JCT Mentorship Program Helps Students Jumpstart Careers

“From my first meeting with Michael, I can see that he is very knowledgeable and was particularly helpful in clarifying exactly what path I would like to pursue in the computer science field,” says Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT) computer science student Benjamin Klein of his mentor, Michael Rochlin, a product and software developer at Chapter, a technology-driven Medicare advisor improving how seniors choose health coverage.

Klein is among the first 45 students from JCT’s International Program in English to benefit from a recently launched mentorship program, in which students can ask seasoned professionals in their fields everything from how to present themselves during a job interview to how they handle day-to-day workplace challenges.

The mentorship .initiative instills within students the valuable life skills that cannot be taught in a classroom. Students meet with mentors over Zoom, once every six to eight weeks.

“The mentorship program is very exciting to me because I am able to get advice and guidance from someone who has gone through the same process as me and is already working in the field,” Klein says.

JCT’s International Program offers young men and women from around the world the viable opportunity to live and study Torah in Israel while pursuing a prestigious academic degree in Computer Sciences or Business Administration. Following three critically formative and intensive years of study, students emerge prepared not only to embark on successful career paths but also thriving life paths that maintain an abiding fidelity to Torah and Israel.

Operating in tandem with the College’s internship program, the new mentorship program helps place students in fields that interest them so they can gain valuable experience while still studying towards their degree.

“To be successful in Israel, you have to have strong skills, a robust network of connections, and mentors who are willing to show you the ropes,” said International Program Coordinator Shlomo Anapolle. “Our mentorship program empowers students with all of those benefits. All students, no matter their background, can face the challenge of transitioning from college to the professional world. This program aims to make that adjustment smoother.”

In addition to Chapter, participating mentors have hailed from the IDF; Preqin, a privately held London-based investment data company; Clairfield, an international corporate finance firm; NanoScout, a revolutionary software product that allows multiple industries to find, solve, and diagnose problems; and Chapter, a technology-driven Medicare advisor improving how seniors choose health coverage. By getting to know their mentees, the mentors give their companies access to recruiting potential interns and entry-level employees from the broad and talented pool of JCT graduates.

Klein, meanwhile, calls the program “a great opportunity for me to expand my network of connections to Michael and beyond.”

“I hope to continue hearing more advice from him about how to prepare for and advance my career,” he says, “and to see which other people he can connect me with to help and guide me as well.”

A virtual open house for the International Program will be taking place on February 27, 2022, at 8:00pm IST / 1:00pm EST for women and 9:00pm IST / 2:00pm IST for men.

Please visit the following link to register: http://www.lp-imp.com/jct-02-2022/