Career Mentor Q&A

Hello! My name is Nick Birkhimer, and I am currently serving as one of the Career Mentors at the NDSU Career and Advising Center. Most people aren’t entirely sure what that means, so I did a little Q&A session to help define my job and responsibilities a bit more:

What are some of your responsibilities as a Career Mentor?

Ultimately as a Career Mentor my job is to help students harness their writing and speaking skills in the context of job interviewing in order to help them become more employable. We accomplish this through teaching students how to write effective resumes and cover letters, how to properly interview for a job, and how to search for internships and potential future jobs. These teaching sessions can be done in a one-on-one environment or to a whole group.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

Part of what makes being a Career Mentor so exciting is the wide variety of roles that I can fill on a daily basis. Some days I come into work and help students prepare their resumes and cover letters, some days I’m off to classrooms to give a presentation on interviewing skills, and some days I’m asked to write articles about what it’s like to be a Career Mentor! But the most exciting time of year in the Career and Advising Center is always Career Fair season. Sponsoring our variety of Career Fairs is a massive annual undertaking that requires the entire Career Center team to come together to make them successful. As a Career Mentor my role in this success was primarily assisting with setting up and tearing down the event, as well as recording what companies were interviewing students at these events.

What do you enjoy most about being a Career Mentor?

The skills that we pass on to NDSU students helps them realize their dreams of getting their dream job and putting their degrees to work. It gives me great pride and satisfaction to be a part of realizing that dream and helping my fellow Bison reach their full potential in the professional world.

How did you find out about this job?

Initially I was referred to this job by a former Career Mentor, who directed me to the NDSU Job Board. Here, I found all the necessary information to apply for this job, including job requirements, time commitment, and contact information for the individual in charge of hiring me.

What is the most important skill to have to be a Career Mentor?

To be a successful Career Mentor, you need to have good communication skills, as you will spend most of your time at the Career and Advising Center talking to individuals or a group of people. If you are an outgoing individual with strong interpersonal skills this is the job for you!

If you are interested in becoming a Career Mentor and joining the Career and Advising Center team, please go to the link below, or contact Olivia Buller at olivia.buller@ndsu.edu

By Nick Birkhimer
Nick Birkhimer Career Mentor