LUT Mentoring Programme

Who can apply?

• LUT master’s students
• LUT doctoral students
• newly graduated LUT alumni (max one year after graduation) if they are still looking for work from their own field

What we expect from the mentees

• commitment to meet with the mentor approximately once a month from December to May
• commitment to participate the mentee orientation session and three group meetings during the programme
• taking an active role when agreeing on the meetings, topics and practicalities with the mentor
• setting objectives for the programme
• understanding that the mentor is not expected to offer a job, an internship or a thesis position to you

Mentor-mentee pairs will be selected based on compatibility. The pairing process considers the preferences of both mentees and mentors, the motivation of the mentees, and, if necessary, the mentees' application order and study phase.

In previous years, more students have applied than there have been spots available, so unfortunately we cannot guarantee a place for everyone.

You can apply as a mentor if you are a LUT alumni and you have work experience of five years at the very least. 

What we expect from a mentor:

• Commitment to meet with the mentee online approximately once a month.
• Setting goals and agreeing on the practicalities together with the mentee.
• Supporting the student’s career readiness and finding his/her full potential in the labor market.
• Understanding that the mentee’s individual needs and desires form the basis of the mentoring process.

What we do not expect from a mentor:

• Offering a job, internship or a thesis position to the mentee.
• Sharing all the contacts in one’s network.
• Being able to answer all the questions the mentee has.

The application period for mentors closed on 13 September. Thank you for all the applicants!

Schedule for the academic year 2026–2027:

The programme will be carried out online, but the pairs can meet each other also face to face, if they happen to be in the same area.

The programme consists of separate orientations for mentees and mentors as well as three group meetings that all the mentors and mentees participate. In addition, there will be at least five meetings together with one’s own pair. The joint meetings will be carried out in English.

It’s smart to agree on the dates and times for the pair meetings early on.

Mentoring is based on voluntariness, so no mentor fees are paid. To participate the programme, one needs to commit to the whole mentoring process, including group and pair meetings. 

In the beginning of the process the mentor and the mentee get to know each other, create the ground rules, and make a plan for the whole process. Pairs agree on at least the following:

• Objectives for the mentoring process
• The themes and questions they are going to work on. Also, what will not be covered.
• Confidentiality: What can and cannot be discussed with others.
• The dates and times for their meetings and practices for rescheduling or cancelling meetings. The recommended number of pair meetings is 5 times. The recommended duration for one meeting is roughly 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Communication during mentoring, including channels and means
• The roles and responsibilities of each party, how to prepare for meetings

Please remember that commitment and reliability are very important work life skills in Finland, so therefore, no-show is never an option.

It is smart to prepare the topics for each pair meeting beforehand in order to benefit from the meetings as much as possible. The topics can be, for example:

• The student’s professional strengths and competences
• Jobs and employers
• Working life skills and practices
• Experiences from the labor market
• Career and career development
• Forming networks

There’s a handbook for mentoring available. The handbook includes, for example, themes and exercises that can be utilized during the programme.

If you have any questions concerning LUT Mentoring Programme, please contact:

alumni[at]lut.fi