Peer Career Consultant Blogs

Walking into my internship at eBay, I came in with a clear focus on the work itself, the projects, the deliverables, the skills I wanted to build. What ended up being equally valuable, if not more so, was the people I met along the way. eBay offered a formal mentorship program that paired interns with full-time employees in their finance rotational program, which was a great foundation. But the mentorship that genuinely shifted my perspective came from my direct manager, my senior director I was fortunate enough to connect with, and a series of coffee chats I initiated with employees across business analytics, finance, strategic marketing, and product design. None of those conversations were required. I sought them out, and they changed the way I think about careers entirely.

What struck me most across all of those conversations was how different every person's path looked. Nobody arrived at their role in a straight line. The people I spoke with had pivoted industries, changed functions, taken unexpected opportunities, and built careers that looked nothing like what they originally planned. Hearing that as a college student is both humbling and freeing. It takes the pressure off having everything figured out and replaces it with something more useful: curiosity. Every coffee chat I had at eBay reinforced that the most important thing you can do early in your career is stay open and keep asking questions.

That same mindset applies directly to your time on campus. Universities, especially those with dedicated career centers, are filled with mentorship opportunities that students routinely underestimate or overlook entirely. Alumni panels, guest speaker sessions, career fairs, and even office hours with professors are all chances to build relationships with people who have been where you are and have made it to where you want to go. The Leavey School of Business Career Center at Santa Clara University, for example, provides consistent access to professionals and resources specifically designed to help students make these connections. The infrastructure is already there, the missing piece is usually just the initiative to use it.

The most important thing to understand about mentorship is that it rarely announces itself. It is not always a formal program or a scheduled meeting. Sometimes it is a ten minute conversation after a guest speaker event, a LinkedIn message that turns into a phone call, or a manager who takes the time to give you honest feedback on your work. Learning to recognize those moments and lean into them is a skill in itself. When someone more experienced than you is willing to share their perspective, treat it with care. Come prepared, listen actively, ask follow up questions, and follow through on anything they suggest. That level of intentionality is what turns a single conversation into a lasting professional relationship.

Mentorship is ultimately about access to perspective, experience, and opportunities you wouldn't find on your own. Whether you're an intern navigating a large company like eBay or a student figuring out your path on campus, the principle is the same: don't wait for guidance to come to you. Identify the people whose careers or experiences resonate with you and reach out, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Most people genuinely want to help, and one honest conversation can clarify more about your direction than months of going it alone. Start building those relationships now, because the most valuable doors in your career will almost always be opened by people, not applications.

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