FAQs for Wildcat Connect Advisors

What is Wildcat Connect?

Wildcat Connect is an online mentoring platform that connects students with alumni who are willing to offer career insights and advice. The platform facilitates connections between students and alumni who give and get advice in multiple ways: career conversations, resume and cover letter reviews, and mock interviews.

What is the purpose of the platform?

The platform helps students and alumni access alumni who are willing to guide students about their careers based on their own professional experiences. Advisors will provide information and guidance to assist in conversations towards an advice seeker’s professional goals, practice for an interview, and/or get insights into a particular career field or industry of interest.

Who can register to use the platform?

The Wildcat Connect platform is an exclusive network for Chico State students and alumni. Our advisors are all Chico State alumni. Chico State students (undergraduate and graduate) and alumni can be advisees (advice seekers).

How can I share feedback with my university about my advising experience?

What is discussed during a consultation between an advisor and advisee remains confidential. If you have a concern about a particular advisee that you would like to share, please e-mail alumni@csuchico.edu.

Registering/Signing Up for the Platform

How do I Register?

To register, visit the platform and complete a simple registration process. We recommend importing your professional information from LinkedIn, if you have an account, for the fastest account creation and accuracy. You can also sign up using your e-mail address. Once entered, all of your personal contact information will remain private.

What should I expect when I sign up?

As a mentor, you will have a profile that can only be viewed by current Chico State students and fellow alumni who are seeking advice as advisees. There are multiple ways you can share your advice: career conversations, resume and cover letter reviews, and mock interviews.

Once a student or alum selects your profile, the platform takes it from there. You can schedule a phone call, video chat, and share files all within the platform.

How should I set up my profile?

We recommend filling out the summary at the top of your profile (“summarize your background and expertise”) as well as filling out details related to the type of consultations you are willing to offer (career conversations, resume reviews, and/or mock interviews).

Please provide as much detailed information in your profile as possible to ensure that suitable matches are made when advisees search for advisors.

How will advisees be able to find my profile if I do not identify with any of the function options in the platform?

Many advisees will be searching for advisors within the platform not just by industry or function, but by keyword. We therefore recommend that you set up your profile with relevant keywords.

Advisees may conduct searches for keywords around specific job functions or areas (venture capital), companies they are interested in working for, or membership in groups they associate themselves with (i.e. LGBTQ, first-generation college student, international student).

Security and Privacy

How is my privacy protected?

Chico State and Firsthand (the platform provider) takes the privacy of its advisors very seriously. At no point is your phone number or e-mail address shared with anyone else on the platform.

Wildcat Connect enables phone calls, video chatting, and file-sharing within the platform and the personal contact information for advisors and advisees is never shared.

How to Schedule Consultations

When should I expect to receive my first request for a consultation?

A convenient calendar tool allows you to select when you are available to schedule consultations with advisees. Your advisor profile will be “active” once it is complete, and you may receive a request any time after registering. You will be notified by email if you receive a consultation request.

How should I prepare for my first consultation?

The meeting request you receive by email from the platform will have some suggested meeting times based on the preferred times listed in your profile. This meeting request will also include details about the type of advice the advisee is requesting. Once you accept the meeting request for a specific time, the platform will send you a calendar invitation.

How can I limit the number of requests for consultations that I receive?

As an advisor (replace with “mentor”, if needed), you can limit the number of consultation requests that you receive per month. Once you hit your limit, your profile won’t show up in search results or be available for requests until you enter a new 30-day period. You can set up this limit when you register or any time you log in to your account to update your profile. You are also able to decline any specific requests for consultations that you receive.

What is the cancellation policy?

An advisor can reschedule a meeting as long as it is accepted by the advisee and it is at least 24 hours in advance of the session. Multiple late cancellations could result in the suspension of your profile.

What if I want my profile hidden or removed?

To hide your profile, you can set your profile to ‘Out of Office’ in your settings when you’ve logged in to your account where you can select a specific time frame to hide your profile. If you would like your profile deleted, please contact Tania Miranda at tmiranda@csuchico.edu.