Welcome to the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications Mentoring Program initiated in the fall of 2006. This innovative, on-line program is designed to connect K-State JMC alums with juniors, seniors, and graduate students and recent graduates of the program to assist them in transitioning from university to employment. What follows are specific guidelines of the program:
-- There is no specifically designed agenda for interaction between a student and an alum; the mentoring committee that designed the program assumes that students may need or want a variety of kinds of assistance, and alumni will be able to provide different levels of help, depending on the student’s area of study and interests, and the alum’s work and life experience.
-- A list of alumni who have agreed to participate in the program is on our web site, along with background and contact information. It is up to each student to determine whether the mentoring program is something that he or she thinks will help, and to reach out to an alum. We want to make this valuable help available if it is desired.
-- It is up to the student and alum to work out the kind of assistance and time that will be involved. An initial phone conversation or exchange of emails should establish some expectations on both parts. For example, a student and alum might plan to speak every couple of weeks.
-- Mentoring in this program can involve anything from a single helpful conversation, to regular email contact, to an alum’s periodic review of work produced by the student. If geographic proximity allows, a student and an alum could meet to talk, review a student’s work (say, photography), or allow the student to learn more about the alum’s professional history and current employment and skills.
-- Students and alums should obviously be aware of each other’s busy schedules, and each person is encouraged to make clear if he or she feels the time being spent is too much, or too little. This program is designed to help, not to be a burden on anyone. Remember, honest, respectful communication is important.
-- In most cases, an alum will not take on assistance with more than one student, but there may be exceptions. Students will engage alums on a first-come, first-served basis, and alums are encouraged to take on only as much as they can willingly handle. The web site may indicate if an alum is already engaged in mentoring a student, and it will indicate if the alum feels he or she is fully booked.
-- As a general rule, this is not expected to occupy hours per month on anyone’s part, but, again, the amount of contact desired will be worked out by the individuals. Though we hope there won’t be any, problems or difficulties that should arise, or any misunderstandings, should be reported right way to the JMC administration.
In summary, successful mentoring relationships can last from a single productive phone call about career advice or comment on a student’s work – to semester- or year-long periodic contact and comment (phone and email) on these and other areas of concern for the student.
-- Example 1: Amy Asterisk from Pratt, Kansas, a student in print journalism, seeks some advice about whether she is ready for a job at a newspaper, what size publication to approach, and an assessment of her writing. After making an initial contact with Peter Pencil, who is now a reporter at the Chicago Herald, they talk on the phone periodically, and Amy sends three stories a month to the Peter, who emails back comments or discuss them on the phone.
-- Example 2: Jack Kerowhack, a student in public relations from Bush City, Kansas, wants to know where he might find the best job starting out – at a firm, or at an agency – and in what part of the country there might be the most need for a young professional. Also, how much salary to ask for. Jack would have conversations with Phil Telemall, a principal of Geterdone Ltd., in Toronto. Jack may call a couple of alums now working in public relations to get some other opinions.
-- Example 3: Theresa Whipsmart of Kismet, Kansas, is studying broadcast journalism, and she wonders what the prospects are for that medium, and is seeking an internship. A call to an Missy Axelrod of KZIP-TV, in Galveston, Texas – and to another alum, who used to be a television producer but has now moved on to running a small ad agency – yields some suggestions that Theresa can follow up on. She may or may not want to send some of her work to Missy, either for comment or just to facilitate discussion between the two. Missy recommends a colleague or friend in the industry who would also give Theresa some advice.
-- Example 4: Fred Applecore
of Lawrence,
-- Example 5: Sonya Boo, who is from Galatia, Kansas, and is interested in web design and computer software, wants to know what the options are in journalism for this exploding field. She calls Amoretta Tallgrass, who is burning up cyberspace for the Denver Planet’s fast-growing web site, www.getoutofthisworld.com. The Planet is one of the newspapers that is leading the way in producing material for a web site. Sonya finds an alum on the list now living in Bakersfield, California, and working for a company focusing exclusively on new electronic media. The discussion leads to an electronic and virtual tour of the company –or, if Sonya plans to go visit her aunt in the San Fernando Valley, an actual visit.
Good luck!