Mentorship Program(back up)

MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Become an effective leader and advance your career through the AAPA Mentorship Program!

About the Mentorship Program

Mentorship
Through one-on-one mentorship with an AAPA volunteer mentor, learn the strategies to advance your career and elevate your potential.

Skills
Learn key management, communication, branding, and soft skills for advancement through the management ranks.

Leadership
Practice and apply the skills that you learn in the classroom, and take on leadership roles to show you are an exemplary and effective leader.

The AAPA Mentorship Program develops mentees into more capable leaders. These mentees are better equipped to deliver more added-value, provide diverse perspectives, and bring greater talent to their companies and organizations.

Benefits

Mentorship
AAPA Idea Talks
*New* Uplift Program
Workshops
Networking
Gala

The goal of the AAPA formal mentor matching program is to establish an effective and results-oriented mentoring relationship between mentors and mentees.

Mentees benefit from one-on-one mentoring with an experienced, knowledgeable and trusted AAPA Mentor. The mentor and mentee will establish specific and achievable goal(s) and an action plan related to goal setting, career development, career changes, professional development, etc. The official duration of the mentoring relationship is the current calendar year.

In addition, while the mentee is paired with one mentor for the duration of the year, the mentee is also free to speak to any of the AAPA mentors at any events throughout the year.

AAPA partnered with Southern California Edison and five other API nonprofits in May 2020 to launch a recruiting program of bilingual contact center employees targeting the API underserved community. We recruited 67 applicants and 35 of them attended the AAPA resume writing and digital interview workshops in preparation for the hiring process.

This year we are expanding the program to include the SoCal Gas Company. The Asian languages that are hired for their Part-Time Customer Service Representative Bilingual positions are Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and Vietnamese.

With this new program, we hope to be the conduit between the community and local companies. At the same time professionally develop each individual’s careers.

Event Dates:

Customer Service “Career” Day | Webinar
Resume Building Workshop
Digital Interview Workshop

Three Workshops per year
Learn key leadership and management skills to excel and advance your career! AAPA Mentors will share their knowledge and experiences on various leadership and management topics in small group settings. Workshops are held three times per year as part of the AAPA Mentorship Program.

INFORMATIONAL SESSION – Friday, February 25, 2022 - 2 pm PST / 5 pm EST | Webinar
MENTOR/MENTEE ORIENTATION | Saturday, March 26, 2022 - 1 pm PST / 4 pm EST | Webinar

Topics
(Pick one Class from each Workshop)

Workshop #1

Class #1 – Interviewing Techniques for Success
Class #2 – Assertiveness and Negotiations

Workshop #2

Class #1 – Brand and Professional Presence
Class #2 – Decision Making and Risk Taking

Workshop #3

Class #1 – Leadership Styles Matter
Class #2 – Corporate Rules of Success
Class #3 – Delegation and Empowerment

As a mentee, you have the opportunity to meet and connect with mentors, speakers, donors, corporate leaders, community leaders, alumni and peers. The AAPA network continues to expand each year.

Enjoy an end-of-year graduation gala and banquet. Mentees who have completed their track requirements are eligible to graduate and will receive a completion certificate.

Meet Our Mentors

Alicia Jacobs
Ajament Partners

Bill Mao
Orange County Transportation Authority

Bryant Tam
Google

Clinton Chien
Peking Handicraft

David Lee
Northrop Grumman Corp

Diana AuYeung-Kim

Edwin Ro
Southern California Edison

Elaine Quach
Pacific Summit Energy

Elaine Quon
Southern California Edison

Francis Cheung
President

George Martinez
Retired IT Manager

Hogan Lee

Jim Huang

Joanne Tran
Southern California Edison

Kenji Coleman
Retired - Southern California Edison

Leana Ahmed
Bank of America

Liza Legaspi
SoCalGas

Ly Kawaguchi
Bristol Myers Squibb

Mary Lam

Mei-Chan Duan

Noy Loeur
The Auto Club Enterprises

Pokil Wong
GDI Group

Shawn Do
City National Bank

Steven Chan
Arcus Biosciences

Thanh Nam Vo Duy

Thomas Phelps
Laserfiche

Yiu Man So
Raytheon

Mentorship Program Events:

INFORMATIONAL SESSION – Friday, February 25, 2022 - 2 pm PST / 5 pm EST | Webinar
MENTOR/MENTEE ORIENTATION | Saturday, March 26, 2022 - 1 pm PST / 4 pm EST | Webinar
WORKSHOP#1 | Saturday, April 30, 2022 -1 pm PST / 4 pm EST | Webinar
WORKSHOP#2 | Saturday, May 28, 2022 1 pm PST / 4 pm EST | Webinar
WORKSHOP#3 | Saturday, September 24, 2022 - 1 pm PST / 4 pm EST | Webinar

Hear stories

AAPA Mentors:

Michael Chee
AECOM

AAPA Alumni:

Cooper Chien
Huawei Tech

Corporate Partners

Past Speakers

AAPA not only provided the knowledge to be successful in Corporate America, but also provided a wide platform of mentors for us to ask questions in a safe zone. The AAPA staff and mentors have put in their heart, time and effort in making the learning experience as comprehensive as possible.

Kit San Lai
AAPA Alumnus/LA Department of Water and Power/2017 AAPA Mentee

Mentorship Program FAQs

Who? What? When? Where?

WHO: Open to professionals at junior, mid, and advanced career levels who seek career mobility and inclusion in management and leadership pipelines.
- Everyone is encouraged to apply.
- AAPA will not discriminate due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin and veteran or disability status.
WHAT: A 12-month program that provides diverse professionals with one-on-one mentoring and leadership training, and networking opportunities for career advancement.
WHEN: Program runs from January to December each year
WHERE: Events will be held at Rosemead and Pasadena, CA

What are the application deadlines and program fees?

The application period is open November to January each year.

Applications are now being accepted.

When do Mentorship Program events occur?

January (Thursday night): Introductory Session, Downtown Los Angeles
March (Saturday morning): Learning Hub #1, Pasadena
April (Saturday morning): Workshop #1, Pasadena
May (Monday night): Learning Hub #2, Rosemead
June (Saturday morning): Workshop #2, Pasadena
August (Monday night): Learning Hub #3, Rosemead
September (Saturday morning): Workshop #3, Pasadena

View 2021 program events here

Do you have any tips for applying?

IDENTIFY YOUR GOALS: Understand what you want to get out of the program. Developing clear goals and objectives at the beginning will set you up for greater success. We also encourage each of you to share your professional development goals and initiatives with your manager. Take the opportunity to share how your professional development and growth will benefit the company. Your manager may even consider sponsoring your AAPA training.
DO YOUR RESEARCH: Conduct your research on the program, attend a few events, talk to mentors, mentees, and alumni, and review the mentor bios.
APPLY: Be as detailed and specific as possible in your application. Mentors want to know that you are committed to developing yourself, committed to the mentoring relationship, and if accepted, that you will be committed to making the most out of the program.
PARTICIPATE IN A Q&A SESSION: Speak to an AAPA Mentor and have the opportunity to share your purpose, potential, and provide examples. You will be asked questions related to the following: 1) your capacity to learn from your own mistakes and apply lessons to the future, 2) your capacity to think strategically from an organizational perspective, especially when dealing with complex situations, and 3) your commitment and motivation to actively manage and plan your career, stretch yourself, and seek out opportunities.
[By the end of January, we will notify all candidates of admission decisions for the program. Payment will be due within two to three weeks after.]

What is the mentor matching process?

Mentees review mentors’ bios on the AAPA website and/or meet the mentors at the January Introductory Session.
During a one-week period in February, you will be prompted to select your top three Mentor preferences through the AAPA membership portal.
Mentees submit their request for their top three mentor preferences. The mentees’ first mentor preference will be given a matching priority. If the mentee does not indicate any preferences, a mentor will be assigned.
The mentors will also review the mentees’ applications and resumes, and select their top three mentee preferences.
Mentees will be matched with a mentor based on goals, interests, industry preference, mentors’ background, experience, and availability.

What happens after I am matched with a Mentor?

Mentees initiate the one-on-one partnership by contacting their mentor to schedule their first meeting (as well as ongoing meetings).
Mentor and mentee pairs should meet at least once every month or every two months to share goal progress and other coaching activities.
The mentor and mentee pair will discuss and negotiate a schedule for meetings that are convenient to both parties, as well as jointly set goals for the year.
At the end of the program year, the mentor and mentee pair should complete an assessment of the goals, action plan, accomplishments, relationship, and the mentor matching program.

What does it take to developing an effective mentoring relationship?

A successful relationship requires proactive efforts on the part of the mentee and mentor. Finding a mentor is only the beginning. This guide will be a starting block to develop an effective mentee and mentor relationship.

The goal of the AAPA formal mentor matching program is to establish an effective and results-oriented one-on-one mentoring relationship between mentors and mentees. This program is voluntary. The matched mentee and mentor will establish specific and achievable goal(s) and an action plan on goal setting, career development, etc. The mentee and mentor should meet regularly to work on achieving these goals.

At the end of the program year, the mentee and mentor pair should evaluate the accomplishments and the mentoring relationship. The official duration of the mentoring relationship is the current calendar year. It is up to the mentor and the mentee to extend the duration beyond the official time period. While the mentee is paired with one mentor for the duration of the year, the mentee is also free to speak to any of the AAPA mentors at any events throughout the year.

How do I make the most of my mentee experience?

As a mentee:

You are the achiever willing to take the initiative for your own development and make the most of available learning opportunities.
You are the “gauge” to measure how interactive and successful your mentoring experience will be.
You decide upon the amount of help and guidance you need.
You identify the skills and competencies you wish to gain and assume the initiative to ask for the help or guidance to achieve your goals.
You are responsible for devoting your time to the mentoring relationship with on-going interaction with your mentor.
Mentoring is a journey mentors and mentees embark on together and both have a responsibility to create a committed, mutually beneficial relationship.
You and your mentor will help each other arrive at a common destination to achieve professional excellence.
A mentor and mentee form an interactive relationship that starts with building basic elements of understanding and trust. As the relationship continues, it involves establishing purposes and goals.

What are the roles and responsibilities of a Mentee?

To graduate from the AAPA Mentorship Program (and receive your completion certificate), you will need to fulfill the following program requirements:

One-On-One Mentoring: Regularly participate in One-on-One Mentoring, meet and connect with your mentor at a minimum of once every quarter. We highly encourage all mentees to meet and connect with their mentors once every month or every two months to provide updates and feedback, and develop the mentoring relationship.
Event Attendance: Attend two out of three Learning Hubs AND two out of three Workshops. However, we highly encourage mentees to participate in all the Learning Hubs AND Workshops, as well as additional mentoring and networking activities, as they provide valuable career advancement strategies and skills.
Volunteer: Apply your leadership skills as an AAPA Volunteer. Help lead a minimum of two (2) AAPA events, which may include the Introductory Session, Learning Hubs #1-3, Workshops #1-3 or the Leadership Symposium.

Ready to apply?

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