The mentoring operation by Centrale Nantes Alumni: to enrich the network and strengthen the links between  studiants and graduates!   

A big THANK YOU to the 560 mentors who volunteered to give advice, share their experience with students, young graduates, business creators...

No need to live in Nantes, mentors and mentees can be on all continents! Discussions can take place by email, phone, video, over coffee, lunch, etc., at your convenience.

In real life, these are exchanges and smiles! 100% of mentees who recommend signing up! 100% of mentors who are up for it again!

I want to become a mentor 

I am looking for a mentor

For any further information, feel free to send an email to mentorat[at]centraliens-nantes.com.

Anis KEZNADJI (incoming 2018 student) and Alexandre CHADENEAU (2014 outgoing graduate) in front of the big screen in hall A of the School ;-) 

Florian BARTOCCI (2017 incoming student) and Flore MASSOULLIE (graduating outgoing 2014)
during the friendly evening at the beginning of the internship period organized via Zoom on 04/15/2021 for 2nd et 3rd year students

Testimony of Sarah PETROCCHI (incoming student 2018)

Since the launch of the operation in 2015, all students and recent graduates who signed up for the mentoring operation have had at least one mentor.

Still not convinced? Here are some figures from the 2020 survey conducted among all mentees and mentors :

Mentees:

• A score of 9.3/10 for the monitoring of the operation (answers to questions, follow-up if necessary, support, change of mentor if necessary)
• Overall score of  8.9/10 (quality of pairings, follow-up, interest in exchanges etc…)
• 100 % of menteess mentees found that their mentor's business sector/profession/area of expertise or background was in good or very good match with their professional project (very good for 76%, good for 24%).
• 92 % of mentees found the discussions enriching, informative, and warm and they felt comfortable chatting with their mentor.
• For 88 % of the mentees, the mentoring operation at least enabled them to obtain additional information on the sector(s) of activity, the function(s), the profession(s) that interested them.
• Also 54 % were able to discuss more transversal themes such as the balance between personal and professional life, being a woman engineer in a male environment, working in a country where the language is not spoken, etc. ...,
• 50 % had advice on the strategy to adopt for their internship/job search (website, spontaneous application, forum, etc.),
  
• 46 % of them benefited from advice regarding their gap year, study mobility, or expatriation project.
• 100 % of mentees would advice other students/ recent graduates to register for this mentoring operation.

Mentors:

• A score of 7.9/10 for the follow-up of the operation (answers to questions, support, follow-up of mentees who have not contacted their mentor, follow-up if the exchanges are going well etc ...)
• Overall score of 8.6/10 (quality of pairings, follow-up, interest in exchanges, etc.)
• 82 % of mentors found the discussions enriching, informative and/or interactive.
• 100 % of mentors are up for it again à nouveau.

Who can be mentored?

You are a student, recent graduate, or already in business for a few years. You are looking to define more precisely your professional project (in terms of sector of activity, profession, study mobility, gap year, expatriation, additional training, thesis, VIE, etc ...) or to discuss your professional practice, benefit from advice on how to grow, create your business or carry out another project.

You have doubts, you do not know which field to orient yourself towards?

Don’t hesitate to register!

The mentors went through the same questioning as students/fresh graduates.

They did not necessarily all have everything successful from the start, they had to question their future, overcome setbacks, and will be delighted to share their advice with you.

The qualities of the mentee:

• Be ready to listen and accept advice 
• Be active and proactive in discussions with your mentor

Testimonials from mentees:

• "Mentoring is really beneficial for us, students, whether it's looking for an internship, a job or to discuss your career choice and professional life in general. Mentors listen and give precious advice. I am happy to have been able to benefit from this support during this difficult period in the midst of a pandemic." (Bastien D., incoming class 2019)
  
• "My exchanges are going very well with Alessandra. We first exchanged by email, then by Skype. We discussed a lot about the thesis and the opportunities in our sector of activity. It helped me to make the decision (well thought out) not to do a thesis at the moment. Thank you for putting me in contact with Alessandra, her advice is really valuable." (Maéva C., incoming class 2016)
• "Gustavo was really open and we had a great exchange. His position and his professional journey was interesting considering I am also an international student trying to decide and figure it out what to do next, so it helped me a lot to talk to him and being able to ask him specific questions and advices from his perspective." (Veronica Catalina S. R., incoming class 2018)
• " a very enriching program: the connection was very quick. My mentor was not working in the field I was specifically targeting but he was able to put me in contact with relevant people thanks to his network. His experience abroad and his professional experience were a real asset in my research strategy for my end-of-studies internship.

  My mentor was also able to provide me with advice and opinions on entrepreneurship which can be very relevant in the longer term. I am very satisfied with this operation. And I also won a friend! " (Vonia R., incoming class 2014)

• "It is an exceptional help for young graduates looking for network building and seeking contacts in the industry of their choice. I would especially recommend this mentorship to all international students who try to seek recruiters point of view and tips in facing interviews in french, to seek help from fellow alumni's, experts from the field for resume building corrections, pitch development etc... You won't regret it, I can assure you, it really depends on you how you approach mentors and how you keep the bond alive between you two ; so indeed it requires a pro-active effort from students side but what you receive and benefit from it is priceless - the experience and guidance. I am truly grateful to have been able to connect with like-minded people and receive their guidance and encouragement during health crisis." (Sudnya V., incoming class 2017)
• "When I signed up for the mentorship, I didn't have a specific project. So I had two mentors with very different backgrounds, which I found to be very good." (Emilien S., incoming class 2016)
• "For foreign students, having a French mentor who is familiar with the industry that interests us helps dispel many doubts." (Vanessa G., Colombian student, incoming class 2017)
• "For me the exchange was extremely enriching. My mentor was able to help me with the transition from TFE to the first position. It helped me find myself where I am today. I can only recommend this program." (Lasse J., German graduate student in 2017) 
• "The pairing with my mentor was perfect! It totally corresponded to what I was looking for. The operation was very useful to me and I was well followed." (Eliot G., incoming class 2016)

Become a mentor

Being a mentor does not require a significant time investment: 90% of mentors have devoted a maximum of 1 hour per month to their godchild. You are the one who defines with your godchild the means of communication and the moment which suits you best to exchange.

Being a mentor to share:

• His knowledge of his activity field, his job 
• His experience of a large company, an SME, entrepreneurship,
• His expatriation experience, his particular situation vis-à-vis his profession (I raised 5 children through a career, I took over my family's business, I changed my path, I returned to a technical profession ...)

The qualities and commitments of the mentor:

• Want to transmit, to feed off the exchange with students/fresh graduates
• Listen
• To be benevolent bu without complacency 
• Respect the confidentiality of exchanges

The roles of the mentor :

• Make the mentee benefit from your experience, to help your godchild to define/mature his/her professional project, to prepare his/her search for an internship/job, to succeed in his/her functions, etc ...
• Provide psychological or practical support (especially for foreign students)

Testimonials from mentors:

• "I spoke with Maéva two weeks ago, it was very nice. I think that before speaking with me she wanted to do a doctorate, but she may have changed her mind. I think she was very interested in my professional background and my advice. " (Alessandra C., class of 2016)
  
• "It's a very good initiative, I think it's very important to be able to extend it over time" (Sylvain M., class of 1999)
• "It's super easy despite the distance with the current tools. I'm in Australia, he's in Panama!" (Frédéric V., class of 2004)
• "I appreciated that my godson prepared questions before our exchange. It enriched the discussion." (Valia F., class of 1998)
• "This is a good initiative from CNA, I congratulate those who made it happen and encourage them to continue" (David B., class of 2000) 
• "I think it's a great idea and I missed it as a student." (Sébastien B., class of 2006)
• "Excellent initiative, beneficial to both parties." (Didier L., class of 1983)

How to become a mentor? how to find his mentor ?

I want to become a mentor 

I am looking for a mentor

For any further information, feel free to send an email to mentorat[at]centraliens-nantes.com.