Reference no: EM132928554
Case Study Leticia Beason
Leticia entered university without a clear focus and chose a major and activities based on her interest and the classes she enjoyed. She hoped her career direction would become clearer later on. This led her to major in sociology and to join the university dance team.
After a semester abroad in the second year, Leticia resumed university, still unclear about her career interests. In addition, she was about to hold a very demanding, year-long leadership role as public relations officer for the dance team.
Leticia approached her academic advisor to discuss her career concerns. She was encouraged to visit the careers centre at University and participate in an alumni-student mentor program. She could be paired with a recent graduate in a career area that interested her. After reading the list of alumni in the program, she chose a mentor working in public relations since Leticia was holding a related position in the dance team.
Case Study con't
Leticia was directed to online resources at the career centre where she could learn about the public relations field. She contacted her mentor and shared her interests and career uncertainty. Because the mentor lived nearby, they planned an in-person meeting. Leticia followed the recommendations in the mentor program handbook, dressing in professional attire and bringing her resume to the meeting.
Case study adapted from Fabricant F, Miller J and Stark D, 2014, 'Relationships' in Creating career success: A flexible plan for the World of work, Wadsworth Cengage, Boston MA, p. 138.
- What steps did Leticia take to gather information for her career exploration?
- What questions could Leticia ask during the meeting with her mentor?
- How could Leticia ensure that she gets the most out of the mentor relationship?
Personal Perspective
How do you think a mentor could help you?
What would you like to discuss with your mentor?
Have you had, or do you have, any mentors? How much have they helped you?
Where can you find a mentor? Smith-Ruig T, 2014 'Exploring the links between mentoring and work-integrated learning', Higher Education Research & Development, vol. 33. no. 4, pp. 769-782.