Interested in helping future generations of BSU students explore careers in your field? Willing to share advice on how students can launch a career in your industry sector? Consider being part of the Industry Mentors program.
Industry Mentors Program FAQs
The Industry Mentors program connects BSU students with BSU alumni and industry professionals in their fields of interest. Students will work closely with Career & Life Design Advisors at BSU’s Career Services & Internships Office to explore their skills, interests, personalities, and values. As they continue their self-discovery journey, the advisor will refer students to you for a career conversation (i.e., Informational Interviews) to learn more about your career experience, industry insights, and tips on launching their career in your field.
Since students will access your information through direct referrals from the Career Services & Internships Office, we only expect that you chat with students on a 1:1 basis for a 30 to 40-minute timeslot. Once the Career & Life Design Advisor makes the referral, you only need to provide us with your availability to connect with students. We will help coordinate the date and time that works for you and the student. You are not obligated to meet with the student more than once, and each semester, you will only get a maximum of five students.
To protect all parties involved throughout the process, we ask that the meeting be conducted virtually via Zoom or MS Teams. If you share your availability with our team members, our Career & Life Design Advisors will help coordinate the scheduling process.
Our Career & Life Design Advisors will share a student’s resume with you during scheduling. Think of this as an informational interview or virtual coffee chat. The goal of this meeting is for students to ask you questions regarding your background, how you landed opportunities in your professional career, tips and advice on how students can learn more about your field, and training or experiences that can help students be competitive in their job or internship application process. After the session, we ask you to share general information regarding your interaction with the student with our staff.
We understand things may change, and your personal and professional lives can impact your availability. All you need to do is inform our staff of your status.
We are looking for individuals representing industries that interest BSU students. If you would like to participate in this program, please contact Dr. Gerald Tang, Executive Director of Career Services & Internships, at c2tang@bridgew.edu. We will schedule a brief call to learn more about your interests and background and share additional information.
Industry Mentor Profiles
Hi everyone! I’m Carlyn Mason, a 2020 graduate of BSU. My career journey has taken me from the classroom to the corporate world, and I’m a firm believer in hard work, loyalty, and problem-solving—skills I’d love to share with you.
For years, I loved working with children as a babysitter, camp counselor, and eventually a first-grade teacher. In 2023, I made a big leap into corporate training – nerve-wracking but exciting change. Just two years later, I’m now leading the Sales Onboarding program at Granite Telecom.
I know how daunting it can be to figure out your path after college. That’s why I’d be honored to assist and mentor BSU students. It’s okay to try something and change your mind; there’s plenty of time to explore different roles and find your fit.
I’m an open book when it comes to mentoring, and there’s no such thing as a “silly” question. Whether you need help with a specific skill, prepping for an interview, or just have questions about work life after college, I’m here to help in any way I can.
Stepping into a new field comes with a unique set of challenges – one of the biggest being the need to build a strong professional network. For those who thrive in structured conversations and prefer more profound, more meaningful discussions …
