Alumni Mentor Program
Welcome!
• We are excited this Online Alumni Mentor
Program is an available resource for all
students!
• Over 100 Alumni signed up to participate
• It is accessible through Symplicity
• You will have access to alumni from many
different areas of practice and regions- all
willing to help in your job search and career
planning!
How the program works
• Use the search tools available to find alumni
that can best benefit you.
– You can search by practice area, geographical
area, familiar names, etc.
How the program works
• Once you’ve discovered a mentor that you
would like to start with, you can contact them
directly through the Symplicity- Alumni
Community system
Note!
• We recommend you contact a maximum of 10
mentor per month.
• Alumni volunteers had the opportunity to
limit how many contacts they will accept per
month. Check back periodically for new
mentor names that may have fallen off of the
list due to reaching their limit in a given
month. It’s important to stay active, you never
know what you can miss!
Do’s & Don’ts
• Do: Be proactive!
– Don’t: Bombard or be overly aggressive
• Do: Be mindful of your time and the alumni’s time and
generosity
– Don’t: Approach alumni with a sense of entitlement.
• Do: Be aware this is circumstantial and could or could
not lead to a job (right now or in the future)
– Don’t: Be disappointed if you don’t get a job from them
today! As they say, “Your network is your net worth”
• Do: Be kind, appreciative and show some Valpo spirit!
It is the place that connects you afterall.
– Don’t: Force kindness, be fake or only go to someone to get
something out of them. A genuine willingness to connect
will be better received.
Done Reading this document?
• Fill out and sign this Mentee Agreement form.
• Email a copy of the completed form to Vanessa
Verner to gain access to the Alumni Mentor
Database
– Please note, you will not get access without completing this
step! Your Symplicity account has to be updated to make the
information accessible.
Continue to the next slide to get “Tips, Tricks, and Starting Points”
to get you started on the right track.
Tips, Tricks & Starting Points
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Take Mentoring Seriously*
Be curious and eager to learn*
Expect guidance, not rescue*
Before speaking with a mentor, take personal inventory. Know your best
skills, desires and needs and shape your starting questions around those. *
• Learn about your mentor prior to speaking with them, do your research.*
• Set goals for your self and some that you and your mentor can articulate
and agree upon together.*
• Let your mentor know the kind of help you would like*
* These tips and more are available in the NALP (Association For Legal Career
Professionals) Working With A Mentor- 50 Practical Strategies For Success brochure.
Sample introductory letter/email/phone
conversation script
Dear Mr./Ms/Mrs./Judge ___________________:
I am __name____ and I am a ____ 1L/2L/3L____ and am very
interested in _____area of practice/ practicing law in (geographical
area) __________. Thank you for volunteering your time to be
accessible through the Alumni Mentor Program. Having a resource
such as this from Valparaiso Law alumni is encouraging. I realize that
networking is essential to my professional development and look
forward to communicating with you.
_______if you have a specific question (or questions), place it (them)
here______? Are you willing to set up a time to _____talk by
phone/meet for coffee_______? If so, may I suggest ____give times
when you know YOU are available (and make adjustments based on
response) _________. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Pick It Up!
• Stop by the Career Planning Center today to
pick up your copy of NALP’s Mentoring
Brochure “Working with a Mentor- 50
Practical Strategies For Success.” This
brochure lends some great advice on how to
get the best results out of a mentoring
program!