Sharing Expertise
eborah Overdeput ’82 will tell you that the idea of mentoring came to her late in her career. She was working in the financial services industry in 2008 when the market collapsed, the Great Recession set in and she — like so many others at that time — lost her job.
“A mentor helped me think through a lot of things at that time. I also connected with a bunch of people who helped me, as well.” She realized that as she figured out how to move her life forward, mentors were providing valuable advice, guidance and feedback.
Since then, she found success as the head of marketing at Publicis Sapient, before eventually founding her own company, DO Marketing Services, specializing in marketing for financial technology and consulting clients.
That personal experience with mentors made Deborah want to “pay it forward” by mentoring others — and once she started, she quickly found it was a skill that came naturally. “My kids say I’ve been mentoring them their whole lives,” and they often “refer” their friends to her for guidance. The mentoring even extends to perfect strangers, including a young person who happened to be sitting next to her on a flight. By the end of the mid-air impromptu mentorship session, he was asking to stay in touch with Overdeput with his job updates as the plane’s wheels touched down.
Luckily for UNH students, Overdeput is putting that natural talent and business expertise to good use via Wildcat Connections, a mentorship program run jointly by UNH CaPS and Alumni Relations, which connects alumni from every industry with mentees — students seeking career and professional guidance.
“I like the connection to the school and meeting these smart students; connecting with them really keeps me ‘young-minded’ and that’s valuable to me. These are interesting people I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise,” she says.
She points out the mentorship program is about much more than just landing a job: It’s a way for these students to learn professional skills they’ll use throughout their careers. “Being a hiring manager in different organizations, I know what kind of conversations need to happen between a leader and an employee,” she said. She cites a recent example of advising a student on how to break bad news to her boss at her internship — that she would be graduating later than anticipated. (Thanks to Deborah’s guidance, the manager was fine with the change and happy the intern spoke to her about it ahead of time).
Wildcat Connections was launched with a dual goal: allowing students to benefit from the rich experiences of alumni like Deborah, while giving alumni the chance to give back in a meaningful way to their alma mater by helping fellow Wildcats succeed.
The program so far is a success, according to Managing Director of Alumni Engagement Kelly Calhoun ’99. “This program is a strong showing of what being part of the UNH community is all about — Wildcats opening doors for each other,” she says. “It’s something that UNH alumni do naturally anyway, and now there’s a platform to make it even easier to connect.”
While mentors can meet with their students regularly (Overdeput meets with hers once a week) the platform also allows for “flash mentoring” — one-time or short-term mentoring centered on sharing knowledge and advice. The format allows mentees to stick with one mentor, as Overdeput’s students have done, or to learn from a variety of individuals with expertise in varying subjects.
Overdeput’s approach is to break down challenges or roadblocks into smaller goals for the student, to show them that the goal is attainable. She also encourages her students to hold her accountable on her own career development, a journey she talks about openly.
Students have commented on the ease of speaking with Overdeput about their career ambitions and personal goals. “I never tell my mentees what to do. I listen, build trust, and offer guidance. It’s a professional relationship that is mutually beneficial.”
Watch Deborah Overdeput and one of her mentees talk about their experiences with Wildcat Connections: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLYFIvwHkJw