Career Design Lab

Tips and tools for mentoring

Welcome to Aalto University Mentoring Programme! Here you will find tips and tools for a successful mentoring experience.

Aalto University Mentoring Programme

Two people walking in a tree-lined alley in Otaniemi

Purpose of mentoring

The purpose of mentoring is to support the student's career design, promote professional development and act as a bridge between studies and working life.

Career Design Lab
Two students on Aalto Campus

Cornerstones of mentoring

Characteristics and conditions for successful mentoring

Career Design Lab
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Mentor and actor roles

Mentor and actor have their own specific role in mentoring.

Career Design Lab
Tips for mentors

5 tips for mentors

This is how you build a good mentoring relationship

Career Design Lab
A headshot of student smiling.

5 tips for actors

You have the main role in achieving development goals.

Career Design Lab
Cafe at campus

Mentoring agreement

Mentoring agreement is a good basis for successful mentoring. It should be done at the beginning of the programme either orally or in writing

Career Design Lab
Two students on Aalto University campus

Topics for meetings

Ideas for discussions topics in the mentoring meetings

Career Design Lab
Two people sitting on campus

5 pitfalls - and ways to avoid them

Typical challenges in mentoring and tips for solving them

Career Design Lab

Tools for mentoring

The purpose of these tools is to support the mentoring process and the preparation of your meetings. You can pick topics that best support the goals of your process and plan the meetings around them. Each tool includes a short introduction and an exercise or reflection task.

Design your career

How career design thinking can help you deal with unpredictability and change

Question assumptions

What are the assumptions you guide your career decisions by?

Imagine possible futures

How to avoid WYSIATI on your career path

Build on your strengths

Designing your career based on your strengths enhances your success and wellbeing

Clarify your values

Values serve as guide posts on your self-directed career path

Create your narrative

How to connect the dots of your career

Prepare for the future of work

What are the implications of the transformation of work and how can you deal with them?

Build holistic wellbeing

The increasing demands and continuous changes at work call for a proactive approach to wellbeing

Cope with overload

How to create a balance between the demands of a job and your own resources

Thrive in Finland

Welcome to the land of low hierarchy, concise communication and work-life balance

Read more about Career Design Lab and our open online courses

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