1. What were your motives for helping this person?
One of the students I support is pursuing a nontraditional path (applying for and attending a tech boot camp), which none of our program alumni have pursued, to our knowledge. I knew we didn't have as many structures in place or connections for students like her, so I felt compelled to provide her extra support and meet more frequently so that she felt like there was someone else beside her on this path.
2. Did you benefit from this relationship in any way? How?
I benefited by expanding my knowledge around the path she is taking. I learned from conversations I had with tech boot camp alumni and corporate recruiters about the boot camp experience and potential outcomes. The student also had many conversations with relevant people, and she shared the information she learned with me about the various programs around the Twin Cities. Given the familiarity I've gained with this path and her willingness to share her knowledge and experience with other students and me, I will be better prepared to support students in the future who may be interested in boot camps.
3. What was your role in the helping relationship? In what way do you think you helped this person? Looking back, is there anything that you might have done differently?
One of my big roles was being a cheerleader who also asked questions to encourage the student to ensure she was thinking through the whole scenario (ex: if you get into a program with tuition, what is your plan for how will you pay the tuition? what have you learned about job prospects for boot camp graduates with no college degree vs. AA vs. bachelors?). I shared with the student two opportunities for free boot camps that our corporate partners shared with us. In this way, I helped her by connecting her with opportunities she may not have otherwise found (one of them was only sent out to partners, not posted publicly). Looking back, I would have followed up with her more thoroughly about her job search before she was planning to apply to the fully funded programs. She had an opportunity to apply for an internship through our program, which would have covered the cost of her program, but she missed the deadline and never applied. I do believe she would have eventually found another position, if need be, but I wish I had been more inquisitive about why she did not pursue an opportunity she most likely would have gotten. I also would have reached out sooner to my contact about the opportunity that wasn't posted publicly online so that the student would have had more time to apply.
4. Was there anything that this person did, said, or believed that you did not agree with? How did you react?
Not particularly! I think from the start, she was confident that she'll get hired without a college degree, if she has completed a boot camp. I've spoken with recruiters who only hire applicants with bachelor degrees, so I was less optimistic, but just encouraged her to keep asking everyone she met with what their perspective on it was - and there are many perspectives! I think it totally depends on the company, and more and more hiring practices are tending away from caring solely about college education status. The program she will be participating in provides a job guarantee upon program completion, so hopefully she proves my uncertainty wrong!
5. Did you learn anything from this relationship?
I learned to trust students more than I instinctively do, especially when they are motivated enough to pursue a path that requires some extra work. I have been so amazed by how many conversations she has pursued, how communicative she's been with me about her process, and how excited she is about forging this new path for our organization. So excited to see where this opportunity takes her!