Although I have always been in the driver’s seat when it comes to my professional and academic career, I’ve seen you can always find a great mentor in the passenger seat.
Mentors have been crucial to my development and success, offering advice, networking opportunities and someone to run things by like employment offers.
My first mentor, from my first job, helped me craft a personal image and improve my communication skills. Another, Adam Alvidrez, connected me to community leaders and identified job leads that fit my skills and experience. Today I rely on mentors within my company, Cintas, for feedback on my performance as human resources manager.
My way of paying it forward was helping create the CSUB `Runner Alumni Mentor Program, and serving as a mentor in all four cycles since its launch in 2018. I make sure to be there for my mentees, to answer questions and support their endeavors. I was able to offer one a three-month HR internship with Cintas, giving her hands-on experience in a Fortune 500 company.
Mentoring students has been so rewarding. It’s a privilege to be able to share my expertise with students and connect them to potential employers. I also feel I have grown as a leader through this experience, and it’s been a way to give back to my university.
You as a fellow CSUB alum can do the same, and now in new ways. You can be paired up with a junior, senior or graduate student for an academic year through RAMP or you can just make yourself available online during days and times you choose to answer school and career questions from students interested in your field and experience.
You can do one or both of those things on our new mentoring and networking website, `RunnerBridge, available to CSUB alumni, students, faculty and staff. It’s also a place for CSUB alumni, faculty and staff to network and re-connect with each other, no matter where in the world they are.
`RunnerBridge also offers communication, goal-setting and other tools to help mentors and mentees make their relationship productive for both sides.
You should receive an email from us Aug. 3 inviting you to sign up for `RunnerBridge. When you do, you can choose your mentoring options or just make career connections with people in the CSUB family.
If you don’t receive an email, go to https://runnerbridge.csub.edu/, click on “Join Our Community,” and create an account with your CSUB credentials, email address or LinkedIn profile.
The COVID pandemic doesn’t seem to be slowing down, so many limitations on our interactions with one another will continue for a while. But that doesn’t mean our personal and professional development has to stop; in fact it’s more important than ever. And why not take this time to give back to our community and university?
`RunnerBridge gives mentors and mentees a safe and convenient way to interact. Knowing that I can make a difference in a student’s life keeps me coming back every cycle!
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