Career Mentor Program
The Career Mentor Program is an excellent opportunity for our Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center members and our real estate students to interact. The students face unique challenges and greatly benefit from the assistance of career mentors who counsel them on what it means and what it takes to be a real estate professional.
What our students say...
Real Estate majors are paired with industry leaders who offer insights gained from their professional experience.
"The Zell/Lurie Career Mentor program was the most productive and helpful program I have participated in so far at
Wharton. It all started with the right selection-my mentor was in exactly the field and location that I was most interested
in; he was proactive with career advice and development steps, he took a very active role in helping me get the right
summer internship position. He opened up his contacts and got me in front of the right people and even went a step
beyond and helped me prepare for the interviews. This program is a must for any student interested in real estate."
— Jeffrey Willardson, MBA, 2007
"The Zell/Lurie mentorship program is one of the best resources offered by Wharton to its students. It has been a perfect
complement to my academic experience. I cannot be more grateful to my wonderful mentor. He was generous with his
time and with his contacts. . . . After I decided to accept a summer internship job offer, he advised that I should also look
for a shorter complementary summer internship. He contacted me with a real estate private equity shop in Mexico City and
I got a four-week job offer. Bottom line [my mentor] is an example of the success of the Zell/Lurie mentorship program. I hope
next year I have a mentor as generous as he was."
— Jorge Margain, MBA, 2007
"My mentor went above and beyond the call of duty. In our first meeting, he spent five hours with me, walking me through
his properties and advising me about my choices and how they might influence my career. He also helped the Real Estate
Club by giving New York City Trek attendees a tour of the Chelsea Market and its most prestigious tenants! He has opened
many doors for me, and I am confident that we'll maintain a relationship long beyond my years at Wharton."
— Cristina J. Martin, MBA, 2007
What our Members say...
"Through the Career Mentor program at the Zell/Lurie Center, mentors guide the next generation of leaders in real estate, meanwhile refreshing our own enthusiasm for the field. This immediate contact with students keeps us directly involved in shaping the future of the industry, lending an entirely new dimension to our professional involvement and development."— Neil Rubler, President and CEO, Vantage Properties, LLC
"Members and students profit from this program. Students are able to interact with seasoned professionals without the pressure of the
interview process. This allows for a more open flow of information helping the Mentor to learn about what is going through the minds
of the students. Executed well, the program is a 'win-win' for both sides."
— Michelle Felman, Vornado Realty Trust
To become a Career Mentor or to find out more about our programs, please email Janice Leberman or call 215-898-3824.
