Career Mentoring
Wherever your career takes you, a mentor can guide you with confidence. Mentoring connects you with experienced professionals who help you grow, thrive, and unlock new opportunities.
At Ghent University, we support postdocs in shaping careers that match their ambitions — in academia, beyond academia, or at the interface of both worlds. Since 2009, our mentoring programmes have helped postdoctoral researchers gain clarity, expand their horizons, and take confident next steps.
Our Career Mentoring Programme connects you with an experienced mentor who supports you in reflecting on your professional path and future possibilities.
Choose a mentor who matches your career direction
Our mentoring pool spans a wide range of professional backgrounds. You can choose a mentor whose experience fits your career direction — in academia, beyond academia, across both worlds, or in entrepreneurship and spin-offs. Our mentors include professors and professionals from industry, policy, non-profit sectors, and entrepreneurial settings.
Why postdocs value mentoring
“I often struggled with questions like ‘How will my career evolve?’ or ‘Do I feel at home in the academic culture?’ Talking to a confidential mentor helped me reflect deeply and make decisions with more confidence.” - Mentee previous edition Career Mentoring for Postdocs
What you can expect from mentoring
Mentoring is a trusted, one-to-one relationship that supports your professional and personal development. Conversations can focus on your ambitions, challenges, values, strengths, and career options. Key features:
- Development-oriented: Focused on reflection, insight, and growth — not quick fixes.
- Mentee-driven: The mentee takes the lead and sets the agenda.
- Person-centred: A supportive, one-to-one space built on genuine interest, respect and openness.
- Confidential: Conversations stay between mentor and mentee.
“Mentoring is an interpersonal activity to support and encourage people to manage their own learning, in order that they maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be.” — Oxford School of Coaching and Mentoring
Who are the mentors
Our mentors are experienced professionals — professors, researchers, alumni, and leaders from industry and the public sector — who volunteer their time to support postdocs. They are:
- empathetic and enthusiastic
- good listeners
- open-minded and constructive
- willing to share experiences, networks, and honest reflections
Ghent University mentors have no hierarchical relationship with their mentees. They come from different faculties or sectors but share relevant academic or professional expertise with the mentee.
“A good mentor is someone who is genuinely interested in a colleague / person with fewer miles on the clock, who is a listening ear for that person and who gives selfless advice from her / his experience on how to deal with certain challenges with the sole purpose of helping that person to develop further.” — Stef Craps, Mentoring For ZAP (only available in Dutch, employees only)
Programme edition 2025-2026
Timeline 2025-2026
More Information
A maximum of 50 mentees can be admitted. Priority is given to strong, motivated applications — especially from postdocs nearing the end of their employment.
Want to learn more?
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Join our digital info session on Thursday 15 January 2026 (12:15–13:30) via MS Teams.
→ No registration required.
- Check out the info session presentation — coming soon!
Who can enroll?
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Mentees
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Academic Mentors
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Non-Academic Mentors
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Before 25/01/2026 |
Before 25/01/2026 |
Enroll as a Non-Academic Mentor Before 25/01/2026 |
Why join the mentoring programme?
Discover what past mentors and mentees have to say about their experiences — and the impact mentoring has had on their careers.
From Mentors
“I learned about work cultures in other faculties and gained insight into the needs of young researchers.”
“I didn’t receive guidance as a young researcher — I want to change that for the next generation.”
“Each year, I find this a meaningful way to support young people and pass on experience.”
“Mentoring others also helps me reflect on my own career.”
From Mentees
“My mentor helped me aim higher and choose a job with long-term prospects.”
“I gained confidence and insights into my strengths.”
“I understood better how to balance work and life.”
“The programme helped me transition to industry — I signed a contract shortly after.”
“My mentor became a crucial support system during a pivotal year.”
Resources
For mentors
- Career Mentoring Guidelines (ENG / NL) – coming soon
- Hoe haal je het beste uit mentorschap? (Koen Marichal, AMS) (Dutch)
For mentees
- Career Learning Track (PhD Career Hub)
- What’s next? A practical guide for exploring your job opportunities outside academia. (NL)
- Word piloot van je loopbaan (een praktische gids). ("Become the pilot of your career (a practical guide)”).
- This career workbook is an extension of “What’s next? A practical guide for exploring your job opportunities outside academia" and is only available in Dutch.
About the programme
Ghent University’s mentoring initiative began in 2009 as MenZa (“Mentoring towards ZAP”), supporting female postdocs aspiring to professorship. In 2011, the programme opened to all postdocs, and in 2014 it became part of the university’s Postdoc Talent Management Programme. In 2012, MenTa was created for postdocs exploring non-academic careers. Since 2018, both tracks have merged into one comprehensive Career Mentoring Programme.