Mike Burrett, a mentor for the MBA programme, explains the function of the DUBS Mentor Scheme and how it can benefit the student.
After completing registration the Alumni Relations Office will match the student with a mentor to achieve some correlation between the requirements of the student and the experience of the mentor. The programme allows the student and mentor to explore a range of issues that are relevant to the student and where the mentor can provide guidance. The Alumni Relations Office requires only periodic feedback on the relationship, meaning administration is minimal for the mentor. There is no prescriptive format between mentee and mentor and this flexible approach allows both participants to structure the relationship in terms of the scope of topics covered and the frequency of contact.
Typically students at masters’ degree level are a little older and therefore more mature than undergraduates and their requirements usually reflect this. For example MBA students often have work experience and a prior career before embarking on their MBA studies so a main concern will be the direction of their career after graduation. In one case a student had a successful career as a merchant marine captain with experience over many years as the master of large vessels with more than 70 crew. The (mature) student had decided that a sea career was no longer his best choice now he had a young family and he chose the MBA route to enhance his career opportunities. The student had doubts about his ability to achieve his ambition as he tended to see shipboard life as his only way forward (during discussion the mentee and mentor concluded this was a ‘mind-set’ problem). After a month working through his CV the student felt confident that a merchant marine captain with an MBA was an unusual and highly marketable combination. This encouraged him to make approaches through websites to marine management and ship charter organisations. Within a matter of weeks three interviews had been secured followed by two job offers and the student chose a married status position in the Far East as the onshore senior marine manager for a global fleet of cargo ships.
Students are encouraged to explore the career sections of websites hosted by commercial, governmental and not-for-profit organisations and with some encouragement they soon become enthusiastic about surfing the web to seek out job postings. On other occasions students are given the confidence to make a direct approach to an organisation even if a suitable position is not advertised. Some organisations will hire an exceptional candidate for their management training programme and it requires a level of proactivity on the part of the candidate (so the student) to identify this opening.
A number of students hold the view that a CV is a one time statement and that ‘one size fits all’. Using interview techniques the mentor can demonstrate to the student (the mentor will already have some knowledge of the student’s range of skills and experience) that a CV and an interview are position specific and that one size most certainly does not fit all! The student is encouraged to create a master CV and then to fine tune each version on a role specific basis. To support students the school has a “Careers Office” where students can obtain hands on help in preparing a CV.
Some students use the MBA experience as a building block to develop a career within their previously chosen profession while others see the experience as an opportunity to make a major change of direction. Whilst it might appear that the first group has a clear idea about the future this is not always the case. The mentoring process then tries to provoke the student to think ‘outside the box’ in a non-prescriptive way.
On occasions students overlook their lifetime experience which, when combined with academic achievement, can change the profile of the student. During conversations the mentor can make the student aware of her/his personal skills portfolio to demonstrate the positive effect this can have on the CV. For example many (most) students at Durham Business School are multi-lingual which seems natural to these students because they chose to study in English. For many positions in organisations linguistic fluency can be a defining asset and one which could set the student apart from their peers. Many international organisations require key employees who can cross cultural and linguistic boundaries with the objective of creating a holistic organisation, prospering in whichever area of the world it chooses.
The trust between the mentee and mentor develops over time and within 2-3 months any initial barriers will have disappeared and the relationship becomes one of trusted advisor/friend. This places the mentor in an unusual position in that mock interview sessions can be set up where the mentee can experience a ‘real-world’ interview, with critical feedback from the trusted mentor which is generally taken onboard by the mentee in a constructive and non-defensive way.
Most students have taken a major lifetime decision to study for the MBA degree, often with a significant financial commitment. Add to this the remoteness of the student from family and friends and we can begin to understand some of the pressures the student is handling, on top of a rigorous study programme.
A successful mentoring programme will produce a number of beneficiaries. If the relationship between mentee and mentor is sound then both participants will experience a sense of achievement. The school and staff will benefit through a more stable and motivated student population. Fellow students may also benefit through access to the programme if word of the scheme is positive. Potential employers will benefit when motivated students access organisations’ website and make their job application.
If you believe you could provide this type of support then contact either Katharine Aspey in the Alumni Relations Office or myself to discuss this further.
Mike Burrett
Durham University Business School MBA Advisory Board