Why Mentorship is Key for Students

Hello!

Advice, new contacts, invites, and even two job offers — these are just some of the benefits I’ve personally received from networking and having the right mentors in recent years! 

I’m Bianca, a student in my final year at university and passionate about taking action to address the climate crisis and developing my career in sustainability. That’s how I first stumbled upon Sustainability Mentors — from a simple Google search where I was looking to meet professionals in sustainability. I am in full support of  Sustainability Mentors, and I want to see if this blog post can inspire more potential mentees (like you) to sign up! If you don't need to read any further because you already know you’re interested in receiving mentorship and meeting professionals across the sustainability sector... sign up below!

Not convinced? Let me explain the value I’ve received from Sustainability Mentors… and honestly, I wish I’d signed up sooner! My first contact made through Sustainability Mentors was with Alex Cullen, a professional previously in the branding and marketing space — an area that, when paired with sustainability, I am especially curious about. I love being a mentee and speaking to people who are currently in positions I could see myself in down the line, or who have relevant advice to offer. Specifically, I’ve had conversations with professionals who challenge me to think more deeply about my own motivations and approach, and often suggest directions or areas to look into. 

The relationship you have with a mentor is up to the two of you to decide upon — if you need someone to hold you accountable to strive towards your career goals in sustainability, you can make that happen. If you want someone to discuss your thoughts and ideas for your career, such that they help you find your passion, encourage and advocate for you and your achievements, you can ask for that. 

Mentors have opened my eyes to new opportunities by sharing a conference or event that I might be interested in, and in one case, even by finding me a job when the opportunity arose. 

Mentors can be a great source of inspiration and connections beyond this platform — they may know someone who works in a specific niche of interest to you, or who are located in a country that you’re curious to learn more in terms of its professional sustainability landscape. For a full list of all the potential benefits of having a mentor, check out this blog, written by the founder of Sustainability Mentors. I can only speak to the benefits I’ve experienced firsthand, but there’s many more!

No matter what stage of life you're in — school, university, graduate school, or learning as a lifelong student, I can’t recommend Sustainability Mentors enough.

The project is young, and our strength will be in our numbers. The more mentees and mentors who join us, the more exponentially we can grow.  Our long-term goal is to become a hub for anyone and everyone professionally interested in sustainability and in mentorship for pursuing a career in this field. I hope to see you on the site and welcome you to a growing community of over a thousand people across the world.  

Thanks for reading, and please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn if you have any questions or want to learn more. I hope you sign up, and when you do, make sure to check out this guide that will help you prep for your first session as a mentee!