Unwritten Rules and Personalized Guidance | For LSA Alums
Bridging The Gap
As an alum mentor, your professional experience is an incredible asset to your mentee. However, navigating the professional world often relies on unwritten rules and systemic advantages that not all students have equal access to. Inclusive mentoring means recognizing these gaps and actively working to bridge them, ensuring all students feel equipped and valued.
Unlearning “Hidden Curriculum” Assumptions
The “hidden curriculum” refers to the unwritten rules, cultural norms, and unspoken expectations of professional environments, such as how to network, how to dress for an interview, or how to ask for a referral.
Students who are first-generation or from underrepresented background may not have had family or social networks to teach them these norms. When mentors assume students “should already know” these things, it can create a barrier.
Check your baseline: Avoid phrases like “As you know…” or “Obviously, you should always…” when discussing workplace expectations. Nothing is “obvious” if you haven’t been taught it.
Demystify the unwritten rules: Explicitly spell out the “why” and “how” behind professional practices.
Instead of saying: “Make sure you send a thank-you note after the interview.”
Try saying: “After an interview, it’s standard practice to send a short email within 24 hours thanking them for their time. Here’s a quick template of what that usually looks like…”
Deconstruct networking: Normalize the fact that networking can feel awkward or transactional in certain settings, and give concrete steps on how to approach it without needing a pre-existing “in.”
One-Size-Fits-All Vs. Tailored Support
A “one-size-fits-all” career trajectory assumes that every student has the same safety nets, financial freedom, geographic flexibility, and cultural background. Advice that works for one person can inadvertently create pressure or feel out of reach for another.
Get to know your mentee's world: Tailored support starts by understanding a student’s unique circumstances. Invite them to share early on what matters most to them and what factors are driving their decisions.
Avoid presuming risk tolerance: Recommending that a student take an unpaid internship, relocate across the country on short notice, or rely on a pre-existing professional network relies on heavy assumptions about their financial security and social capital.
Center the student's reality: Ask open-ended questions to understand their specific boundaries and motivations before offering broad career advice.
Quick Mentor Reminders
Validate different paths: Success does not look the same for everyone. Support your mentee in defining success on their terms, even if it diverges from your own career path.
Invite open dialogue: Let your mentee know they can ask questions about workplace norms without judgment. “Never hesitate to ask me about ‘how things work’ in workplace settings–every industry has its own language and I’m happy to help translate!”
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