Having a mentor in the field can have a huge impact on a college student’s education. And now, thanks to The Mentoring Club, college students can tap into the organization’s increasing wealth of experts from around the world and benefit from free mentoring services.
The organization’s mission is “to democratize learning for everyone, everywhere.”
To further its mission, The Mentoring Club functions as an open, online platform for those who wish to donate their time as mentors to support students who are eager to learn and grow.
The Mentoring Club started as an initiative by Jessica Dewald and Bastian Buch in March 2020 during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Germany.
They generously offered up their time as mentors – for free – in a Linkedin post.
Within a few days, they were flooded by requests from those interested in donating their time as mentors as well as inquiries from those looking for mentors.
By the fourth week, 75 people from around the world were registered as mentors and 102 people had requested mentoring sessions on career coaching, reviewing CVs, reviewing early startup ideas and other topics.
By June 2020, the numbers had doubled, with more than 150 potential mentors and more than 250 mentees registering with the organization to volunteer as mentors or seek further information.
Currently, more than 1,000 mentors from around the world volunteer their time as experts in a wide array of fields, including software engineering, finance, sales, human resources and start-up funding. These experts share their experience and expertise for free so they can help others grow.
How The Mentoring Club Helps College Students
The Mentoring Club makes it simple for college students to find mentors in their field.
It doesn’t require students to register or apply.
To gain access to experts and senior leaders from more than 50 countries speaking 40 languages, all college students have to do is to select the ones they want to connect with and book a session with them.
And they can expect any discussions they have with their mentors to be held in confidence, according to the organization. They can also expect mentors to be open and give honest and direct feedback.
College students can find mentors here. The search function is easy to use, as it allows users to browse by expertise and language.
In addition to one-on-one sessions with mentors, The Mentoring Club has other learning resources for college students, such as panels, books and podcasts.
The Mentoring Club hosts panel discussions, presentations and other events on diverse topics for college students. Past event topics include “Women Shaping Their Careers” and “Unlock LinkedIn – Building Your Personal or Company Brand With LinkedIn.”
The Mentoring Club also recommends books and learning resources on leadership and management curated by its mentors. The full booklist is available here.
And The Mentoring Club’s podcasts shed light on a variety of topics, such as “Women in Tech and Career Change,” “Entrepreneurship” and “Building a Business from Scratch.”
How to Support The Mentoring Club
College students who have connected with mentors can help The Mentoring Club by giving feedback on what they liked and what could be improved.
Students can also help spread the word on their social media feeds and let others know what the organization has to offer.
Professionals and educators may sign up to volunteer here.
Lastly, parents and educators may donate here to help the organization expand its services.
Follow The Mentoring Club on TUN
Students and educators can also follow The Mentoring Club on TUN to get news, learn about upcoming events and podcasts, and find additional ways to help your community with The Mentoring Club!
