| SUCCESS STORIES AND ADVICE
A successful pairing
 “My mentor match was spot on! Mike Taylor invited me to shadow him for a morning, included me in two business meetings, and provided a snapshot of what life after school might be like. In turn, I connected him with special events at the U of M.
Mike has since moved on, but we stay in touch. He was pleased to learn that I was hired to fill his position less than a year after meeting through the mentor program! I firmly believe the mentorship gave me an edge in identifying and speaking to the needs of my new employer.”
Stacy Miller (MS-STEP ’05)
“Stacy Miller was a fantastic mentee. After I relocated to Washington D.C., to pursue a new career opportunity with the Solar Electric Power Association, Stacy was hired by the Department to fill my former position. We still communicate every so often, as Stacy has questions about the tricks of the trade, and participates in some of the activities and information my new organization offers. My advice? Students get out of it what both participants put in. Beyond resume proofing and office tours, mentors can invite the student to sit in on meetings or events and suggest research topics that might have data waiting to be analyzed (a previous mentor student of mine wrote her thesis this way). The best thing a student can bring is motivation – ask questions, show interest, and suggest things they’d like to learn about or do.”
Mike Taylor (MS-STEP ’98)
Tips for success from a Global Policy mentor
By Elisabeth Emerson (MP ’82)
“Near the end of my 18 months in Bosnia-Herzegovina, I was asked to give a lecture at the Tuzla University School of Public Health. I spoke on international humanitarian work and came up with three important points to remember for successful work overseas. After more than ten years of international work, I still believe in these. They are:
- Know you mission, understand your mission and stick to your mission.
It can be easy to get side-tracked by political issues, but work to avoid that unless it is part of your mission.
- Respect the local people and their culture, but don't forget yours.
Don't speak negatively about the place where you are living, and don't speak negatively about your home country.
- Plan to leave. Always work with this question in mind: "What can I do to ensure activities will continue when myself and/or this program are gone?"
Ask yourself how you can best leave your skills behind. Enable the country staff to competently take on responsibilities, and try to leave as quickly as possible.”
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