Fanshawe College goes above and beyond in their practice of providing opportunities and advantages to students, and the Mentoring For Success program is a perfect example of such an edge. The service matches interested student participants with professionals in their field in order to provide valuable insight and support.

The program is free of charge to any student in the college. The program's personalized format is the perfect embodiment of the sort of customized services available to students through the school.

"In today's job market and in the economic crisis in the world, networking is extremely important," said Derek Newman, who coordinates the program in addition to his responsibilities as a part-time teacher on the London and St. Thomas campuses.

"Obviously there are less jobs and more people applying for them than ever; the Mentoring For Success program allows you to be linked up with a mentor who can give you those little tidbits of information to improve your resume, improve your interview skills and give you the opportunity to network, which I think is extremely important in today's job market."

Students are welcome to participate in the program regardless of their field of study; potential "mentees" are directed to the program website at tinyurl.com/mentoring- success to fill out a quick mentee application. Once submitted, the applications are delivered to Newman and the interviews begin. By the end of the process, the student is matched with a suitable professional.

In addition to the opportunity to meet with a more experienced individual and gain from their guidance and advice, the ability to network and expand your contacts in your desired field is of immeasurable value. Mentoring For Success provides the chance to learn from someone who has been through the same challenges and found their niche and the insight you need to set a realistic career path for yourself early in post-secondary study.

Additionally, the program hosts a handful of career development events through the school year, both on campus and off, with the goal of furthering the skill sets of participants. These range in topic and scope — including mock job interviews, dining etiquette, dressing for success, organizational tips and more — and are interactive networking events intended for the development of career and interpersonal skills.

"We're always working towards increasing the program," explained Newman, though he was careful to keep future plans for growth close to his chest. "We're working towards getting match-ups and getting events going, towards making the program bigger and better."

Mentoring For Success requires a minimum commitment of two hours of contact per month during a sixmonth placement. You will only get out of the program what you put into it; matches and meetings are driven by the mentee, so preparation and research is crucial to success in the program. The program is open to Fanshawe students up to five years after they've graduated, at which point the hope is that students will then choose to become mentors themselves.

"The Mentoring For Success program gives you everything you need to be able to move out into the work force and get that job, which is becoming more and more difficult."

For more information or to contact Newman, visit K1011. You can also search for "Mentoring For Success" on Facebook or fanshawec.ca, or visit tinyurl.com/mentoring-success.