Join the Aalto University Mentoring Programme
In Aalto University Mentoring Programme, students design their career with the support of working life mentors.
PATH: Mentoring Activities
You see career paths that fit your expertise
Doctoral researchers spend years building deep expertise, but very few get the chance to see how that expertise is used outside the university.
Doctoral researchers spend years building deep expertise, but very few get the chance to see how that expertise is used outside the university.
Why mentoring?
Mentoring fills that gap by giving direct access to people who have already made the move, honest conversations about what different sectors actually look like, and connections that are never visible in job adverts. It turns an open question about life after the doctorate into concrete, informed next steps.
"Ask a Mentor"
Wondering what your career could look like in working life outside academia? Curious how people in the field actually got there?
"Ask a Mentor" makes it possible to get real answers in a single, focused conversation, no lengthy programme, no long-term commitment, just one conversation that could change how you see your next step.
Why mentoring?
Mentoring fills that gap by giving direct access to people who have already made the move, honest conversations about what different sectors actually look like, and connections that are never visible in job adverts. It turns an open question about life after the doctorate into concrete, informed next steps.
What kind of mentoring do we offer?
Aalto Mentoring Programme is our main offering: a six-month one-to-one mentoring relationship built around personal goals rather than a single company. Mentors bring a lifetime of working experience, and the relationship is deliberately informal, which is why many pairs stay in contact for years afterwards. Doctoral researchers have been eligible since 2024, and in 2026 forty-nine doctoral researchers took part.
Aalto International Talent
Aalto International Talent is a three-month programme for international doctoral researchers, organised in groups around companies and fields, with a structured schedule of five meetings, company visits and group discussions. It is designed for those who need to understand the Finnish working culture and labour market, not only their own field.
Speed mentoring
Ask-a-Mentor is our new low-threshold format, coming soon on a dedicated platform. It offers a single, focused mentoring conversation rather than a long commitment, so a researcher can get one specific question answered without joining a full programme.
Career planning for doctoral students
Plan and prepare for your career during your doctoral studies
What's On: The Doc+ Calendar
What's new and next for doctoral researchers, postdocs and faculty. A short list, not a full one. Stay up to date with Doc+ activities from skills courses to visits, socials and everything in between.