Skip to main content

Cornell University

Faculty Advancing Inclusive Mentoring

A Collaboration of the Graduate School and the Provost's Office of Faculty Development & Diversity

Professional & Career Development

Unspoken rules govern access to professional and academic opportunities. A faculty mentor who has successfully navigated the academy has knowledge and access to networks to help guide a graduate student mentee in their professional and career development.

Topics for discussion include how and where to seek publication, funding, and networking opportunities, how to create a brand as an academic, what to expect from the academic job market, and where to get support for career exploration and preparation beyond the academy. To remain mentee-centered, other areas of conversation include asking about a mentee’s goals, aspirations, and areas for growth.

Mentor Commitments

As a mentor, I will …

  • explore, demonstrate interest in, and support my mentee’s professional and career aspirations and goals.
  • support my mentee in their engagement in professional development and career exploration opportunities (e.g., exploring different career pathways within and beyond the academy, develop, implementing, and assessing inclusive teaching strategies, etc.).
  • contribute to my mentee’s development of their identity as a scholar and professional.
  • champion my mentee for professional development and career opportunities aligned with their interests.
  • utilize my network to help my mentee establish professional connections and relationships.
  • provide my mentee with insights on the elements and timing of the academic job search process.
  • be transparent about what roles I can and cannot play within their career exploration and job application process based on my knowledge and experience.
  • encourage my mentee to utilize career exploration and preparation resources such as those from the Graduate School.

Mentee Commitments

As a mentee, I will …

  • share with my mentor my professional and academic goals.
  • seek out and ask my mentor for support as I identify professional and academic opportunities to further my goals.
  • communicate and work with my mentor to establish internal deadlines to meet search requirements (e.g., when they will receive your drafts, how long they need to provide feedback, how much advance notice do they need for letters of recommendation).
  • proactively ask my mentor to advocate for me, the direction of my research, and my career aspirations within their professional networks.
  • engage with my constellation of mentors and university offices to access advice and resources to develop my transferable skills and explore and prepare for various career pathways.
  • seek guidance from my mentor as I develop and learn to communicate my scholarship and career aspirations.
  • seek input from my mentor and others on the unwritten rules of searches in various sectors and higher education institutional types.

Additional Resources