Career Mentoring Programme

Retaining international professionals

Background

The City of Knowledge has introduced a ‘career mentoring programme’ designed for job-seeking partners and spouses of international professionals and researchers currently working or living in Lyngby-Taarbæk. The objective is to attract international professionals and specialists by helping to improve conditions for them and their families.

Experiences from the mentoring programme have now been summarized in an easy 10-step guide, which is to share the knowledge and inspire other cities and organisations to establish similar initiatives. Download the guide here.

The programme connects spouses and partners of international professionals to a group of mentors who can give them the benefit of a strong network in the job-seeking process.

Purpose and benefits

The objective of the ‘career mentoring programme’ is to develop a sustainable model that can retain knowledge workers by securing employment for their spouse or partner. The learnings from the programme will serve as inspiration for similar programmes in other parts of Denmark.

The benefits of the mentoring programme:

• The mentoring programme establishes new networks and makes it easier for local businesses and DTU to attract and retain international professionals
• As a mentor you are able to improve your professional network, experience another culture and help another person
• Businesses that contribute with mentors will improve their intercultural expertise and be able to profile themselves as socially responsible businesses
• Other cities and partners in Denmark get new inspiration in how to retain international professionals

Who can become a mentee?

In order to become a mentee, you need to have a strong desire to find employment, to enhance your career and to build a professional network in Denmark. You need to be married to or living with an international professional currently working or living in Lyngby-Taarbæk.

During the programme you will:

• Build up your network in Denmark
• Improve your CV
• Get advice on how to write a good application
• Get practice for job interviews
• Get a better understanding of Danish work culture

The mentoring programme is organised by the Network for Internationalisation