Alumni who would like to offer their career expertise and advice to students have several opportunities at UNT’s Career Center. Through the Mentor Match, a database of alumni who have volunteered to assist students with their career development questions, students can select alumni mentors who share their career, academic or cultural interests. Once matched to a student, alumni meet with students during informational interviews so they can learn about their industry and careers, network with students by e-mail, provide resume and cover letter critiques and conduct mock interviews.

“UNT alumni can be valuable resources for students wishing to explore career possibilities,” says Alison Delicati, assistant director of the Career Center. “Alumni give that real-world career perspective students find beneficial when making career decisions.”

Another program, Mentor-On-Duty, gives students the opportunity to meet one-on-one for 15 to 30 minutes with an alumnus in their occupation of interest. Alumni mentors also can sponsor students at the annual Etiquette Dinner Oct. 13, at which students learn dining etiquette and network with alumni and prospective employers.

In the spring, alumni serve as hosts for the job shadowing program Take Flight. For one to five days during Spring Break (March 14-18, 2011), the program gives students a taste of daily life in their respective fields of interest by letting them shadow alumni at their workplace. Activities can include facility tours, staff meetings, reviews of company mission and vision statements, observance of client interactions, informational interviews, office tasks or project assignments.

For more information on becoming a mentor, contact Delicati at alison.delicati@unt.edu or 940-565-2705.