Today, on the 14th of October, the selection for Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) Mentorship programme has come to an end and the lucky students, who now will have their own personal adviser (a career mentor), are revealed. Out of all the participants, students who are the most motivated and are seeking to improve were selected for this programme.
Career mentor is one of the most important teachers in the path of student‘s personal and career development. It is a person who has professional experience and whose aim is to advise the student on career planning and personal development as well as to help draw attention to the things that are important to profession and studies. KTU can be proud of the constantly growing mentor list – this year 66 mentors are taking part in the first ever complex mentorship programme in Lithuania – 29 mentors more than last year. Students who are taking part in this programme have the opportunity to get advice on planning their future profession and individual career vision.
Chose by specialty
“This programme gives students inestimable experience, which will later help to form higher goals and achieve them. Last year I had an opportunity to work with „WEB partners“ company director Mindaugas Juodaitis. Thanks to him I realized the real business model and deepened the knowledge of current activities“, shared Lina Ščiupakovaitė, 2nd year student in the KTU Faculty of Chemical Technology.
The girl didn‘t even hesitate before deciding to participate in the programme for a second time.
“I was very happy when I saw that you can also participate in the second year, because everything that I had gotten and learned the first time was priceless! I was also very glad to see that this year I can choose my mentor according to their specialty. I really hope that with the help of this mentor I will be able to gain inspiration for new activities, get acquainted with the company Achema as well as their executive work and deepen my knowledge of chemistry”, said Lina.
Mutual benefit
Participating mentors are a great example of success stories. They reached their personal and professional goals with the knowledge gained at a University. KTU gives their students an opportunity to collaborate, learn and get important advice from these people.
Mentors also receive a lot of valuable experience and knowledge from the students. One of the KTU career mentors, Swedbank Southern Lithuanian Region Governor Deputy Alina Senkuvienė says that while cooperating with future specialists, she learned to listen, hear, feel and take interest in innovations.
“Students offer me various thoughts and ideas, sometimes you don’t even think of them until you hear how it could be useful in your work. I adore students’ openness, honesty, critical thinking. By sharing with them, I am growing myself. Of course, that is very important in quickly and constantly changing environment.
When I was able to gain a certificate of mentoring, I had no doubt that I want and can try myself in this place. I am very happy that Kaunas University of Technology is one of the first actively supporting this programme and building bridges between business people and students. I am a former student of this University, and I want to contribute to a different kind of education of the students”, says A. Senkuvienė
Representatives of famous companies
This year, KTU welcomes an even larger number of mentors. One of the newly joined company Intermedix representative Rolandas Kičas says that he agreed to participate in this programme because it is innovative and necessary.
“It is a great way to promote a closer link between students, University and business organizations. I think that every graduate should feel some kind of debt to the University for the knowledge provided for them and this programme is a perfect way to give that debt back”, said the KTU graduate.
He will try to refrain from getting into specialties and rather focus on the improvement of soft skills.
As there are no similar programmes that R. Kičas has ever participated in, he welcomes it as a new experience.
“I am hoping for mutual benefits. It will be very interesting to evaluate the current University students, understand what kind of expectations they have and what their goals in life are”, he said.
In career mentor’s point of view, there are various types of ways to help students build their career vision. Choosing the correct goals, building priorities, making an action plan and real-life examples are only a few measures how to achieve your desired result.
Expecting new experience
“I was very happy when I heard the positive response. It was hard to believe that I got the first number chosen career mentor. Currently, I am in a very positive mood”, said Lina Sakalauskaitė, 2nd year student in KTU School of Economics and Business.
The girl said that the selection consists of two phases: in the first phase you have to write a motivational letter also select your desired mentors and in the second one an interview with the commission awaits.
While taking part in this programme, the student hopes to gain new experience.
“I want to hear useful advice from experts in my field, get acquainted with working environment of the career mentor and understand whether that kind of work sphere would be suitable for me. I also want to expand my network of contacts, which in today’s society is very important”, assured L. Sakalauskaitė.
Student emphasized that she hopes not to only take from this programme, but also to give.
“I hope that the career mentor will be able to feel youthful enthusiasm and motivation while communicating with me and maybe even use it in their work field”, said the girl.
The only programme in Lithuania
Started in 2014, Kaunas University of Technology complex mentorship programme is the only one in Lithuania. This year it attracted even more interest and positive feedback from students and mentors themselves.
This rapidly growing programme gives KTU students an opportunity to have a personal teacher, colleague, to whom they can go with various questions or just to hear some kind of advice.
The purpose of this programme is mutual development, self-realization and motivating as well as training young talents of the University. Without career mentors, the University offers another 4 types of mentors: peer mentor, academic advisor, research mentor and tutor.
You can find more information about KTU mentorship programme HERE.
