This fall, alumni of the Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg State University (GSOM SPbU), who have built their careers in various companies in Russia and abroad, joined several projects of the GSOM Family community at once — the Talent Up! and Management Career Week (MCW) traditional career week.

 

Long-term mentoring program TalentUp! Is a project of the GSOM Family business community, aimed at transferring career and personal development from the Business School alumni to current students.

 

More than 30 mentors are taking part in the program this year. The new season started in November and will run until April 2021. Students have already held their first meetings with mentors and shared their impressions:

• Darina Kazykenova, 4th year student. Mentor is Anastasia Loginova, 2009 alumna, Brand Director P & G, Geneva.

“We have already phoned the mentor. Anastasia showed that there are broader career directions in the field of my interest. I have the most positive impressions!"

• Marina Bashkirova, 4th year student. Mentor is Nikolay Dvoryankin, 2009 alumnus, CEO of Natur Zulaten Group, Shanghai.

“I had my first phone call with Nikolay and we discussed a lot: some of my assumptions were confirmed, and I have new thoughts about something. I received my first assignments and look forward to productive interaction and good results. "

• Asem Baibusinova, 3rd year student. Mentor is Marianna Vydrevich, CEMS MiB alumna, 2012, Advanced Analytics at GAF.

“The first call took place in the most friendly manner. Marianne and I determined the next steps of the work. Everything is super! "

 

The project includes workshops, online meetings and workshops. So, at the end of November, Mentors' Tea, an informal meeting for mentors, where alumni could get to know each other and exchange experiences, and an online workshop #IamRemarkable from Ekaterina Mitusova took place. A 2014 MiB alumna taught students how to learn to accept their achievements and present them with confidence.

 

Feedback from workshop participants:

• Kirill Pertsev, 3rd year student.

“Katya is a super professional, I didn’t think that such an open and pleasant atmosphere could be created online!”

• Maria Karacheva, 3rd year student.

“Time flew by quickly and very productively! In my experience, only 10% of speakers manage to create such an atmosphere in Zoom, today everything has been successful."

• Nikita Paikin, first-year Master program student.

“I would like to thank Ekaterina for the workshop and each participant for her openness. Such positive emotions rarely remain!"

 

TalentUp! strives to become available to more students every season. This year, for the first time, the format of open consultations with mentors took place as part of the Management Career Week. Business School alumni experts with expertise in various fields from content marketing to project management and IT held individual meetings with students and answered their questions.

 

Feedback from participants:

• Alina Sirotkina, 4th year student. Mentor is Karina Aubakirova, MPM 2017 alumnus, Platform Specialist, Apple, Berlin.

“Karina shared her experience, discussed my resume and my career plans. We can say that my boundaries have "expanded" in my head. Thanks a lot for the opportunity! "

• Elena Sokolova, 1st year graduate student. Mentor Roman Khrulev, graduate of MiM 2018, Project Manager at SberX partner hub, Sber.

“Awesome alumni, great student opportunity! I sincerely thank you for the selection of mentors — I am very impressed. Roman Khrulev inspired me a lot. "

• Arina Martynova, 3rd year student. Mentor is Daria Semenyuk, alumna of MM 2014, Content Marketing Manager, Veeam Software, St. Petersburg.

“Together with Daria Semenyuk, we examined an interesting area for me — marketing — from a new side for me. I can say with confidence that the dialogue was very useful for my personal growth. "

• Alina Lagunova, 3rd year student. Mentor is Georgy Belyachkov, alumna of MM 2013, Senior Consultant at KPMG

“I received detailed answers to all my questions from George. I liked very much that after the session the mentor sent additional materials on the topic by mail, shared resources and noted that he is always open to possible questions. "

• Anna Shumeiko, 3rd year student. Mentor is Olesya Dirina, alumna of FM 2013, Head of Global Sales, Holy Corn.

“At my request, Olesya Dirina shared her experience in the leadership program, we discussed working in a startup and a corporation, and much more. The impression was the most pleasant. It would be great to see the same large selection of mentors and consultants in the next seasons!"

 

Traditionally, the Talent Up! implemented by the  Alumni Relations Department together with a team of active students of the Business School.

 

This year, the organizing committee for Talent Up! are represented by GSOM SPbU students Polina Fedyanina, Ksenia Nikolaenko, Polina Kvasha, Denis Mochalin, Anastasia Golubkova, Darina Kazykenova.

 

This year, the team launched the updated Talent Up! web, where you can meet all program participants.