The Power of Mentoring: How CGB is Preparing its Students
Being a college student is definitely not easy. Besides worrying about school, almost every student worries about what they will do when their time on the Forty Acres is over. Many students experience uncertainty regarding their career paths and prospects. Not knowing what lies ahead, and questions about how to make the road ahead smoother, are common worries many students at The University of Texas face.
Having someone sharing academic and career advice along the way positively impacts a student’s overall well-being, so mentoring is one of the best ways for students to get ahead and grow. Mentors can help students feel a sense of belonging, get a burst of motivation, and learn critical skills they might otherwise not learn in the classroom. That’s why, for the third consecutive year, the Center for Global Business is offering its students a chance to partake in a mentorship program. All students currently pursuing an International Business Major and any student pursuing one of the minors connected CGB (International Business, International Business and National Security, and Global Management) are eligible to participate.
The program’s design is simple, and its goal is to be as accessible and visible as possible. In the past, both majors and minors were mentored by CGB friends and supporters . This year, International Business majors will be mentored exclusively by one of CGB’s Board of Advisors. The CGB Board is comprised of individuals with years of leadership positions and experience in prominent companies worldwide. They support CGB and and play a massive role in its continued growth.
Board members are mentoring International Business Majors because, as Deborah Salzberg, CGB’s the Global Readiness Adviser, “the IB major is the Center’s flagship program.” And while the International Business Majors only make up a small number of the student body at McCombs, Deborah points out that “they have a unique and useful combination of adaptive such as flexibility, critical thinking, and a growth mindset, and hard business skills like finance, supply chain management, and marketing” which helps set International Business Majors apart from their peers. CGB hopes that by pairing them with one of its Board members, Board of Advisors, the two can work together “package up those particular skills and present them to employers.”
Students pursuing a minor offered by CGB are being paired with industry professionals whose professional interests align with those of their mentee. At the beginning of the semester, CGB students were asked to fill out form to provide CGB more information about their career interests and other preferences. CGB then used the new HookedIn platform to identify available, pairing them with compatible student. In the end, the pairing was done with each student’s needs, dreams, and goals in the utmost consideration; this is crucial to better engage the mentee with their mentor.
Students and their mentors are expected to meet at least once a month to connect and to allow for opportunities to ask or talk about anything they desire. Some of the coaching that mentees are looking for mentors to provide includes interview tips, resume building help, interpersonal skills development, and access to a network in an industry. CGB also hopes students build enough confidence so that both parties are comfortable reaching out to one another regularly whenever something might come up. For upper classmen this is critical because they will also begin applying to internships and full-time positions weekly, and through the program mentees will have the chance to reach out to their mentors to get professional advice from someone who has already been in their shoes.
Rodney Baltierra Jr, a senior International Business Major, is excited about CGB’s mentorship program this year. Like many upper classmen at UT, Rodney felt anxious about what will come after college. Consequently, when the program was announced, Rodney knew he had to act and sign up, describing it as “an opportunity I wouldn’t want to miss out on.” Only one month into the program, Rodney mentioned that his mentor has already helped him construct his job application for Bloomberg. Overall, the initial stages have been great for Rodney and his mentor, and he is genuinely eager about what’s next to come for them.
Like Rodney, other students, mentors, and the whole of CGB are enthusiastic about the program, and participants are confident that this year’s mentorship program will be a huge success. Besides offering their students an opportunity to build a long-lasting relationship with a professional with years of experience, CGB expects the program to attract attention and encourage more students and alums to get involved.
Ultimately the 2022–2023 academic year is going to be great for the Mentorship program. Mentors are providing excellent career readiness advice to their mentees, preparing them for what comes after UT and ways they can make the most from their time at the Forty Acres. Students will gain so much from having a alum who was once in the same spot as they currently are, guiding them through uncertain times. Connections that will last a lifetime, and have huge impacts on the students’ careers, will be made this year. CGB is delighted to offer its students opportunities such as this with so much great potential.
Visit our website to learn more about becoming a mentor with CGB and about other ways to get involved.
Written by Julian Gonzalez, Intern at the Center for Global Business
