Mentee applications due soon: learn more at brown bags starting July 17
July 9, 2013 •
Are you looking for a way to get beyond your day-to-day work duties and relationships to expand your network, explore new career opportunities and develop a better understanding of UCOP?
The 2013–14 Mentorship Program is a great opportunity to get more out of your UCOP career and meet new colleagues at all levels of the organization. So said Karla Wood, program specialist in Health Sciences & Services and one of last year’s participants.
“I had a very positive relationship with my mentor [Maria Anguiano, chief of staff in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer],” Wood said in describing her experience as one of 25 mentees in the 2012–13 program. “It’s a great way to meet UCOP leadership, and it’s empowering to feel like you’re choosing the right person to help you meet your goals.”
Introduced in the spring of 2011, the all-volunteer program matches experienced OP leaders in one-on-one relationships with career staff who want to develop themselves both personally and professionally.
If you are interested in participating as either a mentee or mentor, find out more about the program by attending one of the upcoming brown bags at UCOP’s Oakland locations, all held from 12 to 1 pm:
- Wednesday, July 17, 5320 Franklin
- Thursday, July 18, 415 20th St., room 302
- Thursday, July 25, 612 Kaiser
Mentors and mentees in each pairing can work out their own meeting schedule and set goals, which vary widely depending on each mentee’s personal and professional needs. And that relationship is not the only benefit.
“You have an instant network of people that you might not otherwise have gotten to meet and interact with,” Wood said of the mentee cohort, which met monthly on an informal basis to discuss how they were making the most of the program. “It really crystallized for me that UCOP is a place full of talented people.”
Mentee applications are due 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, 2013. Find more details on the UCOP Mentorship Program website, including mentee eligibility, applications and answers to common questions.
This is a great program offered by HR, and I would be glad to answer questions from any prospective participants. It really enriches the culture and professional development here at OP. I hope it continues to expand and inspire similar efforts.