NextGen Awaits:
Match, Grow, and Connect
Nine months. One mentor. A career-changing connection. The NJ Ad Club NextGen Mentorship Program pairs emerging creative professionals with experienced industry leaders across advertising, marketing, design, PR, and communications — right here in New Jersey. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to give back, this is your community.
Become a Mentor or Mentee – Applications Open!
About the NextGen Program
The NJ Ad Club NextGen Mentorship Program is a nine‑month cohort experience designed to support and develop New Jersey’s next generation of creative, marketing, and communications professionals. Each fall, selected mentors and mentees are thoughtfully matched through a structured application process and begin their partnership by setting clear goals to ensure meaningful, measurable growth from mid‑September through mid‑April.
With a cohort kick‑off event and quarterly check‑ins to maintain alignment and quality, the program creates accountability, connection, and lasting impact within New Jersey’s creative community.
BECOME A MENTOR
Share your expertise, expand your network, and help shape the future of New Jersey’s creative industry as a NextGen mentor. As a mentor, you’ll be matched with an emerging professional whose goals align with your experience, and you’ll partner over nine months to provide guidance, feedback, and real‑world insight into careers in advertising, marketing, and communications. You’ll also connect with a broader cohort of mentors and mentees through the program’s kick‑off event and quarterly check‑ins, creating space for meaningful peer connections and collaboration.
Criteria for Becoming a Mentor
- Have 5–10+ years of experience in relevant industries
- Currently active in the field
- Live or work in New Jersey
- Commit to:
- Monthly meetings with mentee
- Responsiveness within reasonable boundaries
- Understand this is mentorship, not recruiting or sales
BECOME A MENTEE
If you’re an early-career or emerging creative professional in New Jersey, the NextGen Mentorship Program offers structured, one-on-one support as you navigate your next steps. Over nine months, you’ll be paired with an experienced industry mentor and work together to define goals that keep your conversations focused, actionable, and aligned with where you want to go. Along the way, you’ll benefit from quarterly check-ins, cohort events, and accountability that help you build confidence, grow your network, and gain clarity on your career direction.
Criteria for Becoming a Mentee
- Be a graduating senior or within 2 years post-grad
- Live, work, or attend school in New Jersey
- Be pursuing a career in design, marketing, advertising, media, PR, or a related industry
- Commit to:
- Minimum 6-month participation
- Monthly meetings with a mentor
- Owning scheduling and agendas
- Come with at least one clear goal or challenge you want to work on
Program Outline
The NJ Ad Club NextGen Mentorship Program follows a consistent annual rhythm so mentors and mentees know what to expect and can fully commit to the experience.
- New cohort launches each fall
- The program runs for nine months, with no formal activities in the summer
- Timeline: mid‑September through mid‑April
- Applications are reviewed and mentors and mentees are thoughtfully matched in the weeks following the application deadline
- Mentors and mentees will be thoughtfully matched
- A cohort kick‑off event (in‑person or virtual) introduces the program and provides space to connect at the start of each cohort
- Mentees begin with a guided goal‑setting session or worksheet to frame their focus for the nine‑month experience
- Quarterly check‑ins will consist of a brief, five‑question feedback form from both mentors and mentees to ensure quality, alignment, and accountability
- In April–May, we will invite mentors and mentees from the current year to commit to the next program year
Become a Mentor or Mentee – Applications Open!