• Minnesota Career Development Association
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MCDA Members’ Mentor Program

Join the MCDA Mentorship Program

MCDA offers a dynamic mentoring program aimed at fostering professional growth and excellence in the career development field. Members can choose to participate as either a mentor or mentee, based on their individual goals and experience levels. Program coordinators strive to create optimal mentor-mentee pairings using this information.

The application is linked here!

What is a Mentor Program?

Mentoring provides a reciprocal learning and development opportunity. For mentees, it offers a chance to gain self-awareness and explore various career development fields. For mentors, it is a fulfilling way to contribute to the profession and assist others in achieving success. The personalized nature of mentoring allows both parties to:

  • Share knowledge, experiences, and resources
  • Expand their perspectives by exploring new ideas
  • Build valuable connections with other professionals
  • Enhance communication skills (for mentees) or coaching skills (for mentors)

Who is a Mentor?​

Ideal mentor candidates are those who:

  • Are an experienced career development professional (generally 5+ year’s experience in the field)
  • Wish to nurture the next generation of professionals and are willing to:
    • Share your knowledge and understanding of opportunities, challenges, and resources within the field,
    • Provide support and guidance for your mentee’s professional growth
    • Help your mentee practice new skills, develop their ideas and make new connections
  • Are MCDA members. To join, click here!

(Note that mentors are not expected to offer jobs, act as therapists, or have all the answers!)

Who is a Mentee?

Ideal mentee candidates are those who:

  • Are new to the career development field
  • Seek to advance their professional development and can:
    • deepen their understanding of the field
    • receive guidance for their goals
    • practice new skills
  • Are proactive in their learning, setting goals and agendas with their mentor
  • Are you an MCDA member? If not, to join, click here!

Time Commitment

Successful mentoring relationships require a commitment of time and effort. Participants should be prepared to:

  • Meet for one hour monthly, either in-person, virtually or by phone, between November – April.
  • Attend a Mentor Program Kick-off meeting, which serves as the first mentoring session
  • Prioritize the relationship by maintaining communication and fulfilling commitments

Cost and Registration​

Participation in the MCDA Mentoring Program is free for members. To participate, you must be an MCDA member. Click here to become an MCDA member now. Registration for the 2024-2025 program is open until Monday, October 14th, 2024 and can be accessed here!

Returning mentors from the previous year can simply express their interest via email without re-registering.

For any questions, contact the program coordinator Ann Rogers at MCDAmentor@gmail.com.