Mentors for International Talents sought – application period for mentors open until 13 November
We are looking for mentors who have already been in working life for a while and who are willing to help an international student at the end of their studies. The mentors may be working in different sectors of working life both outside and within academia, and an academic background is not a prerequisite. The mentoring pairs are formed after the application period ends.
“I wanted to help international students via mentoring, because I had struggled to find my career path and then got a lot of help from mentoring. I wanted to be of some practical help and, on the other hand, increase my network,” says Kubilay Kağan Özkan, a Tampere University alumnus, who currently works as a Sales Manager at Treon Oy.
He has participated the programme as both a mentor and a mentee.
Mentoring offers networking opportunities for mentors as well
The programme also gives the mentors an excellent opportunity to reflect on their career and expertise as they share their stories with new experts. Mentoring offers a unique opportunity to network with both mentees and other mentors. It opens up opportunities to explore new areas and find new opportunities for collaboration even in surprising places
“I have got to know a group of amazing international students and their mentors and enjoy the fruits of the resulting network both at work and leisure,” says Topi Pekkanen, Specialist at Employment and Economic Employment Office (Pirkanmaa Region), who has been a mentor in the programme for several years.
Experience in Finnish working life most needed
The mentors are not expected to have international experience. The most important thing required from the mentors is to be able to tell the mentees what it is like to be in working life in Finland, what the Finnish work culture is like, and to tell about their fields and career paths. The goal is for mentoring to help new international experts familiarise themselves with Finnish working life and to support their entering in the Finnish labour market after their studies.
“Mentoring was the most significant help I received when I started my career. Finding employment may be difficult for many international experts, but I gained a lot of confidence and useful tips and contacts via mentoring. I applied for a job for a long time, and was rejected many times in the job search, but my mentor inspired me with hope and helped. We are still friends, and I can call him any time,” Özkan mentions.
Cultivation of Multiculturalism
Participating in an international mentoring programme as a mentor develops multicultural competence and can bring new ideas how to develop internationalisation at one’s organisation. International students finishing their studies have fresh information on what it is like to live in Finland and in Tampere as an immigrant, and how organisations could consider this better in their operations.
We are looking for mentors who
- are willing to help international students or recent graduates at the beginning of their career
- are able to attend two meetings on site in Tampere on 21 January 2025 and 23 April 2025 (living in Tampere is not mandatory)
- have fluent English language skills, other language skills may also be useful
- Have interest in developing the multiculturalism of the Finnish labour market
- have lived in Finland for at least one to two years, the length of career is irrelevant
- are able to attend three to five meetings with their mentee (Please note, that the mentor and the mentee will always agree on the mentoring relationship and the total number of the meetings as appropriate).
Does this sound like you? If yes, please apply by 13 November at the latest.
Read more about the International Talents' Mentoring Programme
Further information:
Yuritzi Becerra Zamora
yuritzi.becerrazamora [at] tuni.fi (yuritzi[dot]becerrazamora[at]tuni[dot]fi)
Mariska Roelofs-Poelman
mariska.roelofs [at] tuni.fi (mariska[dot]roelofs[at]tuni[dot]fi)
