Hampton Roads SHRM recently partnered with Old Dominion University’s student SHRM chapter to host their third Fall Mentor Meet-up Event at Neptune’s Fury Coffee Roasters. The coffee shop, conveniently located in downtown Norfolk, is owned by ODU alumnae who were in the MBA program. Last year, the mentor program took place in the Fall and Spring semesters. The Fall 2024 mentor program features 21 mentors paired with undergraduate students from Old Dominion University. Hampton Roads SHRM Director of College Relations and ODU SHRM Chapter Advisor Jennifer Klinger said, “It was quite incredible to read our mentor bios and see that combined they have over 300 years of HR experience!”
The goal of the meetup was to allow an in-person opportunity for mentors and mentees to introduce themselves and begin a conversation about careers in HR. Students are expected to meet with their mentors at least twice. During the first meeting, students interviewed mentors about their career choices and advice. In the second meeting, students will pitch their career plans to their mentors and gather feedback. Beyond these two requirements, mentors and students determine if they want to continue the relationship.
Several past mentorships have resulted in internships and job opportunities. Mentors and students are asked to provide their feedback on the experience at the end of each semester.
Mentor Testimonial from the Spring 2024 HRSHRM & ODU Mentorship program:
“In January, my HR colleague (with 40 years of experience) announced her retirement. We searched for an experienced HR Manager for about 6 weeks, and nobody surfaced. We then decided to look at my mentee for an internship. My mentee was hired from March until the end of May as an intern, to help us through this retirement, and we started rolling out a new payroll system. We then hired my mentee full-time as an HR Assistant – she’s remained with us since. She has taken on a lot of the tasks relative to our new Paycor system, helps our Controller with payroll, handles staffing, benefits, onboarding, etc.”
-Michelle Shearon, HR SHRM Board Member
This partnership between Hampton Roads SHRM and ODU is a great example of how we can engage with our future HR professionals in a meaningful way and give back to the HR community. ODU and HR SHRM are proud of this partnership and excited to see the growth in engagement within this group.
For more information about how ODU and HR SHRM have cultivated this successful partnership, contact Jennifer Klinger, HRSHRM Director of College Relations.
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