“Overall, I was able to learn a lot thanks to participating in the ARIADNErewi mentoring program. Above all, reflecting on my own personality, skills, values, and wishes and expectations for professional development helped me a lot to become aware of my strengths but also my weaknesses. Likewise, I found it very rewarding to meet so many like-minded mentees and to share experiences with them. Although we all work at FAU, I didn’t know many mentees before and now we meet up outside work as well.”
“Direct contact with my mentor and networking with the other participants were both positive experiences for me. We share our experiences of everyday academic life and beyond during our regular meetings.”
“I found it particularly helpful to learn from my mentor’s experience as well as to hear the opinions and questions of my ARIADNErewi colleagues. I found the mixture of mentoring and training with group discussions well-balanced.”
“I was encouraged by my mentor’s positive experiences to think more about pursuing an academic career. In general, ARIADNE has made me rethink my future in research. I hadn’t considered it as intensively before. For me, that’s the most important aspect of the program. We need to recognize how we can be successful as women in research and pursuing an academic career.”
“I am certainly proud to have been a mentee in this program. The program kept inspiring me to look at different academic career paths. Overall, the mentoring program was a great support for me and I will recommend it to others.”
“During the program, I aimed to evaluate the extent to which there is a perspective for me in pursuing a career in research. The more I learn, the more workshops I take part in and lectures I attend, the more I am encouraged to continue on this path. One of the best things was the ‘inside’ information we were given that you wouldn’t hear anywhere else. This gives you a realistic picture of what to expect and gives you the opportunity to deal with it.”
“As I mentioned earlier, I consider the networking aspect, especially among the mentees, to be very important. It is interesting to learn how processes work at other faculties and departments, what topics the others are working on in their doctoral theses, what difficulties they face now and then, etc. I also got to know other women working on doctoral research in other faculties as part of the program and found this inspiring. I hope we will stay in touch after the program ends, for example, continue our regular lunches, and continue to share and support each other.”
“Thanks to the program, career orientation is now also a high priority for me while completing my doctoral thesis, which means that my work is now much more focused and reflective. The contact to the other mentees is very useful for me, especially the opportunity to get to know other areas of the university. I have made valuable personal contacts during the program.”
“The exchange between the mentees is super, because you can find out how other doctoral candidates are doing in teaching and research and access a supportive network.”
“The matching procedure was excellent. It’s particularly useful that my mentor’s background is in another subject. There are so many opportunities for exploring other perspectives. I have gathered useful ideas in the courses and mentoring sessions that will definitely influence me in my future activities and decisions.”
“As an external doctoral candidate, contact with like-minded people is very motivating and I gain insights into university life. Every meeting with my mentor and also the workshops have stimulated reflection that has been both positive for my personal development, but also for my thesis work.”
“I found the one-to-one mentoring particularly helpful with specific questions. On the one hand, I was able to gain practical tips and advice in my subject, which have already helped me a lot in my daily work. On the other hand, I learned quite a bit during the interviews about possible career opportunities as well as steps and strategies that could get me to each goal.”
“Although I hadn’t expected it at the beginning, networking with the other mentees turned out to be one of the most beneficial aspects of the mentoring program. Through contact with the other mentees, even outside of the structured events, I have found a space or circle of people in which I can discuss difficult facts or situations and learn about new possible solutions.”
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“The ARIADNE mentoring program gave me a sound structural basis, especially at the beginning of my doctoral degree, which has continued to help and guide me as I progress. The wide range of events has brought points into my focus that are very important for both general working life but also for doctoral research, which I would otherwise never have considered so intensively. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on what I learned in the program – whether in methods, people or about myself. Thank you for this opportunity.”
“Networking with other mentees was very helpful in many ways: you get to know other women in research at FAU and elsewhere who have to deal with similar problems, and this gives you new motivation for your own work and research. Exchanging ideas and experiences gives you different perspectives on your career plans, family planning and the like, and helps you make more informed decisions. And you just get to meet a lot of nice people who help you out outside of the program as well!”
“I made contacts mostly through the ARIADNErewi network. As an external researcher, it helped me a lot to get in touch with women in similar situations. This made the entire doctoral procedure more “real” for me and academic life more understandable. I also benefited greatly from the exchanges regarding teaching, exam preparation, etc. And finally, it was just good to spend a whole day dealing with topics that are helpful for my personal development and to escape from my otherwise very busy schedule.”
“There were many opportunities for networking which worked well. Friendships have developed and I have had regular lunch or dinner meetings with a few of the other mentees. We talk a lot about our work and career plans when we meet.”
