Looking for Mentorship? Presenting: The Anteater Network
There’s no denying that mentorship plays an important role in one’s academic and career aspirations—UCI’s very own Division of Career Pathways states that about 75 percent of top executives say that mentorship played an instrumental role in their success. Since UC Irvine’s student body is chock-full of some of the most ambitious students in the country, there can be a lot of pressure to find a mentor that can help you get to where you want to be… but with so much at your disposal, it can be hard for an undergrad to know:
Where would I possibly begin?!
Presenting: The Anteater Network—UCI’s online networking platform, created exactly for your mentorship needs!
The Anteater Network gives students and alumni a space to form connections that otherwise might be difficult to find. And the best part is, the platform can help you find possible mentors that are best suited for your personal goals and interests!
Undergraduate students are able to create an account that is unique to them, and are able to receive recommended connections based on location and industry preferences. If you decide to take a more manual approach, you also have the ability to use The Anteater Network’s easy to use search engine. There, you can specialize your search through filters such as Help Topics, Industry Experience, Major(s), Campus Involvements, and more! You also have the ability to set search alerts that notify you when new users who match your interests join the network.
I personally have been able to connect with mentors using this exact search! I wanted to learn more about UC Irvine’s MFA in Writing, and so I was able to reach out to a graduate from this exact program thanks to The Anteater Network’s search filters. Not long after messaging each other on the platform, we were able to schedule a video conference and meet virtually face to face—all made possible through the many different functions of the network.
For those that may want to display just how good of a fit they are for a possible mentor, The Anteater Network allows you to edit your profile to display your major, experience, affiliations, and your interests. If that wasn’t enough, you also have the ability to connect your LinkedIn profile to your account, giving you the chance to show mentors more of what you’ve accomplished.
A key part of what makes The Anteater Network great is its flexibility in matching both a mentee and mentor’s interests. Those in search of long term relationships are able to search for them, and those that may be seeking one-time connections or quick advice also have this at their fingertips!
UC Irvine’s passion for fostering a tight-knit community allows Anteaters to help each other at every stage of their career; if you’d like to be more involved with this very community, make sure to check out The Anteater Network!
