Eagle Career Network Connects Students With Mentors

The Eagle Career Network is an Eastern online mentoring community that provides on-demand, career-mentoring opportunities that benefit students and alumni alike.

Since January is designated as National Mentoring Month, this is the perfect time to recruit volunteer mentors and let students know about everything this helpful professional resource offers.

Résumé support, professional networking, insider insights into career paths, and onsite job-shadowing opportunities are some of the many benefits offered to students and recent grads looking to build lasting skillsets for an ever-changing workforce. Now in its sixth year of operation, the network counts more than 2,700 students, faculty and regional professionals among its ranks.

One of the program’s mentors, EWU alumnus Carlos Hernandez, says his experience in the program shows the network is a great way to build career connections. It is also, he says, a particularly effective way to build critical “soft-skills” such as communication and problem-solving.

“When you’re out in the world,” Hernandez says, “You don’t do things by yourself, right? It’s all about relationship building, collaboration and teamwork.” Hernandez said, adding that utilizing soft-skills is crucial even when they may not be intrinsic to the students’ four-year degree.

Hernandez, who earned degrees in English and public administration, currently works at Probst Electric, an Idaho-based company that provides electrical infrastructure solutions for businesses and industry. What sets him apart from others in his field, he says, is knowing the best way to incorporate the lesson he’s learned in all areas of his life, not just on the job. Companies and businesses are always looking for people who know how to communicate effectively, Hernandez says, especially when those communications help companies deconstruct problems in ways previously undiscovered.

Megan Davis, an EWU sophomore majoring in criminal justice, is one of the current Eastern students taking advantage of what the network has to offer. Davis was recently paired with the mentoring teams’ Rachel Peterson and Jeremy Phillips. They were perfect, Davis says, for helping her navigate a switch from her biochemistry major to criminal justice

“They took the same classes and had the same experiences [as me],” Davis says. For Davis, working with Peterson, a criminal justice major at EWU, and Phillips, who earned a degree in biochemistry, represent two sides of the same career coin.

Peterson “talked about how she did an internship with a law office—which is very different from what most forensic science majors do,” Davis says, adding that Peterson gave her a new perspective on potential internships and career options.

Davis said she found the Eagle Career Network extremely helpful, and often recommends it to current and future Eags. “Finding someone who is active in the [alumni] network and willing to really help me,” Davis says, makes all of the difference.

Want to discover how you can benefit from or help with the Eagle Career Network? Visit the Office of Alumni Relations, the EWU Career Center, or check out the Eagle Career Network webpage.