Connecting students to careers through mentorship
THE GMI MISSION
Helping underserved students
get ready for a career
Global Mentorship Initiative is a non-profit organization that provides guidance and business skills to underserved college students through online mentorship.
GMI was created from the Rockefeller Foundation’s Digital Jobs Initiative to help prepare students for their first career job. GMI uses a mentorship model that makes it easy for business professionals to be great mentors without a significant time commitment.
We partner with universities in the US and around the world with a mentorship program that includes 14 one-hour structured online sessions designed to provide real value to the student as they prepare for their job search.
Mentorship provides support, encouragement, and coaching to graduating students who need it the most.
If you have considered giving back through mentorship or helping a student from an underserved background, come join us!
Why Mentoring is Important
A college degree alone doesn’t mean a student is prepared for their first professional job.
In Africa, 45% of university graduates are still jobless one year after graduating.
Many schools do not incorporate curriculum to teach the skills students need to be successful in their first few years of work.
The Challenge for Youth in Developing Countries
While job opportunities are available in developing countries, sometimes it can take a college graduate several years to obtain a job aligned with their degree. Research has shown that while many graduates have the general skills required for their first job, they often need extra guidance and coaching on how to find a job that is right for them and the soft skills required to be a competitive candidate.
The Challenge for Youth in the United States
Underserved college students are sometimes overlooked for sustainable career opportunities. Many students graduate without some of the basic business soft skills needed to successfully search for and obtain a job and take control of their career path. GMI mentorship helps to close this gap and provides students with opportunities to succeed.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
GMI matches college students with business professionals for an online mentorship program where they gain the skills needed to succeed in their career.
GMI Makes it Easy to be a Great Mentor!
GMI mentors are business professionals just like you. You don’t need to be an expert, just follow the Mentor Guide, and add your own personal experience. GMI provides everything you need to guide your student for 14 one-hour sessions once a week. This includes email templates for communicating with your student every week – reducing your prep time.
Join us, you can do this!
Ready to get involved?
The GMI Mentorship Program includes:
- Establishing a professional business network using LinkedIn
- Developing specific soft skills to excel in business
- Communication strategy for a global business environment
- Creating a career plan and setting measurable goals
- Creating a resume/CV that gets noticed using keywords
- Templates and guides for conducting a job search
- Mastering the job interview process – answering tough questions
- How companies evaluate their employees
- How to distinguish yourself on the job