Switzer Fellows Career Coaching Program
2015
The Switzer Fellowship Network is a rich resource of connections, and collective wisdom and experience.
Switzer Fellows are working in a wide variety of sectors and issue areas. In 2016, we will have been
operating the Fellowship program for 30 years; thus, Fellows can be found along all points of the career
spectrum, from early to late career. We believe tapping into the experience of more senior Fellows is a
fundamental part of our leadership development programs.
We also recognize that Fellows have different needs at different stages, and so we offer a range of
options to help you strategize and plan for your career in environmental leadership. Read through these
options and see which one offers a fit for you in the coming year. You can choose to pursue as many of
these options as you like, but we will ask that at a minimum you pursue option 1 and search the online
directory to choose two or three Fellow alums with whom you would like to connect. Switzer staff will
contact each new Fellow individually to follow up on which of these options you are interested in.
1.
NETWORK WITH OTHER FELLOWS.
With 570 Fellows in the Switzer Network, we guarantee you will find a wealth of networking
opportunities. To find other Fellows who may be more senior in your field, doing work you think is
interesting and want to know more about, work in a geographic area you plan to live in, or someone
who has a career path you’d like to emulate, simply go to the Switzer website and look in the online
directory (“Find An Expert”). You can reach out on your own and introduce yourself, or Switzer staff will
facilitate online introductions for you.
2. DEVELOP A LEADERSHIP LEARNING AGENDA.
The Leadership Learning Agenda (LLA) is a tool we use to help Fellows define their career and leadership
goals, and to develop action steps and a timeline for meeting them. Switzer staff can walk you through
preparation of the LLA. The information in the LLA can be a very useful benchmark as you move through
your career. After introduction to the concept of the LLA by Switzer staff, you can work through it on
your own or share it with Switzer staff or your coach or mentor for feedback. More information about
the LLA can be found on the private side of our website (see page 17 of the Fellows’ Handbook).
3. WORK WITH A SWITZER FELLOW ALUM AS A CAREER COACH.
Career coaching is a fundamental service offered by the Switzer Foundation to help Fellows at any point
in their careers to define their goals and create a strategy for meeting them. Switzer staff members will
pair interested new Fellows with a Fellow alum in the appropriate issue area, geographic region, or
sector, depending on the needs of the new Fellow. We have Fellow alumni volunteers ready and willing
to serve as career coaches to new Fellows, and they comprise a cadre of experienced Fellows from
NGOs, business, academia, and government. A coach can help you define your goals by asking clarifying
questions, or provide ideas on how to position yourself to find the right job after graduation, or to help
you advance in your current field. They can offer guidance, resources, and make important networking
connections. They can provide encouragement and insight. In some cases, a career coach may go on to
become a mentor for you.
4. WORK WITH A SWITZER MENTOR.
Mentoring can be defined as a fundamental form of human development where one person invests
time, energy and personal know-how and experience assisting the growth and ability of another person.
Mentors are the special people in our lives who, through their deeds and work, help us see and fulfill our
potential. Mentors perform duties similar to those of a career coach, but the relationship is deeper and
the guidance provided can be more holistic.
With our assistance, new Fellows can be matched with a Switzer Fellow alum as a mentor. The mentor
may be someone who shares common interests and goals with the Fellow, and is willing to act as a
guide, provide feedback, make introductions, and provide input on research or academic questions if
needed. In addition, both parties can receive advice, insight, inspiration, and possibly gain a life-long
friendship! Switzer staff can pair you with a suitable mentor from among our volunteer Fellow alumni,
or you can peruse the online directory and find a Fellow alum whom you think would be a good match.
Switzer staff will help facilitate an initial conversation with that person, as long as he or she indicates the
ability to commit the time required for such a relationship. If you are interested in an outside person as
a mentor and any of our Fellows may have connections to that person, we can facilitate an introduction
to the Fellow alum, who can then help you make connections. If and when you choose this option, we
can provide additional guidance and tips for making mentoring relationships work.
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