What is mentoring?
Mentoring is an informal arrangement where one person directly shares knowledge, skills, and experience to help advance another person’s career. Mentoring can be a brief interaction to pass along one piece of information, or a longer-term relationship; it’s entirely up to the mentor and mentee.
What areas are available?
There are three areas: technical, communication, and job skills. See the Mentee Signup Form for some suggestions.
Is there any cost or payment?
No. If the experience is mutually rewarding, we ask that mentees write a LinkedIn recommendation for mentors.
How does mentoring work?
It’s easy!
- Mentees: Register on the STC New England web site, providing your contact information and selecting areas you’re interested in.
- Potential mentors: Register on the STC New England web site, providing your contact information and selecting areas of expertise you’re willing to share. (Your name will not be listed on the site.)
- If we see a potential match in areas of interest and expertise between a mentor and mentee, we will put you in touch with each other.
- Once a connection is made, arrange for contact. You might like to meet face to face over coffee. You might want to Skype. Any mutually acceptable arrangement is fine.
- If the experience is successful, the mentee writes a LinkedIn recommendation for the mentor.
I’m interested in becoming a mentor. How much experience are you looking for?
Experience is not a number. If you’re confident sharing a technical, communication, or job skill; if you enjoy passing on what you know; and if you’d like to guide someone to greater success; then you have what it takes to be a mentor.
And just because you’re new in the workforce doesn’t mean you have nothing to offer others. Technology changes so rapidly that you may already be an expert at things that some of us have never learned and would like to be mentored on.
How much time do I get with a mentor?
Mentors commit to up to two hours with a mentee. Mentoring can be as simple and specific as “picking the brain” of someone over a specific need, or a long-term relationship with someone. It’s up to the mentor and mentee.
What’s the time commitment expected of mentors?
The minimum commitment is just two hours over the next year. Mentoring can be as simple and specific as “picking the brain” of someone over a specific need, or a long-term relationship with someone. It’s up to the mentor and mentee. It would be great if you want to do more! A mentor’s availability ends after one year unless renewed.
See also