BLEND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
BLEND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM — LEADERSHIP TEAM
Our successful Wilson College of Textiles graduates have a wealth of knowledge to offer to the next generation of textile leaders. The Blend Mentorship Program connects them with outstanding students who can directly benefit from their expertise.
Blend was created by the Dean’s Young Alumni Leadership Council (DYALC) in 2020 to provide undergraduate seniors and graduate students with an opportunity to build their professional skills, foster new relationships and connect with young alumni who are working in their area of interest.
If you have any questions regarding the Blend Mentorship Program, please contact Carly Dressen at cadresse@ncsu.edu
Members of the Blend Leadership Team
Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement and Stewardship // NCTF
Co-Chair, Blend Initiative
Dean’s Young Alumni Leadership Council
Morgan Besterman ’15
Co-Chair, Blend Initiative
Dean’s Young Alumni Leadership Council
Carly Dressen ’15
Cody Zane ’15, ’17, ’20
BLEND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM — CURRICULUM
9/11/2024
Week of 9/16/2024 Week
Program Kickoff — Virtual
• Define mentorship and discuss expectations
• Mentee-focused event
• Mentors are encouraged to attend
Mentorship Session #1
• Getting to know one another and understand your goals for the program
º Share this list and ask what your mentee needs assistance with
• Establish communication guidelines or best practices
• Discuss any challenges your mentee may be facing
• Review resume + prepare your mentee for career fair/networking
• Encourage Mentee to attend sessions provided by Wilson College of Textiles Career Services before the career fair.
Mentorship Session #2
• Carry out goals set from Session #1
• Career Fair next steps/follow up
• Discuss how your mentee is progressing through the semester
Mentorship Session #3
• Finishing the semester strong
• Determine what your mentee can focus on during the break
Mentorship Session #4
• Carry out goals set from Session #1
• Mock interviews
Mentorship Session #5
• Carry out goals set from Session #1
• How to prepare for a job and transition from college to the workforce
• Finishing the semester strong
• Preparing for finals
NOTE: Several workshops will be hosted throughout the year for the mentees and details for those events will be shared as they are finalized.
***This is just a suggested “curriculum” if you would like. THIS WILL NOT FIT EVERY PAIRING. Use the handbook to craft your own “curriculum”. Utilize your experiences and share the challenges that you faced that you can guide them through.
EXPECTATIONS OF MENTORS
• Help your mentee establish goals. Taking time to appreciate and understand your mentee’s goals will demonstrate your commitment to their professional development and future. Following the SMART goal method is a great way to set a clear direction for you and your mentor.
• Take an interest in your mentee and their growth. Take a genuine interest in your mentee -- their interests, dreams, and aspirations. Be aware of other real-life issues that may be present for your mentee. Acknowledge that there are differences between you and your mentee that transcend the obvious ones of gender, age, and heritage. Care and concern for your mentee can be the key to providing them with the confidence to flourish.
• Have fun! Part of building trust is getting to know each other. Make it part of each mentor meeting to focus, not just on business, but getting to know each other personally.
BEST PRACTICES FOR MENTORS
• Be accountable. Answer questions and provide advice, resources, and guidance when appropriate and within the agreed amount of time. It’s important to consider if you have the bandwidth to participate in the program fully to benefit your mentee’s success.
• Be able to provide honest feedback. You may have the very best of intentions and even the right ideas, but if you do not provide feedback in a way that works for your mentee, the opportunity for a constructive conversation will most likely be lost. When your mentee has some areas that need to be strengthened, choose the time and place for this conversation carefully and try to listen.
• Check your biases and have empathy. Avoid letting stereotypes distort your impressions. Just like you, your mentee may be different from what’s on the surface.
EXPECTATIONS OF THE BLEND MENTORSHIP TEAM
The team will be matching mentors and mentees, sending email reminders and other communication, providing resources, and seeking feedback. We are your main source for any support or guidance you might want or need as part of the program.
Here are some of (but not all) the things we can support with:
• Non-responsive mentor
• Complications and/or concerns with the mentor/mentee relationship
• Being a successful mentor
For any questions or concerns, please reach out to Carly Dressen (Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement and Stewardship, NCTF) at cadresse@ncsu.edu
TOPICS FOR MENTORSHIP SESSIONS
ADULTING:
• Personal life aspirations
• Work/life balance
• How to acclimate into a work environment
• Transitioning from college to a 40-hour work week
CAREER FAIR:
• How do I spend my time?
• What should I talk about?
• Is it actually worth my time?
CONTINUED LEARNING:
• How to grow from an entry level job?
• What organizations to join once you graduate?
• How to continue learning once you leave college
• Spend time teaching (Adobe Illustrator / In Design / Web Development)
FINISHING UP:
• Senior Design
• How to finish your senior year strong
• Time management - job applications / school
• Things you wish you had known your last semester
GRADUATE SCHOOL:
• Applications
• Is it different from undergrad?
• Academia vs professional
LINKEDIN:
• How to set up job alerts
• Profile review
• How to reach out to someone you’ve never met?
• How to reach out to NC State alumni?
APPLYING:
• What extracurriculars are you involved in and how to talk about that in a job interview
• Job search tactics
• How to acclimate into a work environment
• Mock interview
• What job descriptions translate to in everyday tasks
• What are entry level jobs to search/consider
CLASS TRANSLATION:
• How does this (class, idea, etc) apply to the real world?
• How to think outside of the book?
DESIGN PORTFOLIOS:
• Research portfolios you aspire to be like
• How to present a portfolio
• How to make your portfolio stand out
GENERAL:
• Discuss the textile industry
• Discuss hardships in the textile industry
• Entrepreneurship
• Career path options
• Personal goals
• Professional goals
INTERNSHIPS AND JOBS:
• Location, company mission, compensation, etc.
• What to ask when negotiating a job offer
• Relocation funds if job is out of state
RESUME:
• What stands out
• What to leave off
• Cover letter
• Review
• Buzz words and how to find them
TOPICS FOR MENTORSHIP SESSIONS (CONTINUED)
NETWORKING:
• Virtually bring in coworkers to meet your mentee
• How important are soft skills
• What networking events to attend
• Is networking important?
• How do I network? Who do I network with?
• How to utilize my relationships with my professors to land my first job?
ACTIVITIES:
• Lunch/dinner/coffee meetings (in-person or virtual)
• Review resume and cover letter and provide feedback
• Set up mock interviews and salary negotiations
• Job shadow (if local to the Raleigh or surrounding NC area)
• Watch a webinar together and discuss
• Review portfolios and assist in developing
• Connect with another mentor/mentee pair
FIRST MENTORING SESSION EXAMPLE
This is just one example of how a mentoring session can go. There are many styles and ways to go about mentoring, make it your own!
INTRODUCTION
• Name, Age, Graduation Year, Major/ Focus,
• Personal — Where were you born? Do you have any hobbies? What is your favorite food? Why? Did you steal a brick from NC State’s campus? Do you still have it?
• College Experience — How/why did you choose NC State? Were you involved in any extracurricular activities? What was your favorite memory from NC State? What dorm did you live in when you were on campus? What was your favorite and least favorite class?
• How Was Your Experience? — Explain your college experience and how you got to this place in your career.
• What You’ve Learned — Share your expertise and the areas that you feel you can share valuable information/experiences.
ASK “DO YOU HAVE CAREER ASPIRATIONS?”
• If they answer yes:
» Why that career? What do you think you like (not just the title, but what about the work or aspects)?
» Ask intentional questions. They could have a career in mind because it sounds good but their interests and strengths may not align with that career.
» Dig deeper from there.
• If they answer no:
» Ask what are the types of work/projects they are interested in? OR what classes do you find the most interesting?
» Dig deeper from there.
ASK “WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS IN LIFE, YOUR CAREER AND THIS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM?”
• I would recommend going in this order . Then, you can take their life goals and create career goals, then take their career goals and create mentorship goals. We want to move them forward.
» Dig deeper from there.
» This should be the bulk of your first conversation.
ASK “HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE UPCOMING CAREER FAIR?”
• Talk them through tips to stand out.
• Closing the first meeting by asking your mentee to send their resume to you for your review. Review it in the next few weeks and send them your thoughts.
• Review this at your next meeting along with how you two can move toward accomplishing their goals.
SMART GOALS GUIDE AND EXAMPLES
The SMART acronym is a framework that will enable you to write goals that drive greater impact. Write goals with each of these aspects in mind, and you’ll be able to quantify how far you’ve come and how far you have left to go against your goal.
The letters of SMART stand for:
Clearly state your goal.
What will you do? Why and by when? Ensure you can measure success.
How will you measure your goal? Set goals you can achieve.
Can you accomplish this goal? Set goals relevant to your education and future. Does it align? Set a deadline for completion.
When will you accomplish this?
Example of a SMART Goal for your Blend Mentee: (We encourage you to help your mentee develop a SMART goal)
To achieve my goal of getting an internship in product development, I will update my resume with relevant qualifications so I can apply to three open intern positions at a wearables startup company this week.
WILSON COLLEGE OF TEXTILES RESOURCES
Academic, Career, and Student Services
The Center for Academic, Career and Student Services (ACSS) in the Wilson College of Textiles supports students through all stages of their NC State journey. Exploration events, pre-college programs and individual visits are a few of the opportunities that ACSS provides for prospective students and their families to learn more about Wilson College. Current students receive support from the exceptional ACSS staff through academic advising, career services, scholarships, student engagement and peer tutoring. Stop by the center in suite 2418 for more information about how ACSS can support you.
Academic Services
• Program Contacts
» Link: https://textiles.ncsu.edu/contact/
• Advising
» Academic Advisor Expectations
◊ Provide Informed Support. Advisors should:
º Make advisees feel comfortable coming to them for assistance
º Support students by suggesting ways to help them meet their goals
◊ Know the Curriculum, Academic Policies, and Resources. Advisors should:
º Understand curriculum requirements and university policies
º Understand how and when to make referrals to appropriate campus resources
◊ Be Accessible, Responsive, and Proactive. Students are required to meet with their advisor once/ semester for Registration Advising. Advisors should:
º Let advisees know how to reach them
º Respond to emails in a timely manner
º Be proactive in keeping up with their advisees periodically throughout the term, particularly those in academic difficulty
» Student Expectations in Academic Advising
◊ Be an active participant in the advising relationship
º Keep advisor informed of academic progress and challenges that arise
º Take notes during their advising sessions
º Follow through on actions discussed during advising sessions
º Respond to advising-related emails in a timely manner
◊ Accept responsibility for their decisions and actions
º Students are ultimately responsible for their academic progress and must understand curriculum requirements and policies
◊ Ask questions when they arise
• Study Abroad
» Studying abroad allows you to experience new places and cultures, gain a global perspective, enhance your education, develop key skills for employment and grow in your independence and self-confidence.
» Link: go.ncsu.edu/studyabroadtextiles
• Scholarships
» PackAssist
◊ Apply to Wilson College scholarships: go.ncsu.edu/ncstatescholarships
» FAFSA
◊ Apply for federal financial aid: go.ncsu.edu/federal_aid
• Peter R. Lord Tutoring Center
» The Peter R. Lord Tutoring Center in the Wilson College of Textiles provides FREE tutoring services for textile and non-textile courses.
» Location: Textiles Complex, Room 3280 // Hours: Monday-Thursday from 3pm-6:30pm // go.ncsu.edu/tutoringwc
Career Services
» Location: Textiles Complex, Room 3280 // Hours: Monday-Thursday from 3pm-6:30pm // go.ncsu.edu/tutoringwc
Career Services
• Employee Contact: Jeff Sackaroff
• Career Fair
» Fall Date: Oct. 17, 2024 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• Electronic Job Board
» Link: go.ncsu.edu/textilesjobboard
• ePack
» Through it, students can search for jobs and internships, RSVP for workshops and career events, schedule careercounseling appointments, research employers and explore career paths. Wilson College of Textiles students have access to ePACK from their first day of classes until one year after graduation (alumni wishing to extend their access beyond a year can do so via the NC State Alumni Association).
• Career Resources for Graduate Students
» Link: go.ncsu.edu/textilesgradresources
Student Organizations
• African American Textile Society (AATS)
• American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (A2TC2)
• Greater Good Textile Group (GGTG)
• Latinos Unidos en Textiles (LUT)
• National Retail Federation (NRF) Student Chapter
• Phi Psi (PFP)
• Platform Magazine
• Student Ambassadors Program
• Textile and Apparel, Technology, and Management Student Advisory Board
• Textile Association of Graduate Students (TAGS)
• Textile Technology and Engineering Society (TTES)
• Tompkins Textile Student Council (TTSC)
• More information can be found at: go.ncsu.edu/textiles_student_orgs
Textile Association of Graduate Students (TAGS)
• Link to resources available to Graduate Students: go.ncsu.edu/tagstextiles
Wilson College of Textiles Counselor and the NC State Counseling Center
• The Wilson College of Textiles has an embedded, college-wide counselor for students.
» To learn more, visit go.ncsu.edu/textiles_counselor
• As part of DASA’s effort to promote the success of the whole student, the University Counseling Center believes that a healthy emotional life is the foundation for personal, academic, and professional success.
• Link: counseling.dasa.ncsu.edu
Pack Essentials Page
• NC State and campus partners have developed many programs to support students in need of food, housing, financial and educational security.
• Link: dasa.ncsu.edu/support-and-advocacy/pack-essentials
Campus Wide Resources
• Link: go.ncsu.edu/campusresources_ncstate
Graduation Page
• Link: go.ncsu.edu/graduation_textiles
