The Connection
Information and Training Guide for Mentors
V O L U M E
I I ,
I S S U E
I
D E C E M B E R
Fall 2009 Semester: Report from the Director
Dear Mentors,
The fall semester is quickly coming to an
end, and the mentoring program is doing
very well under the direction of Mary
Bandziukas. Mary has been co-directing the
program this fall while I teach full time.
Mary and the program coordinators have
been doing a fantastic job recruiting, matching, and monitoring mentors and mentees
throughout the semester. They have been
reaching out to the alumni association, senior
colleges, and faculty for mentors and have
been attending campus activities such as the
club fair, business society meetings, and nursing events to recruit our mentees.
The results are impressive thus far. Since
September, 23 new mentors have joined our
program, and nearly 100 students have ex-
pressed interest in the program. To date, 51
students have been matched with a mentor, and 12 students have continued with
their mentors from last semester!
Inside this issue, we report on mentees’
feedback of their mentoring experience
from the last academic year, and on highlights of a successful mentoring relationship. Rookmatie Veersammy writes about
her motivations and successes as a mentor
in the Mentor Spotlight. Also included: A
new resource, Focus 2, is available to help
our students inventory their skills and interests, and more tips on being an effective
mentor.
All of us at the Career Mentoring Office
thank you for your dedication to Queensborough students. We wish you a happy
holiday season, and we look forward to a
2 0 0 9
productive spring 2010 semester.
Feel free to contact us if you
would like to volunteer to be in the
Mentor Spotlight or if you have any
ideas, comments, or questions. We
look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Arlene Kemmerer
Career Development, Director
Queensborough Comm. College
222-05 56 Ave., Bayside, NY 11364
718-282-5612, Library 118A
AKemmerer@qcc.cuny.edu
Inside this issue:
Mentor Spotlight
Mentoring at Work
Mentees’ Feedback
Tips on Being an Effective Mentor
Resources: Focus 2
Mentor Spotlight: Rookmatie Veersammy
communication, and flexibility skills are
challenged. Although I have been in the
career professional environment for
Growing up I looked forward to
quite a number of years and gained
someone to talk to and discuss my goals
immeasurable experience in accountand aspirations, and would now like to
ing, auditing, finance, management,
offer similar service to students. To date,
and regulations, the mix of professional
I have had the opportunity to work with
and academic environment adds a new
a few students, and the interaction has
level of complexity for me. Dealing with
been rewarding. I aim to motivate stuthis complexity will better prepare me
dents to pursue education and to work
for transition into teaching at the colconscientiously towards their goals,
lege level eventually.
which are not easy tasks; the primary
I take this opportunity to share with
reason I am ready and willing to offer
all students the importance of developguidance when necessary. I also offer
ing their personality through education.
assistance in exploring the possibilities
I have a role model whose philosophy I
of other available career options, and
take seriously, Benjamin Franklin (1706sometimes just a listening ear is neces1790). Among the many personalitysary. Guidance, encouragement, and
developing thoughts, ideas, and activiempathy are the keys.
ties he was involved with during his
As a strong advocate for academic
lifetime, the one that is relevant to this
standards and helping others to achieve
situation and one of my mantras is "An
such standards, I lead by example as I
investment in knowledge always pays
continue to pursue higher education. In
the best interest."
this respect, my managerial,
learn, and along the way, I would gain
valuable experience.
Rookmatie Veersammy works with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
I am honored to be a mentor through
Queensborough Community College. I have a
Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from
State University of New York (SUNY) Empire
State College, a Master of Science degree in
Accountancy from SUNY Institute of Technology, and I am currently pursuing a terminal
degree in Business Administration. Although I
have had numerous challenges in the preceding years, my success is primarily attributed to
my love for education, and my willingness to
work diligently towards my objectives. I aspire
to share my knowledge and skills so others can
PAGE
A selection from Jobs
in Demand Today:
Occupations with the
Most Expected Hiring
in New York City as of
Dec. 5, 2009
Source: NYS
Department of Labor:
www.labor.state.ny.us
/workforceindustry
data/lsproj.shtm
In “Jobs in Demand
Today” select “New
York City” and click
“Go”.
Accountants and
Auditors
Automotive Service
Technicians and
Mechanics
Bookkeeping and
Auditing Clerks
Cashiers
Child Care Workers
Computer
Programmers
Computer Software
Engineers
Couriers and
Messengers
Executive
Secretaries and
Admin. Assistants
Supervisors/Mgrs. of
Food Prep. and
Serving Workers
Supervisors/Mgrs. of
Office and Admin.
Support Workers
First-Line
Supervisors/Mgrs. of
Retail Workers
Home health aides
Personal financial
advisors
Registered nurses
For help with job
search skills, students
can contact the Office
of Career Services,
located in the Library,
Room 429.
Mentoring at Work
2
Nekesha St. Rose is a first-year student at Queensborough. She became interested in accounting at
her last job, and is now on her way to becoming a
Certified Public Accountant. She and her mentor,
Lucylla Baynes, have been discussing strategy: they
have talked about different schools to which Nekesha might transfer
after Queensborough, the most recent requirements for
the CPA exam, and
venues where Nekesha can begin to
network with student and professional accountants.
Mentee Nekesha St. Rose
On a more concrete level, Nekesha and her mentor determined that Nekesha should transfer to the
business administration transfer program at Queens-
borough, to make sure she is taking the right sequence of courses to transfer to a four-year school,
and they are working on her resume.
Going forward, Nekesha hopes to learn about the
range of possible employment paths and settings that
will be open to her as an accountant. This motivated
student and insightful mentor have made great
strides this semester.
Mentoring is clearly
responding to one of
Queensborough’s goals—
to provide students with
“a variety of opportunities
to enrich themselves intellectually and socially and
to develop the knowlMentor Lucylla Baynes
edge and skills necessary
for success.” Thank you Mentors!
Mentees’ Feedback 2008-2009
At the end of the 2008/
2009 school year, a questionnaire
was sent out to all mentees who
were matched with mentors, to
get their feedback on the mentoring experience. (Thirty-eight percent responded.)
According to the respondents,
as the mentor/mentee relationship became more comfortable,
the pairs did a lot of work together. Their activities included
identifying career goals, determining the steps to achieve those
goals, and exploring career options. Many worked on burnishing their resumes and on interview skills.
Nearly all respondents reported mentoring as a positive
experience, and most said they felt
more prepared to achieve their
goals. Of those mentees who did
not graduate in spring 2009, most
said they would like to continue
with their mentor in the fall 2009
semester.
Many who responded felt they
got an insider’s view of the working world, getting information
that would not be available to
them otherwise.
One mentee said she learned
about, “what types of jobs I can
apply to now that are somewhat
related to possible careers I would
be interested in.” Another student
learned, “exactly what to do, what
steps to take to become a pharmacist. [My mentor] was able to tell
me things that I would not have
learned from anyone else.”
The most telling
comment of all may be,
“The program was a
big help. If there is any
way to bring it out to
students more, it
would be good. A lot
of students need to
know more about
what it is really like in
their field.”
More Mentee Comments:
I learned “how to focus more
about the work that I’m doing.”
I learned “how to be positive;
how to look around at my options.”
Mentoring was “very helpful
with all the changes in the field.”
My mentor “answered my questions; I did not have anyone else
to ask.”
“I am very appreciative.”
THE CONNECTION
INFORMATION AND
Part of the Career Mentoring team: Clockwise from left :
Christina Banome, Arlene Kemmerer, Albert Cardinale,
& Mary Bandziukas
VOLUME
II,
ISSUE
I
PAGE
Being an Effective Mentor:
Strategies for Success — Building Your Mentee’s
Confidence and Enriching the Mentoring Process
To create a successful mentoring relationship it’s important to help your mentee understand his or her own
value and to show your mentee the value of the mentoring process as well. Here are some tips:
Send encouraging notes. Write an encouraging email to your mentee from time to time. Send a good
luck message before an important event about which
your mentee is anxious.
Help your mentee deal with different situations by
exploring possible solutions. When appropriate, role
play different scenarios.
Ask your mentee to give you feedback on your mentoring relationship. Does your mentee feel the relationship is working well? Is the mentee getting what
he or she wants from the relationship? Is your help
beneficial? How could your relationship
be improved?
You are not expected to be able to answer all your mentee’s questions. If you
cannot help your mentee with a particular problem or need, call the Career Mentoring Office.
Help your mentee be proactive. Help him
or her understand that he or she must
follow through on strategies and suggestions that you discuss.
Queensborough celebrates its 50th anniversary
Resources: Focus 2
The Office of Career Services has practical online tools
to help students make decisions about their career goals
and how to achieve them.
Help Wanted
Do you know someone who
might be interested in being
a career mentor?
Please forward this
newsletter to them. We are
looking for mentors in all
disciplines!
Help your mentee network. Tell your mentee about
associations and professional groups he or she can
join as a student.
Adapted from: Being an Effective Mentor; 101 Practical Strategies
for Success, Ida O. Abbott, Esq., Washington D.C.: NALP, 2006.
One tool is Focus-2, which can aid your
mentees in decisions about their majors
and prospective careers through a series
of incisive, self-guided surveys under the
headings “Career Readiness” and “Self Assessment.” “Career Readiness” measures
strengths and weaknesses in academics
and career planning, while “Self Assessment” inventories interests, working styles,
skills, and values.
After the surveys, “Explore the Possibilities” compiles a list of career fields based on the mentee’s
answers and allows the mentee to investigate job possibilities and do side-by side comparisons.
This is especially helpful if students have not decided
on any occupations that might be a good match for them.
You can refer your mentee to the Office of Career Services
in the Library Building, Room 429, phone number 718631-6297, to ask for guidance in using this resource. Students must visit Career Services to obtain an access code
that allows them to use these tools.
A summary of all the online tools available through the
Career Services Office can be found at
www.qcc.cuny.edu/CareerServices/students.
Many Students attended the club fair, where they
learned about clubs and the Career Mentoring Program .
This program has been made possible in part through
the generosity of The JP Morgan Chase Foundation.
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