Unlock Your Potential with WCA’s Peer Mentor Program
Peer mentorship is a valuable exchange that benefits both mentees and mentors, creating a space for shared growth, insight, and connection. By joining our program, you can either receive guidance tailored to your career goals or offer your expertise to others. Whether you’re seeking mentorship or ready to become a mentor, this experience will strengthen your professional skills, expand your network, and foster a dynamic community of communicators supporting each other’s success.
Check out our Ask a Peer Mentor blog.
If you’d like to request a peer mentor or to become a peer mentor, see the boxes below for more information.
Request a Peer Mentor
If you are a communications professional or student, you can take advantage of this opportunity. No matter your age, stage of education, years of experience, or familiarity with other fields, you can accelerate your growth and learning with the support and knowledge of a peer mentor.
Peer mentors share advice, encouragement, and lessons learned through one-on-one conversations. Career goals, work-life balance, and professional development are frequent topics. As the mentee, you define the focus, frequency, and duration of the mentorship, in coordination with your volunteer peer mentor.
Read more about requesting a peer mentor.
Ready to request a WCA Peer Mentor? Fill out this form.
Become a Peer Mentor
As a WCA member, you are eligible to volunteer as a peer mentor, no matter your years of experience, your role in communications, or your familiarity with other fields. Mentees have many needs, and you may be the best fit to support someone.
Being a WCA Peer Mentor is a great way to develop leadership skills and build your network, while sharing your knowledge and expertise. This comes with the personal reward of potentially shaping someone’s path to success.
Read more about becoming a peer mentor.
Ready to become a WCA Peer Mentor? Fill out this form.
Program Guidelines
What WCA’s Peer Mentors can do:
- Speed mentoring.
- Short term mentoring: Guidance on a specific topic requiring limited involvement – for instance, what subjects should a student take for a career in communications; where to intern; or assistance through a job application and interview process.
- Longer term mentoring: students looking for on-going career guidance; professionals looking to brainstorm and implement career moves, discuss challenges at work, or find a sounding board for creative development.
- Help mentees answer a series of questions to gain clarity on their talents, strengths, and career interests. This can be part of a short or long term mentoring arrangement.
- Provide honest feedback about cover letters, portfolios, and other professional materials. This can be part of a short or long term mentoring arrangement.
- Provide professional-grade career coaching sessions. WCA has many qualified members who can provide that service.
- Provide specific logistical assistance in starting or revamping a business venture.
- Provide any kind of psychological input or feedback beyond a friendly ear and helpful suggestions based on their own professional experiences.
More than 30 WCA volunteers pitch in to support their fellow communicators. They assist you by sharing lessons learned, challenges faced, and resources discovered. They ask the right questions for you to consider. They are all ages and come from all fields within communications, with various levels of experience. One of them is a match for you.
If you have questions about the peer mentor program, please contact mentors@wcaustin.org.
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