MIS 362
Project 3-Business Mentoring

Purpose
This project has three purposes:

1. Learn about the business world, and the impact of rapidly changing technology on it, through one-on-one communications.
2. Begin purposefully forming a network of contacts.
3. Learn how to communicate professionally with business people.

Part 1: Learn to Connect

Feel free to choose a parent, family friend, or business acquaintance as your mentor.
You are ultimately responsible for obtaining your mentor, but if you need assistance please contact Professor Paulson.
You are advised not to wait until the last minute!

Update your resume. Make an appointment with Charlie Opatz and make sure your resume is great!

Part 2:  Choose a mentor. Complete the mentor form with your mentor's information. See D2L for due date/time.

If you do not submit your mentors information by the due date, you will lose the 50 points, but you still have to do the project, and the final report. 

Choose a mentor from a career area that interests you. Most business professionals are glad to help you be successful in college. In fact, they will be honored that you think so highly of them to consider their input into your college education important. Compliment them on their expertise and ask for their assistance.
You may meet in person, by phone or via email depending on your and the mentor's schedule.
You are required to send an email with a copy of your resume attached to your mentor. 

Gather the following information (which will be needed for your final report.
Mentor's first and last name
Mentor's email address
Mentor's current place of employment
Mentor's career choice

Relevant current and previous work experience

Note: In this project you are beginning a career enhancing network. When communicating and dealing with your mentor-whether in person, on the phone, or via email, you are expected to be professional and courteous. Be mindful of your dress, your grammar, your language. You should prepare for this project as if you are going to a job interview.

Part 3: Develop Questions
The purpose of the interview is to facilitate a dialogue within which the mentor can relay much of their knowledge and experiences from their career to you. Your goal should be to gain an understanding of their career experience from the mentor’s view. In other words, develop empathy for the mentor’s perspective.  To that end, develop a set of questions before you interview the mentor.  Below are a few sample questions. You should develop more based on your interests.

Why did you choose ‘xxx’ as a career?
What do you enjoy most about your career? Why is that so enjoyable?
What aspect of changing technology has had the greatest impact on you and your career?
What has been the greatest challenge in your career? Why is this so challenging?
What has been the key to your success? Why has that been so important?
What would you do different if you were starting over? How would that have changed where you are at now?
Have you ever faced a situation where you had to do something that you felt your ethics might be compromised? Can you describe it in general terms? How did you resolve the conflict?

Part 4: Email Mentor. See D2L for due date/time.
Develop an introductory email to send to your mentor.
Send this email to your mentor, with a cc: to Professor Paulson ( ppaulson@winona.edu ) (If I do not receive an email by the due date, you must still send it, but you will not receive any points)
Do not cc Professor Paulson on subsequent emails.

Your email subject line MUST contain these EXACT words, preferably at the end of your subject line. Failure to do this will result in your email not being graded:

Subject: WSU MIS362 Mentor

MentorEmailz

The email should contain the following sections:

• Introduction
• Appreciation of mentor taking the time
• Information on future meetings (method, time, place, questions...)
• Sample questions you would like to ask during your meeting, phone conversation, email exchange
• Possible questions that the mentor may have of you
• Possible follow-up
• Thanking mentor

Below is a sample email. Use it as a starting point. Do not simply copy and paste-personalize it!

*** Start of Sample Email ***

Mr./Ms. xxxxxxxxx

My name is Joe Student. Currently I am a Business Administration major in the Winona State University College of Business. As part of my Management Information Systems class we are exploring the impact of technology and beginning to develop a network of contacts that we will use throughout our careers. I would like to thank you for taking the time to help me begin this process. May I suggest that we conduct our future meetings by phone? (or email, or in person...) During our next meeting I would like to ask you some questions along the following lines:

Why did you choose ‘xxx’ as a career?
What do you enjoy most about your career? Why is that so enjoyable?
What aspect of changing technology has had the greatest impact on you and your career?
What has been the greatest challenge in your career? Why is this so challenging?
What has been the key to your success? Why has that been so important?
What would you do different if you were starting over? How would that have changed where you are at now?
Have you ever faced a situation where you had to do something that you felt your ethics might be compromised? Can you describe it in general terms? How did you resolve the conflict?

During our next meeting please feel free to ask me questions. Our professor suggested questions such as the following can help me to begin planning my career. Feel free to add, delete or modify any of these questions.

• Tell me how you balance school, work and your personal life.
• How do you measure success?
• Twenty years from now how will you know if you are a success?
• What matters most to you?
• Please share with me your career path plan.
• What are your career goals?
• What type of leadership style appeals to you?
• What do you feel are the most important attributes of a great leader?
• What management style suits you best?
• What is your preferred learning style?
• How should a manager balance the use of technology (cell phones, texting, social networking...) in the work place with traditional work practices in an environment that contains multiple generations of workers?
• What are you doing now to distinguish yourself from other students entering the job market with you?
• What are you hoping to gain from the mentoring program?
• Are you a big social networking user and have you considered what potential employers might find out about you from your social networking activity?
• Describe the classified ad that would be the perfect job for you.
• What two areas do you feel you need to grow in to help you be successful in the business world?

I look forward to our next meeting, and again I would like to thank you for taking the time to help me.

Sincerely,

Joe Student

*** End of Sample Email ***

Part 5: Interview Mentor
At the agreed upon time contact your mentor.  Strive not to simply obtain answers to your questions, but develop a rapport with your mentor. 
When interviewing your mentor pursue areas of personal interest. Use open-ended questions seeking to understand why the mentor feels a certain way or possesses certain beliefs. Often your mentor will ask about your situation and what you want to achieve in your career. Be honest and encourage a two-way conversation. However, be sure to return to the primary purpose of the interview.  Be creative. Keep notes during your conversations. Prepare your questions before the interview. 

Part 6: Be Interviewed by Mentor

The mentor may ask you a series of questions designed to make you think seriously about your career, similar to those you sent to them in Part 4.

Part 7: Impact of Technology on the Mentor's Career - Complete technology impact report.  See D2L for due date/time.

Reflect on, and summarize which technology had the greatest impact on your mentor's career.

Part 8: Complete Report -   See D2L for due date/time.
Summarize the discussions with your mentor in a report and draw some conclusions regarding preparations for your business career in general and specific terms. Do not present the conversation(s) verbatim.
Be prepared to briefly summarize your interview for the class.

Part 9: Follow up

Send an email to your mentor thanking them for their assistance. You do not need to copy me on this email.

Deliverables Summary:

See D2L for due dates/times.

 Submit mentor form

Submit email to mentor, cc Professor Paulson

Complete Technology Impact Report

Complete Final report