The Freshmen Mentoring Program provides mentoring and support to incoming students at the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Information Science & Technology, who seek guidance in their career and education choices, development of leadership and soft skills, professional etiquette, and other related topics.
Information for Students
The goal of this program is to give you an opportunity to develop a personal relationship with an IT professional working for a successful company, in research, or as faculty to enhance your knowledge of the world of IT, provide support to each other and discuss ways to become successful in the IT industry.
What do mentees do?
- The mentoring commitment is from September to April, meeting at least once a month with your mentor.
- You can discuss questions and issues with your mentor, seeking insight into how a career in IT is formed and sustained.
- Learn about the mentor's background, the positions they've filled, etc.
- Work with your mentor to understand workplace behaviors, such as how to run a meeting, how to lead a difficult discussion, etc.
- Attend organized Freshmen Mentoring Program events with your mentor.
Why should I do it?
- Gain a better understanding of the various career options in IT
- Get a first-hand view of the day-to-day duties, tasks, etc. of IT professionals, researchers, or faculty members
- Draw inspiration from experienced employees and leaders in the IT industry
- Connect to future employment opportunities and start building a professional network
Still unsure? Sign up anyway!
If you're not sure if a career in IT is right for you, talking to somebody with more experience will probably help you find out if that's really the case or not. You may also discover there's a huge variety of different jobs in IT and most of us have felt uncertain about it at some point.
The program runs from September through April.
Information for Mentors
We are looking for mentors with a variety of backgrounds and positions to join our program. Our mentees are interested in IT professionals in the industry, faculty members, researchers, upperclassmen, graduate, and Ph.D. students.
The program runs each academic year from September through April. Main recruiting occurs in August and early September.
What do mentors do?
- Meet with their mentee on a monthly basis, having lunch in the business location when possible
- Advise the mentee by sharing professional wisdom, and making suggestions
- Introduce them to other IT employees in their workgroup, including CIO or other high-level roles in the department
- Answer questions regarding your background, the positions you have filled, etc.
- Act as a "role model," offering insight into how they have become successful in IT
- Share your expertise as it relates to subjects currently being studied
- Coach the mentee on workplace behaviors, such as how to run a meeting, how to lead a difficult discussion, etc.
What do I have to do as a mentor?
- Commit to being a mentor for a student for the duration of one academic year (September through April)
- Meet with your mentee at least once a month, possibly over lunch, at the location of your choice
- Participate in e-mail and other correspondence as necessary
- Attend a meet-and-greet event to be held in mid-September
- Attend social events with your mentee organized by the Freshmen Mentoring Program committee throughout the year as your schedule allows
What will I gain from being a mentor?
- Sense of reward by sharing your expertise with students
- Inspiration from new and often younger future employees and leaders in the IT industry
- Connection to future employee candidates