On May 11, the NYU Alumni Executive Mentor Program saluted 31 alumni professionals and their mentee students at an annual appreciation dinner celebrating the completion of yet another successful academic year.
Co-hosted by the Career Development Center and Office of University Development and Alumni Relations, the program connects mentors from a wide range of career fields including finance, investment, arts and legal services with students for at least two meetings of sharing valuable career expertise. Over the past year, mentors have helped students navigate future career paths while offering advice on internships and interview tips.
Business and Finance major Wang Kaijie ‘17 joined the Program when it was first launched in Spring 2015, hoping for advice on how to shape her career path and strengthen communication skills through one-on-one mentorship.
After a “mutual selection” session, Wang became an “apprentice” of Robin Cheung, alumnus of Washington Square College ‘85 and the Group Managing Director of V-Logic Limited. A few months ago, Wang sought Robin’s advice on whether she should pursue postgraduate study or directly enter the job market after graduation.
“Robin offered incredibly useful career advice and helped me with making difficult decisions,” Wang said.
However, instead of giving a direct answer, Robin helped her analyze pros and cons of each option and encouraged her to make a decision following her inner passion. The Ningbo-native chose to accept a job offer from PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Shanghai and looks forward to working in management consulting.
“We don’t meet frequently, but every talk or email means a lot to me,” Wang said, detailing their conversations on everything from career choices, stimulating business cases, and even Western dining etiquettes. “These are topics we normally don’t cover in class,” she said.
“Wang’s become more mature. I believe that she can handle whatever comes her way,” said Cheung. “The reason why I agreed to become a mentor is because I can learn as much from my mentees,” he said.
The two reported that they planned on remaining good friends even after Wang’s concluding studies at NYU Shanghai.
This year marks the third anniversary of the NYU Alumni Executive Mentor Program. According to Wei Xin, Assistant Director, Alumni Engagement, Asia, a co-mentoring program will start up in the upcoming year allowing two mentors per student. “We hope to engage alumni with the NYU Shanghai community and provide students with a linkage to the real world,” she said.