Mentoring

Mentoring for students | Offers of mentors | Offer for companies

Mentoring for students

 Mentoring is a progressive career development concept that utilizes the transfer of experience between a mentor and his younger colleague (the "mentee"). Such transfer of experience takes place in real situations, especially directly at the workplace. It is a volunteer activity originating from Scandinavian countries.

Would you like us to find a suitable mentor for you? Send us your resume to petra.vanharova@natur.cuni.cz and we will include you in the database of suitable candidates. Please include your name in the file name and specify the name of the mentor you are interested in in the cover email - you can choose up to two. You can find the current list of mentors HERE. Once we find a suitable person for you, we will let you know in accordance with the mentoring program schedule.

What are the basic features of mentoring?

• It is a relatively new concept in the field of professional and personal development that allows for direct insight into the environment of companies or other non-faculty workplaces.
• The student (the "mentee") is directly involved in real work situations.
• The scope of cooperation is not fixed – everything depends on the specific agreement between the mentor and the student.
• The duration of the cooperation and the obligations arising from it are specified in a contract.
• Both parties participate in the process without any claim for renumeration

What do both parties gain?

• Student: Primarily new experiences from real working life and hands-on experience at a time when there is still enough time to direct future career paths. Another significant gain can be new contacts and an attractive item in their curriculum vitae.
• Mentor: An assistant for practical tasks, a new perspective on their own work, and, last but not least, the satisfaction of being able to pass on their experience.

How does mentoring relate to the alumni program?

• A mentor can easily be one of the alumni who holds an interesting position. The bond between the mentor and the student can be strengthened by their shared connection to the school they both graduated from.
• The transfer of experiences between alumni and students of the faculty is one of the important goals of the Faculty of Science, Charles University's alumni program.

For mentees in the mentoring program organized by the Faculty of Science, Charles University, the following rules apply: 

• Any student from any field and level of study at the Faculty of Science, Charles University, can become a mentee.
• Interested candidates must submit their resume and a cover letter, based on which the mentor will select them.
• The mentor selects their mentee solely based on their own decision.
• Both parties participate in the mentoring process without any claim for remuneration.
• The scope of cooperation is specifically defined in a contract. During the mentoring period, the minimum recommended meeting frequency is once every two weeks.
• It is possible to apply to the mentoring program repeatedly.

Schedule of the mentoring program at the Faculty of Science, Charles University for the years 2024/2025: 

November, 2024: Registration of new mentees, introduction of students and mentors to the program, mentors select suitable candidates from the pool. 

2/2 November 2024: Interviews of mentors with candidates

2/2 November 2024 - end of January 2025: The course of collaboration between the mentor and the student

Offers of Mentors

Offer for Companies

Do you work for a company whose activities are related to scientific research topics conducted at the Faculty of Science, Charles University? Are you interested in gaining a dedicated assistant and potentially highly qualified workforce? The concept of mentoring, facilitated by our alumni and supporters, serves exactly these purposes, as supported by our faculty.

Are you interested in becoming a mentor for our students? Then we would be pleased if you could provide us with basic information about yourself at  petra.vanharova@natur.cuni.cz. We will then contact you according to the schedule of the mentoring program outlined below.

What are the basic features of mentoring?

It is a relatively new concept in the field of professional and personal development, which allows for direct insights into the environments of companies or scientific workplaces. The student ("mentee", "apprentice") is directly involved in real work situations. The extent and content of the cooperation depend on a specific agreement between the mentor and the student; the duration is determined by the schedule of the mentoring year (see below). The specific responsibilities and time commitments of both parties are specified in a contract. Both parties participate in the process without any claim for remuneration.

What do both parties gain?

Student: Primarily new experiences from real working life, hands-on experience at a time when there is still enough time to direct future career paths. Another significant gain for them can be new contacts and an attractive addition to their curriculum vitae.

Mentor: Assistance with practical tasks, a new perspective on their own work, and ultimately satisfaction from the opportunity to pass on their experience.

For mentors in the mentoring program organized by the Faculty of Science, Charles University, the following rules apply: 

• Any individual who has gained certain work experience, achieved a certain position, and has the desire to pass on their experience to motivated students can become a mentor. Before starting the process, the mentor should clarify their own motivations.
• A mentor does not necessarily have to be a graduate of the Faculty of Science, Charles University, but anyone willing to dedicate time to its students.
• The areas in which mentoring occurs do not necessarily have to align with the fields studied at the Faculty of Science, Charles University. For example, a student may gain experience in management or people management.
• A mentor has the right to choose their mentee ("učeň", also known as "mentee" in Czech) at their own discretion based on the CV and an oral interview. Contacts for mentee candidates are obtained through the Alumni Club of the Faculty of Science, Charles University.
• Mentees are recruited from current students of all fields and levels at the Faculty of Science, Charles University. Requirements regarding the field of study and education are determined by the mentor.
• A mentor may resign from their position.
• The relationship between mentor and mentee is established for a specific period. The extent of cooperation depends on the agreement specified in the contract concluded between the institution and the student. The duration is at least one round of the mentoring year (approximately one semester), but it can last throughout the mentoring year.
• The mentor assigns tasks to their mentee, which must be completed. If the commitments specified in the contract are not fulfilled, the relationship can be terminated at any time by either party.
• At the end of the relationship, both the mentor and the mentee complete an evaluation questionnaire, which serves solely as feedback for the further development of the mentoring program at the Faculty of Science, Charles University and will not be published anywhere.

Schedule of the mentoring program at the Faculty of Science, Charles University for the years 2024/2025: Winter Semester:

September - October 2024: Registration of new mentees, introduction of students and mentors to the program, mentors select suitable candidates from the pool

2/2 November 2024: Mentor interviews with candidates

2/2 November 2024 - end of January 2025: Progress of mentor-student collaboration

Ferbruary, 2025: Evaluation of the collaboration