FOR STUDENTS
Ask! alumni mentors are Western graduates who have volunteered to talk with you about a wide variety of academic, career and post-graduation topics. The Ask! program’s search tools will help you find mentors based on criteria such as major, career, employer, geographic area or even participation in student clubs or on-campus employment.
Love your major but undecided about choices after graduation? Have a specific career in mind and want to learn about job outlooks in various geographic regions? Want a professional opinion of your resume? Ask! can help you find the right mentor to answer your questions.
Before You Contact a Mentor
You are responsible for determining your goals and questions before you contact an Ask! mentor. Your mentor will not have an agenda and will not guide discussions. Ask yourself:
- What do I want to learn from this conversation?
- What are my short-term and long-term goals?
- How can a mentor help me reach these goals?
Your Responsibilities
It is your responsibility to contact and guide discussions with your mentor.
- Be patient. Your mentor is a busy professional and it make take several tries to schedule a meeting.
- Be clear on where, when and how you and your mentor will meet. If connecting by phone, who will place the call?
- If you can’t keep an appointment, reschedule with as much notice as possible.
- Provide honest and accurate information to mentors.
- Listen carefully and be prepared for honest feedback.
- If you want to establish a professional relationship that grows over time, take the lead in maintaining contact with your mentor.
- If you want to discontinue a mentoring relationship, respectfully communicate that to your mentor.
- Always represent Western Washington University and the Ask! program with integrity and professionalism.
Additional Career Support
Career Services is a great resource to use for general questions about jobs and careers. You can find resume resources and advice about interviewing in the Career Services Center.
