their LinkedIn profile.
  • Take the initiate to reach out to your mentor, and always acknowledge emails, phone or text messages from mentor.
  • Send an introductory message via e-mail to your mentor. This can be followed by a phone call or text message to arrange for the first meeting.
  • Once you have established contact with your mentors, consult them on their preferred mode of communication and work out an appropriate schedule for subsequent follow up. Try to arrange for face to face meeting once every two to three months.

Prepare for meeting and develop a plan

 
  • Plan ahead what you wish to communicate about yourself. This may include:
    • your background
    • your career aspiration, as well as short and long-term career goals
    • current state of academic and professional development
    • identified learning and development needs
  • Be aware of your strengths, weaknesses, and what you hope to accomplish through FASSMP. Share this information openly with your mentor.
  • Plan open-ended questions that will stimulate discussion and enable you and your mentor to learn about key job/career issues, concerns, experiences, etc.
  • Develops a plan with mentor to identify ways to meet your objectives.
  • Follows through on commitments and goals.
  • You are strongly encouraged to keep a journal to track your own development.

Engage with your mentor  
  • Make an impression, and communicate regularly with your mentor.
  • Listen attentively and be open-minded. Focus on the mentor's views, opinions, thoughts and feelings rather than cold hard data.
  • Be receptive to feedback and coaching.
  • Maintains confidentiality at all times.
  • Respects the mentor’s time. Be dependable, honest and trustworthy. Avoid changing meeting dates/times indiscriminately and always be punctual for appointments.

FAQ

Registration and Eligibility

Registering for the FASS Mentorship Programme does not guarantee that you will be assigned a mentor. The success of the matching process depends on several factors, including the availability of suitable mentors who align with your career interests and aspirations.

At this time, we are unable to offer the option to select your mentor. However, rest assured that our team will do its best to facilitate a suitable match based on the information you provide. If we cannot find a good match, we will keep you informed and work with you to find alternative solutions.

Yes, you are eligible to participate. While the programme is year-long, we strongly encourage you to continue your engagement with your mentor beyond graduation. They can provide valuable advice and insights as you transition from university to the professional world.

Yes, you can be considered for the mentorship programme. However, please ensure that your SEP commitments will not adversely impact your ability to engage meaningfully with your mentor, especially if you are on an overseas exchange.

Yes, you are eligible to participate. However, please ensure that your commitment during the LOA will not adversely impact your ability to meaningfully engage with your mentor.

FAS3551

Yes, you need to complete at least 80 Units before you can enroll in FAS3551. For more information, please visit: FAS3551 FASS Capstone Career Preparation – NUS Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences

You can enroll in FAS3551 if you are successfully matched with a mentor and your graduating semester is in Semester 2, as the course is only offered in Semester 2 of the academic year.

If you intend to pursue FAS3551, we advise you to apply for the programme in your Year 3, as you need to fulfill the pre-requisite of 80 Units before enrolling in FAS3551.

Yes, enrolling in FAS3551 is not required to participate in the mentorship programme. You can join the programme without earning units.

Students on overseas SEP are not allowed to enroll in FAS3551 during the SEP semester. Note that FAS3551 is only offered in Semester 2 of the academic year. Students on local exchange may consider enrolling in FAS3551, subject to review and approval.

You are not allowed to enroll in any unit-bearing course while on LOA. Please plan accordingly if you intend to pursue FAS3551, which is only offered in Semester 2 of the academic year.

Support and Resources

We will organise a virtual mentorship briefing in early December for all mentees. During this session, invited mentors will share their insights and experiences, and we will provide tips and resources to help you begin your mentorship journey.

Yes, we will create a Telegram Group for mentees participating in the same year. This will be one of the communication modes for disseminating important information and curated mentorship content. Additionally, we will host a mentorship dinner to welcome the incoming batch of mentors and mentees. This event will be an excellent opportunity for you to meet your assigned mentor and network with other mentors and mentees.

No, we will not be scheduling meetings on behalf of mentors and mentees. Mentees are expected to work closely with their mentors to plan their catch-up sessions throughout the year. We encourage you to meet at least 4-6 times annually. These meetings can take various forms, including in-person meetings, WhatsApp, Zoom, email, etc.

If you need to withdraw from the programme for valid reasons, please write to our mentorship administrator, Ms Regina Siew at reginasiew@nus.edu.sg with your explanations. We will correspond with you separately to provide relevant guidance and advice.

Please write to our mentorship administrator, Ms Regina Siew  at reginasiew@nus.edu.sg, and we will follow up with you separately to provide the necessary guidance and assistance.

Other Information

There is no limit on the number of times a student can participate in the FASS Mentorship Programme. However, priority will be given to students who have not previously participated and are in their penultimate or final year. Enrolment is also subject to a successful match between a mentor and mentee.

You will need to check with the respective mentorship programme administrators regarding their requirements and selection criteria.

Seek Help

If you wish to seek advice or help for issues that arose through the course of the mentorship, feel free to reach out to Regina at reginasiew@nus.edu.sg.

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