{"id":3539,"date":"2015-02-23T19:16:43","date_gmt":"2015-02-24T00:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/2015\/02\/23\/new-program-connects-students-with-business-mentors\/"},"modified":"2022-11-07T17:34:42","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T22:34:42","slug":"new-program-connects-students-with-business-mentors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/new-program-connects-students-with-business-mentors\/","title":{"rendered":"New program connects students with business mentors"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"shutterstock_189991406\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Furman University\u2019s Undergraduate Evening Studies program is launching the Furman University Career Advancement Program this month to connect students in three accounting and financial management classes with business mentors.<\/p>\n

\"Robyn<\/a>

Robyn Miller, Undergraduate Evening Studies<\/p><\/div>\n

Robyn Miller, a graduate student in Clemson University\u2019s education and student affairs master\u2019s degree program and an intern with Furman Undergraduate Evening Studies, created the program which will match about 20 students with the mentors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re recruiting (mentors) like mad,\u201d she said. Anyone in the financial fields, especially Furman alumni but also anyone interesting in mentoring students, can talk with Miller at the Undergraduate Evening Studies<\/a> office or robyn.miller@furman.edu.<\/p>\n

The initial events will begin Feb. 28. The first 30-minute session will connect mentors with mentees to set up meeting schedules and method of contact for the next six weeks. Session 2 is a 45-60 minute interactive professional soft skills workshop, facilitated by Miller with presentations by several of the mentors. The session will cover basic professional presentation skills, networking practice, cover letters and resumes, and interview tips. During Session 3, students will interview for a specific position in a mock interview with mentors.<\/p>\n

On March 10, a networking event will be held in conjunction with the Greenville Chamber\u2019s Business After Hours. An etiquette dinner, where students will learn about dining and networking during a meal, will be held March 18 at Furman\u2019s Trustee Dining Hall.<\/p>\n

Students participating should \u201cgain some professional skills, increased confidence, connections in the business world, and possibly some lifelong friendships,\u201d Miller said. Mentors, some of whom are returning from a program set up with the Greenville Chamber, could gain \u201ca sense of satisfaction that they help someone younger and satisfaction in developing human capital in the Greenville area.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mentoring is a plus for people at all levels, said Tami Miller, Greenville Chamber manager of leadership development programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019re never too old for a mentor,\u201d she said. But \u201ccollege is a great time to begin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mentorship for young professionals is often a way for them to \u201cdiscover those things not written in black and white\u201d about a job or career. Pulse, a Chamber organization for young professionals, has a mentorship program known as Pulse Pacesetters that connects Pulse members with community leaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re finding the relationships transcend the year together,\u201d she said. \u201cMost of the people who truly have a heart for mentoring have a person in their lives who fed them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chamber is always interested in mentoring, said Hank Hyatt, Chamber vice president, economic development. \u201cWhen you get right down to it, the Chamber is about making connections among business leaders and aspiring leaders. That\u2019s the DNA of the Chamber.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said Robyn Miller worked with the Chamber and Greenville Technical College\u2019s accounting program to establish mentoring and internship opportunities.<\/p>\n

Miller first became interested in creating mentor relationships between business people and students and increasing internships while she had an assistantship with the Chamber\u2019s Education and Workforce Committee. That program focused on mentorships non-technical students at Greenville Technical College and Greenville business people.<\/p>\n

She learned that many of the internships for Greenville Tech students and other college students that are available in the Upstate lean toward technical industries.<\/p>\n

Gaining knowledge through mentoring relationships and obtaining internships \u201care the new job requirement,\u201d she said. \u201cIt helps the company get to know someone. It helps with all the things you can\u2019t teach in school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mentorship programs help students and business people \u201cmake connections and understand the world a little better,\u201d Hyatt said. Mentors also gain from the program as \u201cthey get fed energy, enthusiasm, and give back to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

The FUCAP coordinator also learned the value of mentoring through experience as Beth Crews, Furman\u2019s director of Undergraduate Evening Studies, became her mentor while she was at the Chamber. That relationship led to her internship at Furman, her third while she has been a graduate student. She also held internships in the Civic Engagement Office at Clemson and Greenville Tech.<\/p>\n

The Furman program is actually a modification of the Chamber program, she said.<\/p>\n

Learn more about Furman Undergraduate Evening Studies and FUCAP.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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