The mentor programme

Through our mentor programme, we want to support our students by contributing to their personal development, as a form of extra preparation for their professional lives. Mentors and students get the opportunity to meet to take part of each other’s experiences.

The mentor programme – a chance for development

Through the mentor programme, both students and active professionals get the opportunity to develop, establish new contacts and create new experiences.

As a student at Linnaeus University, it is an opportunity to get a mentor to strengthen your personal condition for future work and career.

As an active professional, it is an opportunity for you to contribute to a student’s development journey while at the same time taking part of interesting perspectives and new networks.

For students

Would you like to get a mentor from working life to strengthen your personal conditions for your future working life and career? In that case, you are welcome to apply to Linnaeus University’s mentor programme!

Having a sounding board during your studies makes it possible for you to widen your perspectives and increase your knowledge. The mentor programme is also a good opportunity to practice establishing relations and networks.

Through the mentor programme you will get the opportunity to:

Develop your personal abilities and gain more trust in your own competence.
Widen your circle of contacts with many active professionals and students from other programmes.
Gain a deeper understanding of what is required on the labour market.

Active professionals from several different programmes and specialisations take part on the mentor programme. We match mentors and students based on different areas of interest and competence.

As a participant, you will have close contact with your mentor who will follow you during two semesters. You will meet regularly, once a month.

The mentor program is not a gateway to getting a job, but an opportunity to create better conditions for your future professional life. To be eligible to apply, you must be a registered student at Linnaeus University.

For active professionals

Would you like to contribute to a student’s development journey while at the same time taking part of interesting perspectives and new networks? In that case, you are welcome to apply to Linnaeus University’s mentor programme!

We are currently living in an era of quick changes and knowledge development. The mentor programme is an opportunity for you to meet the members of staff of the future and to stay updated within your field of expertise.

Through the mentor programme you will get the opportunity to:

Take part of others’ experiences and widen your networks.
Gain new perspectives on your professional role.
Share your professional knowledge and personal experiences.

Students from several different programmes and specialisations take part on the mentor programme. We match mentors and students based on different areas of interest and competence.

As a mentor, you will have close contact with a student whom you will follow for two terms. You will meet regularly, one hour, once a month.

We prefer that you have several years of experience from working life. However, you don´t need to be in a leading position and you don´t need to have any earlier experience from being a mentor. The most important thing is that you are engaged in the students process and curious to learn and reflect.

When you become a mentor, you will gain more knowledge about mentoring. You will also receive a guidebook that you can follow during your meetings with the student. We are here to support and advise you throughout the entire process.

More about mentorship

Mentorship is often defined as the relationship between two individuals – where one of them (the mentor) makes use of their knowledge and experience to develop the other (the adept) who has less experience. Every mentorship is unique as it is based on the relationship between two individuals. It is common that mentorship includes learning, emotional confirmation, networking, and guidance.

A mentor is someone with experience and knowledge within a specific field who through their interest in other people can function as a role model and conversation partner. An adept is a person who wants to improve their performance and move forward in personal development as well as in professional contexts – in this case one of our students who have studied at least one year at university (both Swedish and international students).

Both mentor and adept usually experience mentorship as something rewarding, on the personal level as well as on the professional level. During our start-up meeting, we will tell you more about mentorship and provide you with tools that will help you have rewarding conversations during the course of the programme.

Registration

Please fill in the form below to register your interest. We will get back to you later with information about admission and matching.

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Registration for students

Arrangement

The program starts in October and runs until May. During this period, each mentor pair meets individually once a month (in person or online). In addition, the following joint meetings are offered:

• October – joint start-up meeting offered in Växjö, Kalmar, and online.

• November – check-in meetings offered separately for mentors and students, online.

• February – check-in meetings offered separately for mentors and students, online.

• May – joint closing meeting offered in Växjö, Kalmar, and online.

Dates and more information will be provided via email after acceptance.

Mentorship – a path to new insights and opportunities

Having a mentor can be crucial when navigating a new industry or academic field. The mentorship program offers both students and professionals the opportunity to exchange experiences, receive guidance, and build networks. Jerker, who works at the Swedish forest agency, and Anu, a master's student at forestry for green sustainable development, share their experiences.

Jerker, fotographer: Camilla Zilo

Jerker learned about the mentorship programme through a leadership development initiative at Linnaeus University. With a background as a manager and now as a process leader for the forestry sector gender equality council, he saw mentorship as a way to give back.

“I have had a mentor myself and experienced the power of this method, especially when facing important career and life decisions. Being able to share experiences and follow a young person’s journey is truly rewarding,” Jerker explains.

Anu, master's student

For Anu, who is new to the forestry sector, mentorship was a valuable opportunity to gain insight into the industry and receive support in integrating into working life. The programme runs for six months and includes regular meetings where the mentor and mentee discuss goals, progress, and challenges.

“My mentor has shared his experience, guided me in my career, and helped with practical aspects like writing my CV and cover letter. It has been invaluable,” Anu says.

Mentorship not only facilitates knowledge exchange but also offers new perspectives.

“Gaining insight into how young people think about their career choices broadens your own horizons,” Jerker continues, encouraging more professionals to become mentors.

For those considering joining the programme, the message is clear: it is an opportunity for growth, guidance, and valuable networking for the future.

Previous participants

"Thank you for the opportunity! It has been educational in many ways to come into contact with such strong IT expertise from my mentor. I can definitely recommend the upcoming third-year students to take part in the next mentoring programme. This is an excellent way to learn more about the labour market."

Johan Lundberg, student and mentee

"For me, leadership is a lot about being human in your leadership and enjoying working with people. Through these conversations I gain new perspectives on myself and I get inspiration from somone significantly younger and with different reference frames."

Helena Nilsson, mentor

"I find this whole concept to be excellent. I think it was a good math and I have gotten a lot out of it. The fact that I got to do a real interview and get feedback on my CV and cover letter was very useful."

Michael Wangber, student and mentee

"The mentoring programme has given me new insight into how I can help someone with their development while also giving me new knowledge for my professional role. Being a mentor is enriching because you get to see a person grow while being challenged yourself."

Natasha Asimiadis, Information engineer, Sigma Technology, mentor