Mentors offer GUIDE to tough economy

Given current economic conditions, it comes as no surprise that undergraduates are more nervous about job prospects than ever.

And that anxiety is reflected in the number of students who this year joined GUIDE, a Wharton MBA-undergraduate mentoring program.

Founded in 2004, the organization pairs undergraduates with Wharton MBA mentors who have work experience in diverse industries.

According to Wharton senior and GUIDE Undergraduate President Peter Devine, the group has seen “tremendous membership growth” in the past few years.

This year, 175 undergraduates signed up for the program, compared with last year’s 150.

“In some cases, we have to assign two mentees to one mentor,” Devine said.

Attributing the increase in student interest primarily to the group’s marketing efforts and innovative events, Devine wrote in an e-mail that membership this year has reached an “all-time high.”

“It also definitely is not a coincidence that our membership has increased dramatically in a down economy,” he wrote.

Devine has been involved with the organization since his sophomore year, when he first signed up for an MBA mentor.

Wharton junior Camilo Maldonado also got involved in GUIDE as a sophomore.

Initially motivated to join the group because of his role as its Wharton Council liaison, Maldonado recalled that he “quickly realized” the many benefits of membership.

“The MBA students are extremely insightful because they have already had real work experience,” he wrote in an e-mail, adding that some MBA mentors have worked as bankers, consultants and managers, while some have started their own companies or nonprofit organizations.

Maldonado’s mentor last year, a second-year MBA student who worked in the banking and consulting industries, had conducted mock interviews for his benefit.

In addition, after Maldonado received an internship offer from a bank, he said his mentor advised him on “how to prepare” in order to excel.

His mentor this year, also a second-year MBA student, has worked in the nonprofit sector and is currently working toward starting his own company.

“[These] are two fields I would love to pursue, so I am very excited for the opportunity,” Maldonado said.

While GUIDE holds a number of events — including mock interviews, resume workshops and career panels — throughout the year, the mentor-undergraduate relationship forms the crux of the program. Members can choose to meet with their mentor as frequently or infrequently as they like.

Maldonado speculated that GUIDE will continue to expand as more undergraduates become aware of it.

“Since you schedule how much time you spend with your mentor, there really is no downside to participating,” he said.

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