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Career Design Lab

Join the Aalto University Mentoring Programme

The Aalto University Mentoring Programme connects students and Aalto University alumni to facilitate career design and self-development. It is about mutual benefit and learning. The programme brings together over four hundred Finnish and international students and alumni in Finland and abroad each year.

You can apply to the Aalto Mentoring Programme 2026 in October. Mentors register 1st-14th November. Students can send mentoring requests 24th-30th November. Stay tuned for more information!
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Aalto University Mentoring Programme runs annually from January to June. The core of the mentoring programme are the monthly one-to-one mentoring meetings between the mentor and the actor.

Students browse mentor profiles on Aalto's Mentoring Platform and can directly send a mentoring request to a suitable mentor candidate themselves.

Schedule and How to Apply 2026

  1. Mentors sign up as mentor candidates 1st-14th November 2025 
    Mentors' link to the Mentoring Platform will be published on this page when the application period begins. Read more about how to become a mentor /en/career-design-lab/become-a-mentor#5-sign-up-as-a-mentor-candidate.
  2. Students search for a suitable mentor candidate and send a mentoring request 20th-26th January 2025.  
    Students' link to the Mentoring Platform will be published on this page when the application period begins. Read more /en/career-design-lab/become-an-actor#3-apply-to-mentoring-programme.
  3. Briefing Sessions are organized for matched students Wednesday 3rd December 2025 (on Zoom) and for mentors Thursday 4th December. 

What does the Programme include?

The Aalto University Mentoring Programme includes

  1. Briefing sessions for students (on campus) and for mentors (on Zoom)
  2. One-to-one mentoring meetings approximately once a month during January-June
  3. Halfway check-in survey and feedback survey at end of the Program

The programme starts with briefing sessions to go through the key practices of mentoring. These sessions will be held separately for students and mentors. The mentors' session is particularly recommended for new mentors, but all are welcome.

The core of the mentoring programme is in one-to-one meetings between a mentor and an actor. The topics for the meetings may include various themes related to working life and career according to the actor's own needs.

It is recommended that mentoring pairs meet once a month in 1-2 hour mentoring discussions. The time and place of the meetings and whether the meetings are held face-to-face or remotely can be agreed by the pairs themselves. We recommend face-to-face meetings. However, there are also mentors and exchange students living elsewhere in Finland and abroad participating in the Programme, for whom face-to-face meetings are not possible. Please take this into account when applying to the programme.

What has been said about Mentoring Programme

鈥滱s a mentor, I always learn how new minds start to approach the business world. New ideas, new enthusiasm and also new topics like sustainability.鈥

鈥淭here is an outstanding reward in sharing experiences as it empowers the individual and also builds an even stronger community of tomorrow.鈥

鈥淭he experience that I gained guiding someone to plan and achieve his/her goals. The networking and friendship that we've built. On top of that, the inner satisfaction of helping someone was great.鈥

鈥淚 understand more about my strengths and weakness. What types of jobs could fit better my profile. I learn about the many types of certifications that can leverage my profile. Also, many aspects of the local culture, like taxes, loans, bank accounts, how to get housing and savings.鈥

Mentoring conversations are fruitful for both mentor and mentee because they help both to structure their thoughts.

Mentor, Aalto University Mentoring Programme

Join the Aalto University Mentoring Programme

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Become an actor

You are eligible to apply as an actor if you are a master's or doctoral degree student.

Career Design Lab
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Become a mentor

Share your experience with an Aalto student, learn and be inspired by new perspectives!

Career Design Lab

Reach out for more information

 Kaisa Paasivirta

Kaisa Paasivirta

Manager, International Talent Program & Mentoring

Read about mentors' and mentees' experiences

Yhteiskuvassa Khanh Vu ja Junhui Wang seisomassa rinnakkain, taustalla valkoinen sein盲. Junhui Wang nojaa kevyesti Khan Vuta vasten k盲det t盲m盲n hartioilla.

'After the mentoring, I feel I have more courage and can do the things I actually want to'

A mentor and a mentee from Aalto Mentoring Program share their stories.

News
Pouyan Mohseninia & Ond艡ej Zaj铆c

The Road to Resilience in New Media Design

This mentoring pair in service design talks 91青青草 about the industry, the competition and being an international student in Finland.

For alumni
Kati Wolff & Anniina P枚ll盲nen

The Stuff Between Buildings

This mentoring pair in landscape architecture talks 91青青草 about their unique collaboration in an exceptional field.

For alumni
Mentor Ville Karttunen

鈥楾he students I have met will do well in their careers鈥

A desire to help others made Ville Karttunen, Head of New Ventures at Caruna, become a mentor for students.

For alumni
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